[Amc-list] 8 Track Tape Player Servicing -

[Brien Tourville <hh7x@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

8 Track Tape Players were the last word in
Conspicuous Consumption, back in the days
when our cars were *Minty Fresh*.

'Ten Years After' - 'Janis Joplin' - 'Soul Train Hits'
hammered the 6x9s until the After market developed
Hi-Perf Speaker Kits for Cars.

Ponder now what all our Hi-Tech then
wrought within the industry these days.


- Save a Tape - Save an 8 Track Machine -


If your Machine eats a Tape & you want to save the tape,
 - pull the Player, remove the top & extricate the tape.

It will have creases in it from being wound &
folded.

Hold the tape upside down with the tape
hanging down in a loop - gently straighten
it out - then quickly pull on one side of the tape
down & quickly let it go .

It should spin wind itself back up - if not - try the
other side.


One word of caution:

The Rubber Wheel in the 8 Track Cartridge is usually the item that dissolves!

Check the condition of your Tape Wheel - if it is 'Gooey' - don't play it.

Radio Shack did have Service Kits with Replacement Transport Wheel for 8 Tracks
but you'll most likely need a www.google.com 8 track Tape Servicing - search to
find the supplier these days.





With the Player Case Top off - take a hard look at the Rubber Transport Wheel
in the machine:

If it is in smooth condition - you're OK.

Clean & Treat it.

Run your Finger Nail down & up on the Tape 
Head - the large square thing with lines on it -
see if the worn in ridges are deep - if not -
you're OK.



Take a ride to Radio Shack with your wallet
in tow.

Buy their Tape Player Head Cleaner & the long wooden
stemmed Q-Tip swabs they sell.

Buy the Rubber Tape Wheel Cleaner - Preservative.

Buy a Tape Head DeGausser.



Use the Cleaner on the Swabs to clean out the interior
of the player - lastly - clean the Tape Head with a
fresh Swab & Cleaner.

Clean the Rubber Transport Wheel edge that contacts the
Tape - then treat it with the Preservative & let dry.



Plug in the DeGausser - with it ON you have to come in directly with
the Tip to touch on one point of Metal just to the left of the Tape
Head - then proceed counter clock wise - touching each piece of Metal
all way round until you come to the Tape Head.

Touch the Tape Head - then Draw the DeGausser straight & directly
away from the Tape Head and the Player.

You've now removed in Linear Fashion the varying Magnetically Charged
Fields from the Machine.. 

Operative wording:  In Linear Fashion.

The Tape Head - which reads the magnetically charged Oxide [magnetic dirt]
on an 8 Track / Cassette Tape can now get a 'clean reading' - you'll get much
better sound & the Tapes will last longer.


If you use the Player alot - Clean the Tape Head & DeGausse every two months.

You don't need to remove the Player - Open the Tape Door, prop it open &
send the DeGausser Tip in with it ON, touch the Tape Head then draw it straight
back out - don't smear the Electronic Field by coming in at an angle & leaving
at a different angle:  Straight in - touch - Straight out.


If your Players Rubber Tape Transport Wheel is in bad shape - chunking, rubber rot gnarl y,
there are replacements available.


Short of an Electrical Fire, any 8 Track or Cassette Player can be made functional for very few dollars.


I still have my AUTOMATIC RADIO 4-channel 8 Track Tape Player, tough trick is finding Tapes !


One word of caution again:

The Rubber Wheel in the 8 Track Cartridge is usually the item that dissolves!

Check the condition of your Tape Wheel - if it is 'Gooey' - don't play it.

Radio Shack did have Service Kits with Replacement Transport Wheel for 8 Tracks
but you'll most likely need a www.google.com 8 track Tape Servicing - search to
find the supplier these days.



I had totally forgotten  about all this - for a brief moment:

 "Suddenly it's 1970" 





-- 

                  Brien
            NEW YORK
     eagle registry #501 
eagle kammback registry

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://splatter.wps.com/pipermail/amc-list/attachments/20080413/af94b9c8/attachment.htm 
_______________________________________________
Amc-list mailing list
Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
http://splatter.wps.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/amc-list