- 8 track tape repair parts how to#
- 8 track tape repair parts manuals#
- 8 track tape repair parts crack#
Regular maintenance helped prolong the life of an 8-track.Ĭonsider, for example, a fairly typical version of the 8-track’s inferiority. 8-track tapes attracted and housed a range of debris because of the rubber or plastic pinch roller which, like a rollerball on a computer mouse, gathers dirt, but unlike a rollerball profited immensely from light lubrication, applied manually.
We are clearly far beyond the introduction of mere dust, of the plastic or oxide variety.
8 track tape repair parts manuals#
Since 8-track tapes relied on a metallic splice to enable program changes, most manuals warned against repair work that might spread ‘magnetic particles on the tape’ through use of a tool (i.e., razor blade or utility knife) that was not properly demagnetized the results are described as ‘an annoying click’ (Ritter, 1975: 24).
Tapes (cassettes and 8-tracks), as the story goes, are plagued by inherent sounds like hiss and the cartridges themselves create no end of squeals, clicks, rumbles…. Fortunately, many disparaging reflections are perfused with factually erroneous and selectively incomplete descriptions, not to mention wildly hyperbolic dismissals that put into relief the high fidelity prejudice that shapes much writing on music and technology. But the previous 4 issues are more likely to be the problem, and even a somewhat polished shaft can still do it's job, especially against rubber rollers.Cultural historians of the formats and associated technologies of pre-recorded popular music do not look kindly upon the 8-track tape. So that can contribute to playability issues as well. After years of tape playing, the shaft becomes shiny smooth and may be more prone to slippage than when new. It was probably a metal etching or bead-blasting process which gave it more traction to move the tape. that is, the metal shaft in the machine that 'drives' the tape, were 'frosted' from the factory. Most of the machines I've worked on, the capstan shaft. I find that removing the cartridge and slapping it on my thigh several times each side helps to 'equalize' out the tension (how it's wound around the hub).ĥ) No More Frosted Shaft! - This has to do with wear of the machine. The hard plastic rollers often become loaded up with deposits and a cleaning with alcohol helps.Ĥ) Hard pulling tape - Often a tape gets hard to pull. Many are still ok, but would benefit greatly with a treatment of 'rubber rejuvinator' (also Ebay) to give extra traction.
8 track tape repair parts crack#
Just remove the plastic film on the old foam piece, re-adhere it onto your new foam piece and glue the new foam pad in place under the tape.ģ) Pinch roller - The rubber ones can become hard/brittle and even crack pretty bad. You can buy replacements, or make your own if you have some foam with a similar density. Use a razor to trim appropriately.Ģ) Foam Pad - Most of the tapes I see these days have worn out or 'crumbly' foam pads under the tape ribbon. Just lay down a couple pieces of masking tape with a gap between them (the width of the tape), to use as a straight edge. If you carefully roll the tape, it'll reel itself back in. Then pull out about 12" - 16" of tape material, replace the splice with new (avail on ebay). When I get a new 8-track tape, I run it and immediately pull the tape cartridge out of the machine at or before the splice. You might want to be proactive before more get eaten:ġ) Foil Splice - As noted above, the adhesive on the foil splices has outlived it's adhesiveness, and often pull apart going past the capstan roller and head.
You've probably read this in other places, but these 8-Track cartridges are at the age where common problems occur on many. It isn't a life or death issue, but it'd be nice to get rid of that noise.
8 track tape repair parts how to#
I think it's some wheel or roller from inside the cartridges themselves turning that is making the sound, because I did once a long time ago here about having to lubricate 8-track cartridges, but I am unsure.ĭoes anyone know what is making the noise, and how to fix it? However now when a cartridge is playing, I sometimes here a squeaky or squealing noise. I now know to turn my 8-track player off, before removing a cartridge. I think it only ate a tape, not because the head was a little dirty (it wasn't that dirty to begin with, from the naked eye at the least) but because I removed the Elvis cartridge while it was still on and playing, meaning that the tape was still being sent through the internal parts. I also took that opportunity to clean the heads with alcohol and qutips.Īfter leaving it for a half hour to dry, it still works just fine. Recently my 8-track player ate an Elvis cartridge.Įarlier today, I unscrewed the front, and got the tape out.
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