Tascam 488 Repairs Speed Fluctuation Problems

[tubejay]

Does anyone on here have experience repairing Tascam tape machines?  I have two tascam 488's that had no transport controls.  I replaced the belts on both of them, and now the transports work, but the tape speed fluctuates over time.  It could be a bad motor.  Could it be something more simple?  I don't know of a source for motors either, if that's the issue.  Does anyone have any idea how to fix this problem, or what it might be, outside of a bad motor?  I'm not very experienced with tape machine repair.

 

[MagnetoSound]

That thing has varispeed, for starters you need make sure that the pitch control pot is clean and that the motor control circuit has clean and stable power to it.

I hope you have some valuable archive material to transfer.  :

 

[ruffrecords]

The Tascams all use a servo capstan motor. I have several in Tascam and Yamaha 8 track cassette machines. These servos do seem to be problem prone. Unexpected speed variation is the most common fault. I think that sometimes it can be the capstan bearing lubrication causing a heavy  and perhaps variable load on the servo that causes the problem. I had temporary success by loosening the bearing nut but it was short lived. I have never really go to the bottom of this but I have several machines I could get working again if a fix is found.

It is a long time since I looked but a web search for Tascam capstan servo problems might turn uo something.

Cheers

Ian

 

[tubejay]

Thanks guys.  Word from Tascam obviously is that the motor should be replaced, but finding one....good luck.