Thank you Thank you Thank you for making this video - you left no stone unturned and saved me money and also nothing like fixing your own gear and learning it inside out !
Incredible video. You have given me the courage to open up my 2340 which has many of the problems you mentioned at the start, and undertake some long overdue service . You are the best!
The is so excellent. Why can't other repair videos delete the crappy loud music and the unprepared monologues and just do it straight-forward like this gentleman does. Thanks.
Carl Rudd I agree. I hate videos with any kind of music on it. It breaks my concentration and I can’t follow what’s going on. This is one of the best videos I have seen on RUclips.
Thanks Jordan! I was able to put a A-2340 R back in working condition last night. The machine belonged to my wife's dad who passed away a number of years ago. Everyone was thrilled to see it operate once more.
jks625 did you by any chance take the pinch roller assembly off by using a heat gun? I can’t get mine off to save my life. I’ve put so much heat on it it was almost glowing red. I’m kidding but, I did put a lot of heat to it and I can only wiggle it up and down about halfway by grabbing the pinch roller arm from the front and jiggling it up and down. How did you get your assembly off, if you did? I would appreciate any comments you have on that.
I discovered this video today and it worked perfectly! Are you using a 1200 W heat gun on high heat? If so, work the heated part forward and backward on the shaft with the channel lock, carefully turning at the same time. The sticking comes from the grease on the shaft getting dirty and hardening up over time. The heat melts it so it can come off. Keep trying! You’ll get it.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! I was (thanks to this video) able to make my 1977 Teac A-2340 work again (pinch roller stuck!) Works fantastic after not being on for over 40 years!!! Really appreciate your video!
This video looks very usefull for me. I am a big fan of Teac machine. I have 2 large ones 6300 and 3440. I've just receive an 2300s with the pinch roller arm completly stuk so your video is perfect for me to "enjoy" some mecanical intervention. Big thanks from Belgium
Great job on these videos, thank you. My 2340SX and 2300S both need the full treatment. I bought the 2300SX for $55 over 20 years ago. The first thing I had to replace was the micro switch you mention which someone had broken with too much down pressure on the arm. I love these machines!
I just came across this video when looking to find a 3440S to buy. I had a 2340R and had to watch this. I must say this is the best video I have ever seen for servicing this and the similar models! I had to do my pinch roller (before you tube) and this reminded me of the trouble I had but eventually fixed myself! Again excellent video for detailed information, expert guidance, camera work and most importantly the expertise you demonstrated throughout the video! Thank you very much!
Excellent video! This has inspired me to open a bench back up. I repaired radios in the Marine Corps for 6 years. I like this guy. Here reminds me of the marines I used to work beside at ELMACO on Okinawa, Japan back in the very early 1980s. A nice messy bench with Osope and ]q My favorite part? “Lets get this towel out of here, its pissing me off” LOL! Loved that.Took me back 40years. I used to covet these machines as I was a live Sound mixer that worked with neighborhood bands back in the early seventies. I had to make do with Peavey Equipment and it held up well. I could never afford one of these and had become re-interested in owing one but these things are still very expensive. I’d rather get a nice broken in and beat up but repairable one and dive into it like this. Thanks Jordan, you re-ignited my inner tech again and at 60 I realize my medical career is soon to end and this was always my first love.
This is a brilliant video. I have just bought a 3340S in 'full working great condition'. The first thing is just as demonstrated here. The pinch roller is seized!! The belt is stretched. I hope that by following exactly as demonstrated here I can service and make this machine work again. Now got to find a belt.!!!
I followed these same steps for my TEAC A-3440 and all went smoothly she is working like new next is to find the oil ports on the motors. Note this unit has a lot more space to work in. Only used heat for one screw to break it free the lever came out with my fingers. The capstan is a bit different than the one your working on in this video. Anyway thank you, a lot!!!!!!. Oh new belts as well she is running like a champ. She does have some pot and button issues but not to bad. Looks like as I use it the pots get cleaner. But I'll still clean them the right way.
Thanks so much for the video. After a few scrapes and burn on my finger, I was finally able to free the harden grease froozen mechanism using a soldering iron. I tried 3 different soldering irons and finally got it free using the most powerful after 10 minutes of heating the shaft. I almost gave up but decided to give it one last try and it finally freeed up! Thanks also for showing how to deoxit the switches from the front side. Very clear video and step by step instructions!
The very best education and commentary I have seen. Thank you so very much. Off to service my A3340s. I can’t remember seeing the oil tubes on mine. Thank you.
З великим задоволенням дивлюся Ваші відео . Ви гарний майстер. Так вправно володіете однією рукою а іншою знімаєте свою роботу. Це дуже важко . Я сам спробував. Зробив зі своїм Teac 4300sx те саме що і Ви. Дуже задоволений результатом . Дякую Вам. Вітання з України :)
Thanks Jordan! Awesome video! I just got 2 nice machines. One is brand new never used boxed Teac A-3440 and used Teac A-2340. Both machines are looking for service. After watching your video I feel much more confident to do this mechanical maintenance myself. Thanks for doing this video, it really works for guy like me. Keep it coming!
Excellent instructional video , you were direct and to the point. Just the meat and potatoes, I have the exact problem with both of mine Teac and now ready for repair. Thank you
Got an old (very similar from the inside) A-1230 back in shape thanks to this video. Wasn't able to take out the pinch roller (tried heating with a soldering iron and a hair dryer), however, after some oiling, everything's running smooth again. Thank you!
This video was incredibly helpful. I was having trouble with the pinch roller on my A-2300S. It needed help engaging. Thank goodness mine wasn't completely frozen, just stiff and sticky. I didn't oil my motors so I think I'll go back and do that in a day or two. Thank you SO much.
Jordon. great video.. instructional, straight to the point, comprehensive, AND you did most of it with one hand!! Amazing. i just acquired a TEAC A-2300SD that needs the capstan bearing freed-up. this video is just the ticket. and while I'm in there I'll lube everything else as you have show,. I'm off to the electronics store to get some lube and more De-Ox. thanx again. graham
Thank you Jordan! Followed this for my 3340s. That goo mucked up the whole mechanism. The 3340 is very similar. I used a log lighter to loosen up the goo on the spindle to release it. Everything was going great until I drop one screw putting it all back together. I looked for hours taking the bottom boards out, shaking the unit, never found it. Must be in the wire mess somewhere. Bob in PB.
Thanks Jordan - exactly what I needed to know - have a carton of old 1/4" tapes unlabeled, one of which is a rare talk from the 1960s - anxious to recover it and get it digitized... this will allow me to avoid the $400+ fee my local shop wanted to do this...
Thankyou so much for this video. I have two TEACs side by side. I clean, oil and demagnetize them regularly but one needed to have the pivot bearing cleaned. I was able to pull it out without heat so it was not that bad. But your video was excellent and I used it like you were sitting at my work bench (lol) as I copied most of your steps. Thank!!!!!!!
Best example of the pinch roller arm fix. Must say Teac recommends 1 or 2 drops of oil in the tubes, but after more than 50 years bearing probably need it, but it may be to much. I've got over 20 machines in my collection, about 6 Teacs. Two all vacuum tube machines too.
Thank you for the response, a lot of these TEAC's are very much alike on the inside motors . Especially the bigger models. The 40-4 is the sister to the A-3440, A-3440 is the one I use to have but I found the 40-4 and I do need work on it.
Great contribution to the RTR community. I am just starting to go through the same process for my just acquired A2300SD, and this is immensely helpful. Thanks. BTW, have you run into any issues with using oil to lube the pinch roller shaft and bearing, and also the capstan shaft and bearing? I a youtube comment that grease is preferable to oil. Do you have any recommendation for the type of oil? Thanks again.
Outstanding video! I just acquired an A-2300S with a similar pinch roller issue, so I'm hoping I can pull this off. The innards look nearly identical. My pinch roller isn't completely frozen, but very stiff. However, when I push the play button, I don't really see any activity with the solenoid, so I'm just hoping that isn't the bigger issue. Thanks for your great work, Jordan, and wish me luck!!
Found this video thru a search. I just bought a TEAC A-1500-W. Hasnt been played in 12 years. But it has been inside a house for the entire time. What brand and kind of oil do you use for the motors and shafts? What should i really be focused on servicing with this? Thanks JP love your videos
Hello Jordan! Thanks! Your videos regarding restoration of TEAC reel to reels are the best! I suceeded fixing my Teac A2300SD - but I still got a problem that I hope you can give me some advice how to fix. When the deck is mounted standing up the brakes are not working good. When doing FastForward and stopping the left reel does not brake and the tape from this reel is flying on. The strange thing is that when I put down the deck horisontally the brake works fine in both directions. Do you have any input to me about what I can do to fix this? Thanks so much in advance!
Thanks for this fantastic video. This has helped me immensely. My 2340S has another problem. The fast forward and rewind functions don't seem to have the torque they used to. The machine sat unused from the late 70s until now and I am trying to get it going again to digitize the old 4 track basement tapes from the 70s.
Tapes could be suffering from sticky shed syndrome. It's rare for both motors to loose torque. Never seen a bad reel motor phasing cap yet on these either
@@JordanPier I will look into the possibility that the tape has become sticky. I believe the old tapes are all Scotch. I expect this means I need to bake the tapes. Unfortunately I already tried messing with the brake settings by loosening the screws holding the bottoms of the brake felt spring backing to the frame and sliding them to lessen the braking. Yeah, it didn't do the trick. I have a service manual and suspect I will need to get a spring scale and some string to test and set the drag. I may start out by trying to find any witness marks to try as a starting point. Sorry now that I didn't mark them before messing with it. I started filling the oil tubes in the motors with mineral oil. I hope that wasn't a bad choice of lubricant. I filled the three apparent ones at the rear but didn't see the ones at the front until watching your video. I still need to clean and lube the mechanisms actuated by the solenoid for the pinch roller. Thanks again. This video has been a great help to me.
@@JordanPier Update. I got a set of spring scales to measure the torques being produced in various modes. I have a 2340S not an SX. I finally found a manual for the S. The S model has 3 variable resistors to adjust the torque. [as compared with only 2 for the SX] I have followed the instructions but it seems that loosening the screws and moving the metal contacts to the right or left on the three variable resistors has little to no effect, and I have moved them to extremes. The main problem is the fast forward does not work. When I measure the pull of the left reel on rewind it pulls at almost 500 grams. When I measure the pull of the right reel on fast forward it only pulls at around 100 grams. I'm pretty much stuck at this point.
Just ordered one of these off Ebay and got it in the mail, my dad seems to think it came from a radio station or studio because of all the smoking tar on it, lol. First thing I did was start servicing it, thanks to this video- On my unit the capstan was actually rusted(!) and I tried both alcohol and contact cleaner to try and 'resurface it' to no avail. The flywheel is thankfully removable though, so I was able to pop it out the front and took it to the lathe and used light emery paper to get it back into usable order. Is there any way to prevent rusting like that?
Great advice Jordan, very daunting as I have about 20 Teac-Tascams to revive, the biggest challenge is the Tascam 388. If you have some experience please advise
Jordan, Thank you for the great video on servicing the Teac A2340R. I have one that I bought in the 70's that had been sitting in the attic for the last 25 years that I won't get working so I can digitize my old tapes. I followed your video for servicing and changed the belt. The only problem I have is the left tension arm is shorted so it keeps going in reverse. I unsoldered the tension arm wire from the circuit board and everything now works except auto reverse. Once I have all my tapes digitized I want to take the arm off to try to repair the short but I don't know how the dampening is adjusted on the arm. If you could give me some guidance on that I would appreciate it. Thank you for your help. Mike
Thank you Jordan this has been most enlightening. Do you have other TEAC 3340/2340 style videos covering mechanical/electronic aliment? I now own two beauties (3340 Japan original & an A-2340SX) and want to take care of them. Best Regards, Tod in Las Vegas. :)
I called the "TEAC" (some other supply company that has taken over I think) and they had no record of the 3340 or the A-2340SX models so the gal said she'd have the tech call me with the part number. That never happened. Would you happen to have to part number for the drive belt? It's probably the same for both decks? Thanks! Tod in Vegas @@JordanPier
Jordan I have the A 3340 series which has a similar head system design. There two " pins " that I believe should be able to move in toward the heads and out away from them ( slotted area allows movement in that direction ). THat makes me believe that the tape should be threaded behind these " Pins " and the pins will move toward the heads to help hold the tape in place along with the pinch roller when the unit is placed in Play mode. What is the best way to service / oil these pins so that they move freely. ?
Fantastic video! I have a 3340S and have been looking for a video like this. I understand the units are not the same but hopefully similar enough... especially the oiling as well as that earlier comment regarding taking apart those that don’t have oil tubes. I believe my Teac 80-8 is this way. So would it be recommended to take them apart and clean off old oil and then re-lube them? Or do you think they are still good. Either way thanks for this video! Cheers!
Great video! Working on a 1230 A machine doing the capstan shaft repair. I’m at the point of trying to free the two screws attached to the solenoid . I see you used a right angle driver to loosen them. I was able to get a small screwdriver in there but they’re very tight won’t budge. I’ve got a set ordered hope it works. Those strip it’s game over...
Were you successful removing the two JIS screws attached to the solenoid and pinch roller lift arm and if so, what tool and method did you use? I am having the same problem on my Teac A-2300sx. I have tried using lacquer thinner to melt the lock tight, 1400 watts Weller soldering iron to hopefully loosen the screws, but no luck yet. I have even purchased two different Vessel screwdrivers (stubby screwdriver with shorter bit and ball screwdriver with longer bit) and still cannot get good enough angle to break them loose. I understand that if you use a JIS screwdriver on these JIS screws, you have much less chance of camming out and stripping the heads and then game over, like you said. I have been trying to find a rachet driver with JIS bit on internet to hopefully break the lock tight. I found a offset/right angle tool at O'Reillys (like the one used in this video) but the Phillips head of screwdriver does not fit tightly in head of screws. I do not want to risk stripping the screws using this tool. I have watched many, many videos on Tapeheads and AudioKarma on this issue and have yet to find one showing how to remove these blasted screws. TapeTech on Tapeheads website said best way to remove the pinch arm assembly is to remove the solenoid plunger, but several other members say that method is really risky - reassembling all of those parts correctly could be a problem. Plus, you could end up having to adjust the pinch roller pressure as well. Any feedback would be much appreciated!!
Love the way you explain the steps as you go along. Had a stuck pinch roller on my Teac 2300S and was able to get it free per your steps. Replaced the belt and other maintenance steps. Upon testing playback, it appears the solenoid associated with the pinch arm is very stiff and, many times, it doesn't actuate the arm. Any suggestions?
Hi again, so I found another Teac R2R (same model 3300S) but this one has the tubes sticking out of the motors. Can I use Olive Oil or Car oil to lubricate it ? I don't have any of the special Teac Oil. Which Oil would work for lubrication.? It is also strange that both decks are the same model but one has the Oil tubes and the other doesn't. It maybe that one is older made than the other? Thanks so much.
I bought a TEAC 3440 about a month ago, and it's now experiencing wild flutter about 2-3 hours into recording. Tape path cleaned, new tape being used. Some people have recommended oiling the capstan motor and the capstan bearing. I can see you oiling the motor, which is great for me to learn how to do that, but they said that I have to remove the motor pulley to oil the capstan bearing. I'm a little weary of doing this as I'm very new to these machines and don't want to further complicate things. Is it necessary to remove the motor pulley to oil the capstan bearing? Which bearing are they talking about? Any help is appreciated. Thanks for the video, there's not many repair/service tutorials on RTR's. Really great. Subscribed!
I followed your procedure for oiling the Motors. Other videos have suggested two or three drops is all you need. After watching your video, I realize I was starving my motors. This deck has been stored for a long time so I re-oiled the motors. I was surprised how much oil they took before it started to weep out where the tube goes into the body. A great video! I appreciate your expertise. I forgot to mention, my deck is a Teac a-2300 while I’m thinking about it, the board on the very top on the left-hand side of mine has some type of white crap on it. I tried a small area scrubbing it off with alcohol and Q-tip but it didn’t want to come off. It doesn’t look like it’s hurting anything but I’m curious what the heck that junk is. Any ideas?
Super helpful video thank you!! Did all that and mechanically my 2300s is working perfectly now. However, it’s now dead silent. No hiss and definitely to reaction to audio inputs. Any ideas why that could be?
Great video, after watching I realized I needed to lubricate my reel to reel moving parts and motors. I did this to my teac a300 as well as replaced a couple of electrolytic capacitors on the record board to do away with horrible noise on the right channel it records good now,mechanically smoother after the lube as well. once I finish replacing all the electrolytic capacitors on record and playback boards on my a300 I will begin service on my own 2340 that does not record at all??? And then pick up a motor and some various parts on for a teac 4010 I also have. thanks for motivating me and teaching me!
thanks for this great video. got my teac 2340 up & running with your frozen capstan fix.i bought mine when they 1st came out & it's been dormant on the shelf for over 30 years, but now plays like new. i did have a problem with the tape being snapped when i'd hit the stop button on FF, but was able to tweak the left spool from stopping dead while the right one didnt. they both stop at the same rate now.i will be following your directions on lubrication and spraying all of the switches. but i'd like advice on oil to use for the motors.just any machine oil? thanks for all the info!!
super loved the video. thank you! i got inspired and started on my deck. sadly, i started with the wrong contact cleaner and damaged 2 of the record mode switches while trying to 'work' them (after they froze). long story-short, i'd like to know how to remove the mic/line dials (the line dial) so i can get the front plate off, to see if i want to try to solder in new switches, if they are standard parts and i can find them. any help from any source is appreciated. this project may have grown at the outset, but it still looks like a good time. wish me luck!
Great video man! I just got done using it for help on servicing my A-3340S....Hey quick question if possible....At the very end when your cleaning the heads, you reference something for cleaning super gunky heads....Did you say a "Lemonwood stick"?? I've never heard of such a thing, nor could I find anything online about those....I have some super gunky heads in need of some rescuing.....Please let me know if you have anymore insight into this....Thanks again!!
I have a crazy issue with my A-2340. It sat unused for a few years and when I went to use it, the circuit board behind the tape head cover (the one that has the four normal / simul-sync switches on it) had broken at the point where the right side mountain screw holds the circuit board to the recorder. The hole that screw goes through broke out, taking a little of the circuitry with it around the hole. If all of the circuitry around that hole is the same circuit, I can repair it. But if the circuitry is complex in that area, I’m not sure how to tell how to fix it. I don’t need it to record anymore, just to play. It does play, but I’m holding that module up out of the way with tape, since only the left side screw is intact. When it moves around, it gets crackling and the channel 3 (top right) normal / simul switch shorts out from time to time. I know this is a lot to process, but you were so phenomenal with the pinch wheel shaft / hot gun repair that I thought perhaps you might have some info or suggestions on where to turn. Thanks!!!
I just got one of these, have been doing some recording and there's already a mound of tape dust growing on the table under the machine, is it normal for tapes to shed this much or are my tapes just old and crummy? Also, do you know what types of tape I should be using with this machine for best quality recording? Do you know what the bias switch does by the record arm switches? Thanks a bunch for your video, am going to get mine lubed up and switches cleaned!
Old tapes shed. Just the way things are now. Find yourself some old maxell ud tape. It's high bias tape and should sound decent. If you wanna dive down the rabbit hole check places like homerecording.com analog tape recording forum and tapeheads.net.
If you have old Ampex tapes, they are not good to run on you R-R. After many years they turn gummy and shed like crazy. I spent too much time cleaning my Teac heads. I finally threw them away after I digitized the important ones.
Great to see your channel back on Jordan - I have been assisting a friend with his 3300sx and after completing the loosening and relubing of the pinch roller assembly we put everything back together only to have smoke pour out of the circuit board on the far right of the unit - it was one of the wire wound resistors burning. Anyhow, I read somewhere that the small circuit board in the Center which had to be removed has a small plastic slip to prevent the collector of a voltage regular transistor being shorted to ground - if this is not reassembled with care the short causes the resistors in the other circuit board ( on the far right) to draw extra current and overheat. We haven’t checked this yet, but just wonder if this problem when reassembling is known to you? Many thanks.
Teac A3300S machine tape speed fluctuates and slows (on both H/L modes). It's been dismantled, cleaned and lubricated, runs perfectly. Belt drive looks good, if I slow down by hand the capstan flywheel, the motor also slows down. Fuse also needed to be replaced, so I'm guessing the motor run capacitor (2u+0.8u) is faulty. What do you think? Thanks for your answer!
+gelu curtean that's a fairly good indicator. Usually when the capacitor fails you get this symptom, but also check (with the machine off) the continuity of the micro switches that interface with the right compliance arm (the one that starts the motor when you lift it) - if the cap goes bad it can hurt the switches
Amazing video! Your video brought a 2300s, that was being thrown away back to life. I followed your video step by step. It's now playing and recording nicely. One question: The counter assembly makes a noise when fast forwarding and rewinding. I've read on tape forums that it needs to be re-lubed. How do you re-lube the counter assembly? Does it need to be removed or can it be accessed without removing from the chassis?
I don't remember honestly. I would find the pulley where the counter belt is and see if it's possible to get some oil on the shaft that runs behind the counter pulley. Use an oiler syringe . If not accessible you'll need to remove it.
I found out that pure SYNTHETIC 5 - 20 motor oil works perfectly... save a couple of drops from your next oil change. You can buy cheap hypodermic syringes (without needles) at hobby shows (train shows) for about a buck. Get the 2 c.c. size.
Hi Jordan.a question, I have a teac 3300SR and when playing the tape comes out of the pinchnroller and bounce up and down by the heads,what it can be? Thank you for your help and channel is great!👍
Hello Jordan, your video is awesome because I have the exact same problem in my A2340. What kind of oil did you use, where is it available? Any chance of you putting out a video on how to align the A2340 heads? BIG Kudos!
Rick: i use mo98 zoomspout for the oil. I put it in a syringe to make it a little easier to apply. Don't screw with the head alignment unless you have the teac ytt test tapes and an oscilloscope. I don't do those videos because I assume people don't have access to that stuff. You'll do more harm than good if you mess with alignment without test equipment ;)
Hi Jordan, I have a Teac A3440 reel to reel. One problem I seem to have on this is the sound on one of the speakers isn't as loud as the other during playback. Any advice as to what I should do about this problem? Also, I have seen some videos that aren't too bad, but yours are awesome. You do close up shots of everything you're doing. This video has helped me big time. Where is the Teac centre where you can get these replacement belts? Do you have a phone number and address? Incredible video mate!! Cheers
Could you please do a short video on the proper way to demagnatize the heads? I'm always a bit scared to do this. Thanks for the videos, they're very helpful and informative. 👍🙂
Great video Mister. I'm picking up a 2340 for a couple hundred to run as a tape delay feedback loop instead of using an RE201 space echo. ** Where can I find a new micro switch ? **
I've gotten mine from digikey and mouser in the past. Most important factor is to get one with as little gram force as possible needed to push the plunger in or it won't auto-shutoff
@@JordanPier Much thanks. Do you possibly know of any 4 track R2R's that have individual heads in a linear order as opposed to all 4 on the same head ? I'm trying to replicate a Roland RE-201 as close as possible.
Hi this is a great video. I’m looking for help on servicing my A-3440 Teac recorder. It’s in pretty good condition inside but I noticed that the belts are loose. Can you give me some advice on where I might find a technician to service it. Tony Morales
On my Teac A-2340 the play function work 100%, but the FF and rewind no turning of the spools. The solenoids of both operate ,but that's all. Any ideas?
Hi Jordan, I am a customer of yours "you put in my custom made cams in my Akai X-1800SD" and I do have a 2340 that I want to service and was curious what oil do you use for the motors? do you recommend 3 and 1? Is it the same oil used for the other lubrication? Thanks, Jim BTW thanks for the great videos
Jordan Pier I have Zoom Spout and will use it for the motors.. I really find your tips very useful like the deoxit extension tube you made with shrink tubing and the sand bag for turntables
Hey Jordan, I have a problem. I can’t get that pinch roller arm off to save my life. I used my heat gun a couple times with so much heat it was almost glowing red, just kidding, I can only move it slightly up-and-down by grabbing the pinch roller arm from the front but I cannot get that sucker to slide off the bushing. Any ideas, I would sure would appreciate it. Thanks.
Jordan Pier Mine is a A-2300 and I finally got the pinch roller arm off. I had to hit it about five times with a heat gun, then twist and pulled and that sucker finally popped off. After watching you struggle get the new belt on, I put the belt on first so I had room to get my fingers in there and play around getting the Belt on. Then it was just a matter of moving it to one side while I pushed the fly wheel into place. After that everything was a piece of cake. By the way I bought my new belt on eBay for $12.50 with free shipping in case anybody wants to know. $20 seems like a lot of money for a belt. Comparing the new belt with my old belt, I could see how badly my old belt was stretched. There was nothing left to it. Anyway, I just thought I would give you an update and let you know everything is okey-doke and my tape deck is humming away. Oh one more thing, my three motors were thirsty as hell for some oil. Those little plastic tubes on the front and rear of the motors are great for oiling them. After oiling The motors and various parts, I ended up using a little less than half an ounce of the Teac oil with the skinny tube on it I also got from eBay for $7.80. The tape deck is operational 100%. Ready for another 40 years of service. Thanks for the great video.
I've found it much easier to deal with the belt with the capstan flywheel removed - both for removal & installing a new one. FOLKS - You wanna put a new one in now, not 6 - 12 months later after failure of the 30-40 yr. old one !! Its also proper to lube that surface where the pinch roller arm engages the tape lifters. A drop of oil on those pivot screws IS a good idea, also (sure beats troubleshooting why he tape won't clear the heads while in FF/RW). Running the motors for 15-20 min. after oiling is a good practice, also. And PLEASE wipe up excess oil from the tubes as it will only flow down the motor housing and make a nice surface for dirt and dust to collect on... making a nice hot surface. Clean & lube w/DeOxit spray that "drum" switch that controls to FAST/PAUSE/PLAY functions. It will last much longer.
Great video, my name is Jerry .I have a tascam dx44. I changed the pinch roller and I would like to know where you buy a capstan belt because I need one .when I put everything back the power comes on but the play and fast forward an rewind does not work.could it be that micro switch? I don't know how to test it is it possible.I would appreciate a comment. Thanks.
Lift up the compliance arms to trigger a motor start and look to see if the motor is actually turning. If it is and the belt is just broken, clean off the belt residue and replace it. You can call teac parts directly for a new one. If the motor doesn't turn the micro switches could be at fault, but further troubleshooting is necessary to determine what the real cause is. Never just blindly replace parts. Troubleshoot a cause, not a symptom.
Thank you. I am working on a Teac A-3300S which has the same layout in the back...3 motors....etc. Except I don't see any Motor oiling holes or hoses as yours has. Does the 3300S has oiling ports ? Also what is the easiest way to clean the layers of dirt backed on the circuit board and components ? Thanks.
If you don't see the hoses or ports near the shaft they're likely permanently lubricated & sealed. I typically use a natural bristle brush to clean the dust then blow out with can of air, vacuum exhaust or compressed air
@@JordanPier I have to find my heat gun but tried one of those gas lighters to heat up the shaft, it loosened up but will NOT come out.? Also yesterday I broke that right side arm that activates the motor. I assume some crazy glue should hold it in place? Thanks.
@@JordanPier Another question for you: How do you polish the silver face/front of the deck so it looks clean and shinny ? I tried water and towel but but it looks smeared. What do you use to make look nice and clean ? Thank you.
@@JordanPier This polish you recommend, it says it is for Plastics. The front of this machine is not plastic, it is silver Metal. Also removing the front on the A-3300S is not easy, it is actually very difficult. Is there something else I can use to polish this stainless steel face of this machine ? Perhaps something available in the house already ? Thank you.
Another question: On mine when I install the fly wheel and screw down the bar that goes across it, if I tighten it down then the fly wheel is too tight to the point that the motor can't move it. Should I or is there 2 spacers between the bar (That goes across the flywheel) and the 2 poles where it is bolted down to to give the flywheel some play to move freely ? I didn't see any spacers but it seems without them the fly wheel is too tight. Or did I do something wrong ? The flywheel is pushed in all the way to the front of the deck but it feels too tight. Thanks for the help.
Either the bar isn't seated right or you need to change the thrust bearing play. On the back of the flywheel there are Allen keys that when loose allow you to adjust play.
@@JordanPier Thanks so much, yes I saw that. I just don't know why it was sitting fine before & now after I did all the cleaning..etc. it is tight. But I will adjust it. Did you see my question about what to use to lubricate the motors ? Can I use Car Motor oil? I don't have anything else, or Olive oil.
@@JordanPier Ok, I guess I have to make a trip to Walmart and see if they have this or maybe home depot. I had a small container of electrical motor oil but don't know where it is anymore. But seriously, olive oil will not do the job ?
@@JordanPier I just found a bottle of Selmer Key Oil No 2934. I can't find much info on it other than it is to lubricate clarinets and points of friction. I wonder if it is the same as Machine Oil and if I could use for this application ? Thank you.
Thank you Thank you Thank you for making this video - you left no stone unturned and saved me money and also nothing like fixing your own gear and learning it inside out !
Incredible video. You have given me the courage to open up my 2340 which has many of the problems you mentioned at the start, and undertake some long overdue service
. You are the best!
The is so excellent. Why can't other repair videos delete the crappy loud music and the unprepared monologues and just do it straight-forward like this gentleman does. Thanks.
Carl Rudd I agree. I hate videos with any kind of music on it. It breaks my concentration and I can’t follow what’s going on. This is one of the best videos I have seen on RUclips.
Thanks Jordan!
I was able to put a A-2340 R back in working condition last night. The machine belonged to my wife's dad who passed away a number of years ago. Everyone was thrilled to see it operate once more.
jks625 did you by any chance take the pinch roller assembly off by using a heat gun? I can’t get mine off to save my life. I’ve put so much heat on it it was almost glowing red. I’m kidding but, I did put a lot of heat to it and I can only wiggle it up and down about halfway by grabbing the pinch roller arm from the front and jiggling it up and down. How did you get your assembly off, if you did? I would appreciate any comments you have on that.
@@alcameron6071 i warmed mine up with a soldering iron.
I discovered this video today and it worked perfectly! Are you using a 1200 W heat gun on high heat? If so, work the heated part forward and backward on the shaft with the channel lock, carefully turning at the same time. The sticking comes from the grease on the shaft getting dirty and hardening up over time. The heat melts it so it can come off. Keep trying! You’ll get it.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! I was (thanks to this video) able to make my 1977 Teac A-2340 work again (pinch roller stuck!) Works fantastic after not being on for over 40 years!!! Really appreciate your video!
This video looks very usefull for me. I am a big fan of Teac machine. I have 2 large ones 6300 and 3440. I've just receive an 2300s with the pinch roller arm completly stuk so your video is perfect for me to "enjoy" some mecanical intervention. Big thanks from Belgium
Thank you so much for this. I’m going to try and rehabilitate my old 2340 based on this! Quite a gift to us…
Great job on these videos, thank you. My 2340SX and 2300S both need the full treatment. I bought the 2300SX for $55 over 20 years ago. The first thing I had to replace was the micro switch you mention which someone had broken with too much down pressure on the arm. I love these machines!
I just came across this video when looking to find a 3440S to buy. I had a 2340R and had to watch this. I must say this is the best video I have ever seen for servicing this and the similar models! I had to do my pinch roller (before you tube) and this reminded me of the trouble I had but eventually fixed myself! Again excellent video for detailed information, expert guidance, camera work and most importantly the expertise you demonstrated throughout the video! Thank you very much!
You are the man! You're going to save the life of so many of these classic, beautiful machines. Helping the hobby to keep going!
Excellent video! This has inspired me to open a bench back up. I repaired radios in the Marine Corps for 6 years. I like this guy. Here reminds me of the marines I used to work beside at ELMACO on Okinawa, Japan back in the very early 1980s. A nice messy bench with Osope and ]q My favorite part? “Lets get this towel out of here, its pissing me off” LOL! Loved that.Took me back 40years. I used to covet these machines as I was a live Sound mixer that worked with neighborhood bands back in the early seventies. I had to make do with Peavey Equipment and it held up well. I could never afford one of these and had become re-interested in owing one but these things are still very expensive. I’d rather get a nice broken in and beat up but repairable one and dive into it like this. Thanks Jordan, you re-ignited my inner tech again and at 60 I realize my medical career is soon to end and this was always my first love.
Thank you so much! I just followed all of your instruction. Can't test yet until I find the power cord, but I'm feeling very hopeful!
This is a brilliant video. I have just bought a 3340S in 'full working great condition'. The first thing is just as demonstrated here. The pinch roller is seized!! The belt is stretched. I hope that by following exactly as demonstrated here I can service and make this machine work again. Now got to find a belt.!!!
I followed these same steps for my TEAC A-3440 and all went smoothly she is working like new next is to find the oil ports on the motors. Note this unit has a lot more space to work in. Only used heat for one screw to break it free the lever came out with my fingers. The capstan is a bit different than the one your working on in this video. Anyway thank you, a lot!!!!!!. Oh new belts as well she is running like a champ. She does have some pot and button issues but not to bad. Looks like as I use it the pots get cleaner. But I'll still clean them the right way.
This is the best video for my need. I should have watched this video before I started doing it (from the front!).
Thanks a million.
Thanks so much for the video. After a few scrapes and burn on my finger, I was finally able to free the harden grease froozen mechanism using a soldering iron. I tried 3 different soldering irons and finally got it free using the most powerful after 10 minutes of heating the shaft. I almost gave up but decided to give it one last try and it finally freeed up! Thanks also for showing how to deoxit the switches from the front side. Very clear video and step by step instructions!
The very best education and commentary I have seen. Thank you so very much. Off to service my A3340s. I can’t remember seeing the oil tubes on mine. Thank you.
З великим задоволенням дивлюся Ваші відео . Ви гарний майстер. Так вправно володіете однією рукою а іншою знімаєте свою роботу. Це дуже важко . Я сам спробував. Зробив зі своїм Teac 4300sx те саме що і Ви. Дуже задоволений результатом . Дякую Вам. Вітання з України :)
thank you for the video , without you i can't fix my machine , you give me everything i need to fix my machine , good job man,,,
The quality of this machine is just outstanding.
Best servicing videos I’ve seen.
Thanks Jordan!
Awesome video! I just got 2 nice machines. One is brand new never used boxed Teac A-3440 and used Teac A-2340. Both machines are looking for service. After watching your video I feel much more confident to do this mechanical maintenance myself.
Thanks for doing this video, it really works for guy like me.
Keep it coming!
Excellent instructional video , you were direct and to the point. Just the meat and potatoes, I have the exact problem with both of mine Teac and now ready for repair. Thank you
I really enjoy your videos you do a very thorough and easy to understand instruction.
Got an old (very similar from the inside) A-1230 back in shape thanks to this video. Wasn't able to take out the pinch roller (tried heating with a soldering iron and a hair dryer), however, after some oiling, everything's running smooth again. Thank you!
This video was incredibly helpful. I was having trouble with the pinch roller on my A-2300S. It needed help engaging. Thank goodness mine wasn't completely frozen, just stiff and sticky. I didn't oil my motors so I think I'll go back and do that in a day or two. Thank you SO much.
Also - thank you for the cool tip on using shrink tubing to extend the DeOxit nozzle. That will definitely come in handy.
Thank you for this great video. I started using my old 2340 again recently and this video answered a ton of questions. Thanks for the help.
Jordon.
great video..
instructional, straight to the point, comprehensive, AND you did most of it with one hand!!
Amazing.
i just acquired a TEAC A-2300SD that needs the capstan bearing freed-up.
this video is just the ticket.
and while I'm in there I'll lube everything else as you have show,.
I'm off to the electronics store to get some lube and more De-Ox.
thanx again.
graham
Thank you Jordan! Followed this for my 3340s. That goo mucked up the whole mechanism. The 3340 is very similar. I used a log lighter to loosen up the goo on the spindle to release it. Everything was going great until I drop one screw putting it all back together. I looked for hours taking the bottom boards out, shaking the unit, never found it. Must be in the wire mess somewhere. Bob in PB.
Thanks Jordan - exactly what I needed to know - have a carton of old 1/4" tapes unlabeled, one of which is a rare talk from the 1960s - anxious to recover it and get it digitized... this will allow me to avoid the $400+ fee my local shop wanted to do this...
Thankyou so much for this video. I have two TEACs side by side. I clean, oil and demagnetize them regularly but one needed to have the pivot bearing cleaned. I was able to pull it out without heat so it was not that bad. But your video was excellent and I used it like you were sitting at my work bench (lol) as I copied most of your steps. Thank!!!!!!!
Best example of the pinch roller arm fix. Must say Teac recommends 1 or 2 drops of oil in the tubes, but after more than 50 years bearing probably need it, but it may be to much. I've got over 20 machines in my collection, about 6 Teacs. Two all vacuum tube machines too.
Great job, thanks. Very through. Helpful too. My capstan was near frozen , would never have thought heat would remove it.
Thank you for the response, a lot of these TEAC's are very much alike on the inside motors . Especially the bigger models. The 40-4 is the sister to the A-3440, A-3440 is the one I use to have but I found the 40-4 and I do need work on it.
Great contribution to the RTR community. I am just starting to go through the same process for my just acquired A2300SD, and this is immensely helpful. Thanks. BTW, have you run into any issues with using oil to lube the pinch roller shaft and bearing, and also the capstan shaft and bearing? I a youtube comment that grease is preferable to oil. Do you have any recommendation for the type of oil? Thanks again.
Outstanding video! I just acquired an A-2300S with a similar pinch roller issue, so I'm hoping I can pull this off. The innards look nearly identical. My pinch roller isn't completely frozen, but very stiff. However, when I push the play button, I don't really see any activity with the solenoid, so I'm just hoping that isn't the bigger issue. Thanks for your great work, Jordan, and wish me luck!!
Found this video thru a search. I just bought a TEAC A-1500-W. Hasnt been played in 12 years. But it has been inside a house for the entire time. What brand and kind of oil do you use for the motors and shafts? What should i really be focused on servicing with this? Thanks JP love your videos
Hello Jordan! Thanks! Your videos regarding restoration of TEAC reel to reels are the best! I suceeded fixing my Teac A2300SD - but I still got a problem that I hope you can give me some advice how to fix. When the deck is mounted standing up the brakes are not working good. When doing FastForward and stopping the left reel does not brake and the tape from this reel is flying on.
The strange thing is that when I put down the deck horisontally the brake works fine in both directions. Do you have any input to me about what I can do to fix this?
Thanks so much in advance!
Remove the reel table and check that the brake pads have not come unglued.
Thanks for this fantastic video. This has helped me immensely. My 2340S has another problem. The fast forward and rewind functions don't seem to have the torque they used to. The machine sat unused from the late 70s until now and I am trying to get it going again to digitize the old 4 track basement tapes from the 70s.
Tapes could be suffering from sticky shed syndrome. It's rare for both motors to loose torque. Never seen a bad reel motor phasing cap yet on these either
@@JordanPier I will look into the possibility that the tape has become sticky. I believe the old tapes are all Scotch. I expect this means I need to bake the tapes. Unfortunately I already tried messing with the brake settings by loosening the screws holding the bottoms of the brake felt spring backing to the frame and sliding them to lessen the braking. Yeah, it didn't do the trick. I have a service manual and suspect I will need to get a spring scale and some string to test and set the drag. I may start out by trying to find any witness marks to try as a starting point. Sorry now that I didn't mark them before messing with it.
I started filling the oil tubes in the motors with mineral oil. I hope that wasn't a bad choice of lubricant. I filled the three apparent ones at the rear but didn't see the ones at the front until watching your video.
I still need to clean and lube the mechanisms actuated by the solenoid for the pinch roller. Thanks again. This video has been a great help to me.
@@JordanPier Found a belt kit on Amazon for $31.50 with tax and free shipping.
@@JordanPier Update. I got a set of spring scales to measure the torques being produced in various modes. I have a 2340S not an SX. I finally found a manual for the S. The S model has 3 variable resistors to adjust the torque. [as compared with only 2 for the SX] I have followed the instructions but it seems that loosening the screws and moving the metal contacts to the right or left on the three variable resistors has little to no effect, and I have moved them to extremes. The main problem is the fast forward does not work. When I measure the pull of the left reel on rewind it pulls at almost 500 grams. When I measure the pull of the right reel on fast forward it only pulls at around 100 grams. I'm pretty much stuck at this point.
@@smith971 at this point you likely have either a bad phasing capacitor for the take up reel motor, bad switching relay or open winding on the motor.
Thank you for doing this I had exactly this problem on a teac 2 track 7-in machine that I picked up at Goodwill.
Just ordered one of these off Ebay and got it in the mail, my dad seems to think it came from a radio station or studio because of all the smoking tar on it, lol. First thing I did was start servicing it, thanks to this video-
On my unit the capstan was actually rusted(!) and I tried both alcohol and contact cleaner to try and 'resurface it' to no avail. The flywheel is thankfully removable though, so I was able to pop it out the front and took it to the lathe and used light emery paper to get it back into usable order. Is there any way to prevent rusting like that?
Thanks Jordan. I learn a lot from your videos. Way to go!!!
Great advice Jordan, very daunting as I have about 20 Teac-Tascams to revive, the biggest challenge is the Tascam 388. If you have some experience please advise
Thanks - has been very helpful to me servicing my A4330S!
God bless you sir!!! Thank you for passing your knowledge on to others!!
Jordan, Thank you for the great video on servicing the Teac A2340R. I have one that I bought in the 70's that had been sitting in the attic for the last 25 years that I won't get working so I can digitize my old tapes. I followed your video for servicing and changed the belt. The only problem I have is the left tension arm is shorted so it keeps going in reverse. I unsoldered the tension arm wire from the circuit board and everything now works except auto reverse. Once I have all my tapes digitized I want to take the arm off to try to repair the short but I don't know how the dampening is adjusted on the arm. If you could give me some guidance on that I would appreciate it. Thank you for your help. Mike
Thank you Jordan this has been most enlightening. Do you have other TEAC 3340/2340 style videos covering mechanical/electronic aliment? I now own two beauties (3340 Japan original & an A-2340SX) and want to take care of them. Best Regards, Tod in Las Vegas. :)
This is the only one, but this transport was used across many models.
I called the "TEAC" (some other supply company that has taken over I think) and they had no record of the 3340 or the A-2340SX models so the gal said she'd have the tech call me with the part number. That never happened. Would you happen to have to part number for the drive belt? It's probably the same for both decks? Thanks! Tod in Vegas @@JordanPier
Thank you!! I've had a A2300 since new and the pinch roller is very stiff. Now I know how to service it!!
Jordan
I have the A 3340 series which has a similar head system design. There two " pins " that I believe should be able to move in toward the heads and out away from them ( slotted area allows movement in that direction ). THat makes me believe that the tape should be threaded behind these " Pins " and the pins will move toward the heads to help hold the tape in place along with the pinch roller when the unit is placed in Play mode. What is the best way to service / oil these pins so that they move freely. ?
Fantastic video! I have a 3340S and have been looking for a video like this. I understand the units are not the same but hopefully similar enough... especially the oiling as well as that earlier comment regarding taking apart those that don’t have oil tubes. I believe my Teac 80-8 is this way. So would it be recommended to take them apart and clean off old oil and then re-lube them? Or do you think they are still good. Either way thanks for this video! Cheers!
I would disassemble, clean and re-oil. Non detergent oil. Sae-30 or turbine oil. Make sure the oil felts are intact that hold the oil in.
Great video! Working on a 1230 A machine doing the capstan shaft repair. I’m at the point of trying to free the two screws attached to the solenoid . I see you used a right angle driver to loosen them. I was able to get a small screwdriver in there but they’re very tight won’t budge. I’ve got a set ordered hope it works. Those strip it’s game over...
Were you successful removing the two JIS screws attached to the solenoid and pinch roller lift arm and if so, what tool and method did you use? I am having the same problem on my Teac A-2300sx. I have tried using lacquer thinner to melt the lock tight, 1400 watts Weller soldering iron to hopefully loosen the screws, but no luck yet. I have even purchased two different Vessel screwdrivers (stubby screwdriver with shorter bit and ball screwdriver with longer bit) and still cannot get good enough angle to break them loose. I understand that if you use a JIS screwdriver on these JIS screws, you have much less chance of camming out and stripping the heads and then game over, like you said. I have been trying to find a rachet driver with JIS bit on internet to hopefully break the lock tight. I found a offset/right angle tool at O'Reillys (like the one used in this video) but the Phillips head of screwdriver does not fit tightly in head of screws. I do not want to risk stripping the screws using this tool. I have watched many, many videos on Tapeheads and AudioKarma on this issue and have yet to find one showing how to remove these blasted screws. TapeTech on Tapeheads website said best way to remove the pinch arm assembly is to remove the solenoid plunger, but several other members say that method is really risky - reassembling all of those parts correctly could be a problem. Plus, you could end up having to adjust the pinch roller pressure as well. Any feedback would be much appreciated!!
Love the way you explain the steps as you go along. Had a stuck pinch roller on my Teac 2300S and was able to get it free per your steps. Replaced the belt and other maintenance steps. Upon testing playback, it appears the solenoid associated with the pinch arm is very stiff and, many times, it doesn't actuate the arm. Any suggestions?
It's tricky, but the solenoid plunger needs to be removed from the housing, all the grease cleaned out of the housing and off the plunger
Hi again, so I found another Teac R2R (same model 3300S) but this one has the tubes sticking out of the motors. Can I use Olive Oil or Car oil to lubricate it ? I don't have any of the special Teac Oil. Which Oil would work for lubrication.? It is also strange that both decks are the same model but one has the Oil tubes and the other doesn't. It maybe that one is older made than the other? Thanks so much.
I bought a TEAC 3440 about a month ago, and it's now experiencing wild flutter about 2-3 hours into recording. Tape path cleaned, new tape being used. Some people have recommended oiling the capstan motor and the capstan bearing. I can see you oiling the motor, which is great for me to learn how to do that, but they said that I have to remove the motor pulley to oil the capstan bearing. I'm a little weary of doing this as I'm very new to these machines and don't want to further complicate things. Is it necessary to remove the motor pulley to oil the capstan bearing? Which bearing are they talking about? Any help is appreciated.
Thanks for the video, there's not many repair/service tutorials on RTR's. Really great. Subscribed!
Nevermind, found it on your other TEAC service tutorial video! Cheers! Great stuff.
I followed your procedure for oiling the Motors. Other videos have suggested two or three drops is all you need. After watching your video, I realize I was starving my motors. This deck has been stored for a long time so I re-oiled the motors. I was surprised how much oil they took before it started to weep out where the tube goes into the body. A great video! I appreciate your expertise. I forgot to mention, my deck is a Teac a-2300 while I’m thinking about it, the board on the very top on the left-hand side of mine has some type of white crap on it. I tried a small area scrubbing it off with alcohol and Q-tip but it didn’t want to come off. It doesn’t look like it’s hurting anything but I’m curious what the heck that junk is. Any ideas?
Excellent video - very helpful. Thank you!
Super helpful video thank you!! Did all that and mechanically my 2300s is working perfectly now. However, it’s now dead silent. No hiss and definitely to reaction to audio inputs. Any ideas why that could be?
Power supply to audio section has failed, or fault in the audio section preventing sound from being processed correctly.
What kind of oil do you use? Can I use Marvel Mystery Oil?Sewing machine oil?, Hammond B3 organ oil?
Great video!
Any machine oil without detergent.
Do you have any videos of changing belts on the Teac 2340 SX? Or adjusting the 2340SX or 3340 SX brakes?
Great video, after watching I realized I needed to lubricate my reel to reel moving parts and motors. I did this to my teac a300 as well as replaced a couple of electrolytic capacitors on the record board to do away with horrible noise on the right channel it records good now,mechanically smoother after the lube as well. once I finish replacing all the electrolytic capacitors on record and playback boards on my a300 I will begin service on my own 2340 that does not record at all??? And then pick up a motor and some various parts on for a teac 4010 I also have. thanks for motivating me and teaching me!
Just out of curiosity, how difficult was the recapping? I was thinking of trying that? How many caps were involved? Much thanks.
thanks for this great video. got my teac 2340 up & running with your frozen capstan fix.i bought mine when they 1st came out & it's been dormant on the shelf for over 30 years, but now plays like new. i did have a problem with the tape being snapped when i'd hit the stop button on FF, but was able to tweak the left spool from stopping dead while the right one didnt. they both stop at the same rate now.i will be following your directions on lubrication and spraying all of the switches. but i'd like advice on oil to use for the motors.just any machine oil? thanks for all the info!!
Any non detergent machine oil works. Mo98 zoom spout is a fav of mine.
super loved the video. thank you! i got inspired and started on my deck. sadly, i started with the wrong contact cleaner and damaged 2 of the record mode switches while trying to 'work' them (after they froze). long story-short, i'd like to know how to remove the mic/line dials (the line dial) so i can get the front plate off, to see if i want to try to solder in new switches, if they are standard parts and i can find them. any help from any source is appreciated. this project may have grown at the outset, but it still looks like a good time. wish me luck!
If I remember correctly once you get the knobs off there are hex nuts holding the face on with the controls.
Great video man! I just got done using it for help on servicing my A-3340S....Hey quick question if possible....At the very end when your cleaning the heads, you reference something for cleaning super gunky heads....Did you say a "Lemonwood stick"?? I've never heard of such a thing, nor could I find anything online about those....I have some super gunky heads in need of some rescuing.....Please let me know if you have anymore insight into this....Thanks again!!
Popsicle sticks. You can file and sharpen them to make good head scrapers
I have a crazy issue with my A-2340. It sat unused for a few years and when I went to use it, the circuit board behind the tape head cover (the one that has the four normal / simul-sync switches on it) had broken at the point where the right side mountain screw holds the circuit board to the recorder. The hole that screw goes through broke out, taking a little of the circuitry with it around the hole. If all of the circuitry around that hole is the same circuit, I can repair it. But if the circuitry is complex in that area, I’m not sure how to tell how to fix it. I don’t need it to record anymore, just to play. It does play, but I’m holding that module up out of the way with tape, since only the left side screw is intact. When it moves around, it gets crackling and the channel 3 (top right) normal / simul switch shorts out from time to time. I know this is a lot to process, but you were so phenomenal with the pinch wheel shaft / hot gun repair that I thought perhaps you might have some info or suggestions on where to turn. Thanks!!!
My used TEAC had a cracked head board. I epoxied back together and solder a few broken traces. Worked fine after that.
It's great that Teac still supply belts.
Jeremy Travis I found a belt for my 2300 on eBay for $12.50. Free shipping.
I just got one of these, have been doing some recording and there's already a mound of tape dust growing on the table under the machine, is it normal for tapes to shed this much or are my tapes just old and crummy? Also, do you know what types of tape I should be using with this machine for best quality recording? Do you know what the bias switch does by the record arm switches? Thanks a bunch for your video, am going to get mine lubed up and switches cleaned!
Old tapes shed. Just the way things are now.
Find yourself some old maxell ud tape. It's high bias tape and should sound decent.
If you wanna dive down the rabbit hole check places like homerecording.com analog tape recording forum and tapeheads.net.
If you have old Ampex tapes, they are not good to run on you R-R. After many years they turn gummy and shed like crazy. I spent too much time cleaning my Teac heads. I finally threw them away after I digitized the important ones.
Great to see your channel back on Jordan - I have been assisting a friend with his 3300sx and after completing the loosening and relubing of the pinch roller assembly we put everything back together only to have smoke pour out of the circuit board on the far right of the unit - it was one of the wire wound resistors burning. Anyhow, I read somewhere that the small circuit board in the Center which had to be removed has a small plastic slip to prevent the collector of a voltage regular transistor being shorted to ground - if this is not reassembled with care the short causes the resistors in the other circuit board ( on the far right) to draw extra current and overheat. We haven’t checked this yet, but just wonder if this problem when reassembling is known to you? Many thanks.
Teac A3300S machine tape speed fluctuates and slows (on both H/L modes). It's been dismantled, cleaned and lubricated, runs perfectly. Belt drive looks good, if I slow down by hand the capstan flywheel, the motor also slows down. Fuse also needed to be replaced, so I'm guessing the motor run capacitor (2u+0.8u) is faulty. What do you think? Thanks for your answer!
+gelu curtean that's a fairly good indicator. Usually when the capacitor fails you get this symptom, but also check (with the machine off) the continuity of the micro switches that interface with the right compliance arm (the one that starts the motor when you lift it) - if the cap goes bad it can hurt the switches
Excellent job and great video !
Amazing video! Your video brought a 2300s, that was being thrown away back to life. I followed your video step by step. It's now playing and recording nicely. One question: The counter assembly makes a noise when fast forwarding and rewinding. I've read on tape forums that it needs to be re-lubed. How do you re-lube the counter assembly? Does it need to be removed or can it be accessed without removing from the chassis?
I don't remember honestly. I would find the pulley where the counter belt is and see if it's possible to get some oil on the shaft that runs behind the counter pulley. Use an oiler syringe . If not accessible you'll need to remove it.
@@JordanPier YES! That did it! Thank you!
Just found this video. Fantastic! It's exactly what I needed to my Teac 2300 moving again. But can you tell me what kind of oil you use on the motors?
ZoomSpout mo-98
I found out that pure SYNTHETIC 5 - 20 motor oil works perfectly... save a couple of drops from your next oil change. You can buy cheap hypodermic syringes (without needles) at hobby shows (train shows) for about a buck. Get the 2 c.c. size.
Learned a lot. Thank you. Great video
Is this deck a 2340SR?? It looks to be bi-directional as indicated by the direction arrows on the transport buttons.
Hi Jordan.a question, I have a teac 3300SR and when playing the tape comes out of the pinchnroller and bounce up and down by the heads,what it can be? Thank you for your help and channel is great!👍
Either pinch roller isn't making enough contact due to sticking bearing or pinch roller surface is untrue.
@@JordanPier oh ok.thank you very much!!i will check that I have another teac looks like same size roller.👍
Hello Jordan, your video is awesome because I have the exact same problem in my A2340. What kind of oil did you use, where is it available? Any chance of you putting out a video on how to align the A2340 heads? BIG Kudos!
Rick: i use mo98 zoomspout for the oil. I put it in a syringe to make it a little easier to apply. Don't screw with the head alignment unless you have the teac ytt test tapes and an oscilloscope. I don't do those videos because I assume people don't have access to that stuff. You'll do more harm than good if you mess with alignment without test equipment ;)
Appreciate the tip on the switch holes when in top position.
Thanks! Just picked up a couple of 3440's. Hope to make a frippertronics tape delay😊
Hi Jordan, I have a Teac A3440 reel to reel. One problem I seem to have on this is the sound on one of the speakers isn't as loud as the other during playback. Any advice as to what I should do about this problem? Also, I have seen some videos that aren't too bad, but yours are awesome. You do close up shots of everything you're doing. This video has helped me big time. Where is the Teac centre where you can get these replacement belts? Do you have a phone number and address? Incredible video mate!! Cheers
Great video i just acquired a 2340-SX today gona do these steps hoping i got a keeper here.
Could you please do a short video on the proper way to demagnatize the heads? I'm always a bit scared to do this. Thanks for the videos, they're very helpful and informative. 👍🙂
Great video Mister. I'm picking up a 2340 for a couple hundred to run as a tape delay feedback loop instead of using an RE201 space echo. ** Where can I find a new micro switch ? **
I've gotten mine from digikey and mouser in the past. Most important factor is to get one with as little gram force as possible needed to push the plunger in or it won't auto-shutoff
@@JordanPier Much thanks. Do you possibly know of any 4 track R2R's that have individual heads in a linear order as opposed to all 4 on the same head ? I'm trying to replicate a Roland RE-201 as close as possible.
Awesome very helpful. Do you have parts? I need the micro switches and the stop assembly.
Don't have parts. Gotta harvest specific stuff out of a donor
Part number for micro switches is VX-5-1A2
MY CAPSTAN SHAFT ON MY 2340 IS RUSTY , WHATS A GOOD WAY TO CLEAN IT OR DO I NEED A NEW ONE ?
Hi this is a great video. I’m looking for help on servicing my A-3440 Teac recorder. It’s in pretty good condition inside but I noticed that the belts are loose. Can you give me some advice on where I might find a technician to service it.
Tony Morales
Where in the USA are you?
On my Teac A-2340 the play function work 100%, but the FF and rewind no turning of the spools. The solenoids of both operate ,but that's all. Any ideas?
If the brakes come off, then check relays that power the motors for fast wind
Hi Jordan, I am a customer of yours "you put in my custom made cams in my Akai X-1800SD" and I do have a 2340 that I want to service and was curious what oil do you use for the motors? do you recommend 3 and 1? Is it the same oil used for the other lubrication?
Thanks,
Jim
BTW thanks for the great videos
Jimmy Burress I use zoom spout or 3 in 1 electric motor oil - which is different from other 3 in one oils - higher temp and no detergents
Jordan Pier I have Zoom Spout and will use it for the motors..
I really find your tips very useful like the deoxit extension tube you made with shrink tubing and the sand bag for turntables
What kind of oil, anything specially recommended? Sorry if you said so, I must have missed it.
MO-98 zoom spout
Thanks a lot! Clear and very usefull video.
Hey Jordan, I have a problem. I can’t get that pinch roller arm off to save my life. I used my heat gun a couple times with so much heat it was almost glowing red, just kidding, I can only move it slightly up-and-down by grabbing the pinch roller arm from the front but I cannot get that sucker to slide off the bushing. Any ideas, I would sure would appreciate it. Thanks.
If we're talking about this model everything is well explained starting at 6:00.
Jordan Pier Mine is a A-2300 and I finally got the pinch roller arm off. I had to hit it about five times with a heat gun, then twist and pulled and that sucker finally popped off. After watching you struggle get the new belt on, I put the belt on first so I had room to get my fingers in there and play around getting the Belt on. Then it was just a matter of moving it to one side while I pushed the fly wheel into place. After that everything was a piece of cake. By the way I bought my new belt on eBay for $12.50 with free shipping in case anybody wants to know. $20 seems like a lot of money for a belt. Comparing the new belt with my old belt, I could see how badly my old belt was stretched. There was nothing left to it. Anyway, I just thought I would give you an update and let you know everything is okey-doke and my tape deck is humming away. Oh one more thing, my three motors were thirsty as hell for some oil. Those little plastic tubes on the front and rear of the motors are great for oiling them. After oiling The motors and various parts, I ended up using a little less than half an ounce of the Teac oil with the skinny tube on it I also got from eBay for $7.80. The tape deck is operational 100%. Ready for another 40 years of service. Thanks for the great video.
Hey Jordan, do you know where I could find one of those rubber retainers, that’s behind the dust cap, on the capstan shaft?
Wish I knew.
@@JordanPier wow. I just started looking. If I find something I will let you know. Thanks.
Wonderful video I have a A-3440 this is so helpful. Can you let us know what kind of lubricant and motor lubricant you used ?
James Bandes zoomspout turbine oil
Thank you so much. I feel confident to do this now. What kind of heat gun was that ?
I found a 1200 heat gun. I can use this lube in both the motor fill and capstan mechanism?
James Bandes yes.
I did everything you did in the video but mine still slows down midway through playing a tape.
What else could this be?
Capstan motor phasing capacitors
I've found it much easier to deal with the belt with the capstan flywheel removed - both for removal & installing a new one. FOLKS - You wanna put a new one in now, not 6 - 12 months later after failure of the 30-40 yr. old one !! Its also proper to lube that surface where the pinch roller arm engages the tape lifters. A drop of oil on those pivot screws IS a good idea, also (sure beats troubleshooting why he tape won't clear the heads while in FF/RW).
Running the motors for 15-20 min. after oiling is a good practice, also. And PLEASE wipe up excess oil from the tubes as it will only flow down the motor housing and make a nice surface for dirt and dust to collect on... making a nice hot surface.
Clean & lube w/DeOxit spray that "drum" switch that controls to FAST/PAUSE/PLAY functions. It will last much longer.
Great video, my name is Jerry .I have a tascam dx44. I changed the pinch roller and I would like to know where you buy a capstan belt because I need one .when I put everything back the power comes on but the play and fast forward an rewind does not work.could it be that micro switch? I don't know how to test it is it possible.I would appreciate a comment. Thanks.
Lift up the compliance arms to trigger a motor start and look to see if the motor is actually turning. If it is and the belt is just broken, clean off the belt residue and replace it. You can call teac parts directly for a new one.
If the motor doesn't turn the micro switches could be at fault, but further troubleshooting is necessary to determine what the real cause is. Never just blindly replace parts. Troubleshoot a cause, not a symptom.
Thank you. I am working on a Teac A-3300S which has the same layout in the back...3 motors....etc. Except I don't see any Motor oiling holes or hoses as yours has. Does the 3300S has oiling ports ? Also what is the easiest way to clean the layers of dirt backed on the circuit board and components ? Thanks.
If you don't see the hoses or ports near the shaft they're likely permanently lubricated & sealed.
I typically use a natural bristle brush to clean the dust then blow out with can of air, vacuum exhaust or compressed air
@@JordanPier I have to find my heat gun but tried one of those gas lighters to heat up the shaft, it loosened up but will NOT come out.? Also yesterday I broke that right side arm that activates the motor. I assume some crazy glue should hold it in place? Thanks.
@@JordanPier Another question for you: How do you polish the silver face/front of the deck so it looks clean and shinny ? I tried water and towel but but it looks smeared. What do you use to make look nice and clean ? Thank you.
@@AB-hx9hs remove it and use novus #2 polish
@@JordanPier This polish you recommend, it says it is for Plastics. The front of this machine is not plastic, it is silver Metal. Also removing the front on the A-3300S is not easy, it is actually very difficult. Is there something else I can use to polish this stainless steel face of this machine ? Perhaps something available in the house already ? Thank you.
Another question: On mine when I install the fly wheel and screw down the bar that goes across it, if I tighten it down then the fly wheel is too tight to the point that the motor can't move it. Should I or is there 2 spacers between the bar (That goes across the flywheel) and the 2 poles where it is bolted down to to give the flywheel some play to move freely ? I didn't see any spacers but it seems without them the fly wheel is too tight. Or did I do something wrong ? The flywheel is pushed in all the way to the front of the deck but it feels too tight. Thanks for the help.
Either the bar isn't seated right or you need to change the thrust bearing play. On the back of the flywheel there are Allen keys that when loose allow you to adjust play.
@@JordanPier Thanks so much, yes I saw that. I just don't know why it was sitting fine before & now after I did all the cleaning..etc. it is tight. But I will adjust it. Did you see my question about what to use to lubricate the motors ? Can I use Car Motor oil? I don't have anything else, or Olive oil.
@@AB-hx9hs none of the above. Either 3inone electric motor oil or mo98 zoom-spout. Don't cheap out here or you will trash your motors
@@JordanPier Ok, I guess I have to make a trip to Walmart and see if they have this or maybe home depot. I had a small container of electrical motor oil but don't know where it is anymore. But seriously, olive oil will not do the job ?
@@JordanPier I just found a bottle of Selmer Key Oil No 2934. I can't find much info on it other than it is to lubricate clarinets and points of friction. I wonder if it is the same as Machine Oil and if I could use for this application ? Thank you.
Any recommendations for 'high temp machine oil'? This video is great, can't wait to rescue my 2340.
Zoomspout is a great hi temp, non machine oil
great, thanks so much Jordan
Sorry Jordan if you see this question, what is the lubricant you are using. Sounds like KD Oxide but its not clear
Craig deoxit for cleaning switches and controls
99% isopropyl alcohol for cleaning
Zoom spout mo98 for oil
@@JordanPier
Thank you Jordan very much. Kindest Regards
Thanks for a great video