Aftermarket underdash cassette expert

[GOLDMYN]

ok, thanks for the added visual

 

[Mike Szadaj]

You beat me to it, Nacho, I was just getting ready to go out to the garage to get a dash harness. To anyone looking at this thread and thinking of getting power from the fuse box, here are some tips. First of all, you should get the power from the upper part of the fusebox, as it is shown in the picture. That is the side that supplies power to the fuses. If you tap into the bottom, you are adding the load of the accessory to the fuse, which may cause it to blow. Notice on the top how on the left side there is a piece of metal that has 3 spade plug attachments, and on the right there is one with 2 attachments. You can see in the picture that the two are separate and not attached to each other. One of those supplies power constantly, and the other only when the key is on. You can tell which is which by what the fuses supplied by each side powers. The side that has fuses for the radio and heater gets power only with the key on. The side that has fuses for brake lights, dome lights, and cigarette lighter gets constant power. Get a female spade plug as shown, and crimp it on the power wire. Then you just slide the female spade plug onto the male. If all of the male attachments are already used, like Nacho's fusebox, get yourself a piggy back spade plug, shown in the second pic, that adds another male attachment point. Anything that is run off of this side of the fusebox needs to have an inline fuse. If you look at the wiring harness for your player, GOLDMYN, you will see 2 inline fuses. The instructions will tell you which one to attach to constant power, and which one to keyed power.

 

[GOLDMYN]

thank-you for the education!

 

[Photon440]

You can find manuals for these old decks online, but if you're clever enough you can take off the covers and figure out for yourself how to replace the belts. Something like this will get you started https://www.amazon.ca/40-130mm-Cass...hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584001424225951&psc=1 and a spray can of electrical cleaner/lube will help with the switches and potentiometers.

 

[Mike Szadaj]

Unfortunately, most cassette players have multiple thin belts. Eight track players usually only have one fairly thick Belt.

 

[GOLDMYN]

Unfortunately, most cassette players have multiple thin belts. Eight track players usually only have one fairly thick Belt.

Well, after a couple of years, I decided to install my cassette player (different) car. after install, the unit lights up and I get static sound from the speakers. It doesn't seem as though the tape is playing, this was suppose to be NOS unit. anyone know of a service than can research issue? thanks

 

[sam dupont]

If you stick in a tape and listen closely to the deck with the volume down, you will probably hear the motor. Most likely a broken belt. The last NOS deck I sold, I pulled the cover and the belt was plumb good. I expected to replace it, that's why I pulled the cover (as I hoped and prayed it wasn't buried deep). It was right on top... I had caught myself a Unicorn and it will probably last longer than a new one. Most times, they are a shrunken, degraded carcass stuck to the wheels. I think many were real rubber coming from former English colonies.

 

[GOLDMYN]

If you stick in a tape and listen closely to the deck with the volume down, you will probably hear the motor. Most likely a broken belt. The last NOS deck I sold, I pulled the cover and the belt was plumb good. I expected to replace it, that's why I pulled the cover (as I hoped and prayed it wasn't buried deep). It was right on top... I had caught myself a Unicorn and it will probably last longer than a new one. Most times, they are a shrunken, degraded carcass stuck to the wheels. I think many were real rubber coming from former English colonies.

Hi, do you know of any service I could use to inspect and repair?

 

[sam dupont]

I found a place by asking at a music store. They couldn't do the repair I needed and sent me to this place. Might be somebody in Manitowoc? If you can't find anybody, I'll PM my guy's phone number

 

[GOLDMYN]

thank-you

 

[sam dupont]

You can have a look yourself. They have covers top and bottom that come off with a few screws. I sometimes open them up like I was a member of a bomb squad or something, making sure there isn't a spring or wire attached.

There are things like capacitors that dry out and go bad, even though they have never been fired. More like, they went bad because they were never fired. I consider that vintage a sweet spot: solid state over tubes, yet still some pride in workmanship. Some of the critical 8 track parts are still metal too.

 

[gkent]

Good God man, it's 2023. Drag your sorry *** into this century !! Just hide a bluetooth receiver under a seat and play **** from your phone ... you DO have a cell phone, right ?!?!?

 

[kiwigtx]

 

[sam dupont]

oh hell, I was thinking 8 track. Don't know anything about cassettes except they hardly ever work when used and they will usually have multiple belts buried deep.

 

[gkent]

Two things screw up on cassettes that haven’t been used in a while … the belt which has already been mentioned but most likely it is the capstan. The capstan is the small rubber wheel which rides against a pin. The tape is pinched between the two as the motor drives the spindle. What happens is the rubber capstan dents to the shape of the pin from sitting for so long and the dent prevents it from turning. If it can’t turn then the tape can’t move. The belt may be fine but if the capstan can’t turn you’re dinked. Belts and capstans are available on Alibaba.com

 

[Mike Szadaj]

Good God man, it's 2023. Drag your sorry *** into this century !! Just hide a bluetooth receiver under a seat and play **** from your phone ... you DO have a cell phone, right ?!?!?

Oooooh! Dems fightin’ words! As a man who’s daily driver home system is a Marantz quad, I take exception!

 

[kiwigtx]

For 8-track repairs, check out Retrochad on Youtube....

 

[GOLDMYN]

Good God man, it's 2023. Drag your sorry *** into this century !! Just hide a bluetooth receiver under a seat and play **** from your phone ... you DO have a cell phone, right ?!?!?

matter of fact. NO, I don't own a cell phone. I'm fine the way it is. land line does the job

 

[YY1]

Have you looked inside yet?

Sometimes the belt(s) is real easy to replace.

Other times it's a royal PITA that involves removing parts that are seemingly not designed to ever be moved without breaking something or throwing something out of adjustment.

...but sometimes they are easy.

Finding a replacement can be tricky unless you have the factory spec.

...but can be done "just like" finding a fan belt for your car without knowing what size...only in miniature.

BTW- it'd almost be a shame not to mount that thing where it could be appreciated by passengers and passersby for the piece of history that it is.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

Oooooh! Dems fightin’ words! As a man who’s daily driver home system is a Marantz quad, I take exception!

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I love the 4 channels reel to reel Teac Tape recorder!