Hi y'all, I have a 79 deville with an 8 track in it and I have a little problem. The radio works fine, I can hear the tape tiring but no sound comes out.. Any thoughts on what it is and where I could get it repaired? Thanks!
Either the belt is broken (motor would turn but capstan/ tape wouldn't) or the play head is not coming out to meet the tape (I don't think 8 track decks have fixed heads although I could be wrong).
Either the belt is broken (motor would turn but capstan/ tape wouldn't) or the play head is not coming out to meet the tape (I don't think 8 track decks have fixed heads although I could be wrong).
ohh so the head moves, it makes sense because sometimes I would have to move the tape inside the radio and find a spot that wasn't slow.. Ill open it up and check the belt
I'm not 100% sure the head moves on an 8 track (never taken one apart and watched it. I know it does on a cassette deck.
But after 35 years, I'm pretty sure the belt would either be goo or break or stretch so much that it wouldn't play properly.
Oh ok, I'm gonna check the belt at least and see how it goes. I really don't want to send it away to get repaired because this website I found it was over $300... Too much
The tape head on an 8 track doesn't move. The system transfers from radio to tape by means of a switch inside the unit that trips when the tape is inserted. If the drive belt is loose or weak, or the switch is bent, jiggling the tape in the player will sometimes cause the player to work. Varying playback speed is usually a bad belt. I replaced my belt with a loop of string. No more rubber fatigue!
The tape head on an 8 track doesn't move. The system transfers from radio to tape by means of a switch inside the unit that trips when the tape is inserted. If the drive belt is loose or weak, or the switch is bent, jiggling the tape in the player will sometimes cause the player to work. Varying playback speed is usually a bad belt. I replaced my belt with a loop of string. No more rubber fatigue!
haha that's great! I'll check the belt on Sunday and hopefully have it working again! I just got some 20 tapes and still didn't have time to listen to them all:/
Over time the heads would get a film of deposits on them from the tape. Use a long Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol or denatured alcohol to remove it. That will restore the magnetic quality of the tape head.
Where do you find 8 track tapes at all to play?
When i bought my '78 Deville 3 years ago,it still had the original Delco stereo radio and 8 track player in it,but since 8 tracks went obsolete long ago i had a modern stereo radio with cd player installed in place of it.It looks out of place with the digital display,but the sound from the cd`s are great even with the original 35 year old speakers.
Cleaning the head, as others have suggested, might help.
Post a link for the repair kit,if you find it.
Where do you find 8 track tapes at all to play? When i bought my '78 Deville 3 years ago,it still had the original Delco stereo radio and 8 track player in it,but since 8 tracks went obsolete long ago i had a modern stereo radio with cd player installed in place of it.It looks out of place with the digital display,but the sound from the cd`s are great even with the original 35 year old speakers. Cleaning the head, as others have suggested, might help. Post a link for the repair kit,if you find it.
I got the tapes at a record store near by, it's the coolest place ever! Typical record stored packed from floor to ceiling . He has records, cassettes 8 tracks reel to reel. Well I found the belt at studiosoundelectronics.com they have the kit and separate ones.
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Oh btw eBay and Craigslist have tons of 8tracks for cheap
Thanks for the info! I`m glad i kept the original Delco stereo radio with 8-track for my '78 Deville in case i get it re-installed sometime.
My '95 Deville still has the original stereo radio with built in cassette player.I`ve got a 12-disc FM modulated cd player mounted in the trunk connected to that which sounds great with the original 11 speakers.
As per your info,i`ll check ebay for some 8-tracks and now cassettes too.
you can try a company named AER. They used to do alot of warranty and repair work on Delco Electronics for General Motors. When I worked for a GMC dealer here in Southern California I sent alot of radio's to them for
warranty repairs or replacements. That was about 5 years ago so not sure if they are still in the same location or even if they are still in business. The last address I knew of was in Fullerton, California.
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