38 won't play but will ffwd and rewind

[John Martin]

just got a 38 and it's my first time messing with a reel to reel. I have the original manual for it and i loaded the tape correctly. When I press play it will barley go. It will play with me helping it spin but it still feels like the reels are stiff. They are hard to spin by hand. I don't know if they are supposed to be like that or not. Does this sound like it needs a new belt or motor?

 

[Michael Doncaster]

Do the capstan rotate and pinch roller when in play mode?

If you lift up the right tension arm when in stop mode the motor should start and capstan should rotate.

If not then in all probability you need to replace the drive belt.

 

[John Martin]

Yep just like you said I lifted the right tension arm and I heard a motor turn in and the capstan started spinning.
So that rules out the belt?

 

[SkywaveTDR]

I am not sure, the capstan motor needs to develop torque enough to turn the tape at the regulated speed. If the belt runs it and is still loose then it will start to fail as the pinch roller and tape demand the motion it is suppose to provide. The 30 series deck also have a history of solenoid washers gumming up and keeping the brakes from coming off and also the cylinders in the tension arms often need to be taken out, cleaning and new damping silicone put into them. The deck needs service by a qualified Technician. To assume a deck is ready for use after many years of sitting is just 90 percent wrong and the other 10 % will be needing service soon. I have worked on many of these decks and I was always able to restore their operation.

 

[John Martin]

Hey thanks for the response. This morning I actually made the responsible decision to take it to a professional electronics repair shop that's affiliated with tascam. This guy is going to get it running perfectly so I only have to worry about my music I'm recording Really excited to get it back