8 track player mechanical repair

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Old Dec 1, 2020 | 07:36 AM
  #1  
Koda's Avatar
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From: Evansville, IN
8 track player mechanical repair

I've not delved into the research, but is mechanical repair of the @1970 8 track player something the average mechanically inclined forum-goer here tackles or is it something generally regarded for a specialist? As I understand it, the units at least need belts. Is there a preferred person in business to do these things?

Thanks.
Old Dec 1, 2020 | 08:00 AM
  #2  
My442's Avatar
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I used Retro Radio for mine. Premium work.

https://retroradio.biz/

Old Dec 1, 2020 | 09:24 AM
  #3  
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Not specific to olds 8 tracks but ive taken apart other 8 tracks of that era and found them to be relatively easy to tweak.

do you have the info sheet for these? Its floating around on here, it has the wire color code and iirc some adjustments.

Old Dec 1, 2020 | 09:55 AM
  #4  
Koda's Avatar
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Good website. I have some radios themselves I may send them.

I will also look for that info sheet. I've seen it before, but did not have a GM 8 track then.

Thanks.
Old Dec 1, 2020 | 10:39 AM
  #5  
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We have a member here who sells belts and works on them. It's not real hard to get one going most of the time. You check it with power to see if the motors good, if it's good you buy belts. Then clean the head and capstan roller shaft, the pickups, maybe lube the big wheel the belts go on. Not where the belts are, but there's like a ball bearing it pivots on. Then you try it with a junk tape you don't care about (like Tony Orlando). You don't want to try it with your rare Grateful Dead tape from Japan. After that, you can determine if it's fast or slow by ear. Then, you change tracks and see if the mechanism is working, you adjust it so it doesn't cross track. In a perfect world, you de-mag the head. I used to fix them all the time. Probably 90% or more work. They're not like radios that only work 40% of the time or less.
Old Dec 1, 2020 | 11:20 AM
  #6  
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More good advice, maybe I'll tackle it myself.

I could buy out this guy's Freddy Fender 8 tracks.

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...-tapes-115056/
Old Dec 1, 2020 | 03:58 PM
  #7  
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Bfg
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Would anyone be interested in Lawrence Welks Greatest hits tapes, very rare and in excellent condition.
Old Dec 2, 2020 | 10:55 AM
  #8  
Gerald Nickels's Avatar
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My Dad has many video cassette tapes of Welk from TV like 20 looked at some as I remember watching him in the day as there was not much to watch on tv.
Old Dec 2, 2020 | 10:59 AM
  #9  
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Problem with old tapes they are brittle and break easy. Me I would put a Doors tape in instead of Welk.
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