I've had my AM/FM/8 Track/CB radio out for service by a now defunct repair shop. When I reinstalled the radio all worked but the 8 track was playing the tape too fast. I pulled it out and adjusted the speed myself which is fairly easy if you have the right tools. Worked fine when I put the car back in storage for about a month. I tried the 8 track and it reverted right back to playing the tape too fast, in fact it was worse than when I got it back from the closed repair shop.

My question would be, is this even worth making another effort to try and adjust the tape speed? It would seem to me it's just going to go back to sounding like helium breathing 70's bands. I don't have the parts or the know how to fix it, I'm guessing it's going to need a replacement motor if one can even be found.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

My guess is the speed adjustment pot is flaky. I would carefully spray some contact cleaner on it, rotate the pot adjustment back and forth several times. That break up the oxidation on the wiper. Hopefully that will do it.

 

Those old components can change value quite a bit specially the capacitors. I agree that cleaning the pot may help if there is no RC value which affects the speed control circuit but if there is then the capacitance in the circuit may be the culprit. The only sure way to know is to have and look at the schematic, identify the capacitors which may be causing the trouble, and replacing them.

 

Thanks, is there a Contact Cleaner you would recommend to do the job, also, are those Capacitators available to replace if needed? I'm willing to try cleaning it first and if that doesn't work there is a shop here in SC I can bring it to for Capacitator replacement.

 

Deoxit D5 is the go to contact cleaner, but WD-40 makes one too that’s cheaper. Just make sure it’s their contact cleaner. Also, a good tape path cleaning would be my next step (long Q-tips, and 91% isopropyl alcohol), clean anything that touches the tape. Also check that the (usually plastic) head support structure is not cracked, which happens often.

Belt tension also matters, if the belt is too tight or the wrong size, it could affect play speed.

Please post some photos of that great unit - always wanted a combo AM/FM 8track CB radio when I was a kid, but Dad never would order one.

 

Thanks & will do, I always called it the King of All Radios.

 

Beautiful radio!

Here’s the pioneer AM/FM 8 track I put in my 72 V code 442 in 1979, bears some resemblance to your Delco, sans CB (with underdash Kraco power booster EQ).

 

Looks like a good one, good make too.

 

Definitely prefer your OEM late 70s Delco. Was rereading your original post, it may be worth it if you listen to 8-tracks often, but cosmetically the setup looks beautiful - and pulling the dash apart to try and tweak the tape player may be more trouble than it’s worth, Also the eight track tapes themselves could be at fault, unless they’ve been refurbished. So unless you enjoy tinkering, a proper cleaning may be sufficient and do the trick.

Most would agree that convenience was prioritized over sound quality by Mr Lear. 8-track tapes inherently don’t sound very good - except perhaps on a proper home deck with appropriate head alignment. Always had cardboard ready back in the day to slot above or below the cartridge in (usually) a feeble attempt at proper tape azimuth alignment.

Alas, volume was more important than sonic excellence.

Best of luck.

 

Thanks, just ordered some Deoxit 5 cleaner and deoxit 5 shield, the small sprayer cans, don't need 2 more big cans that will hardly ever be used. Fortunately the motor speed adjustment is easy to access so other than the pain of pulling the radio out, again, this will be a straightforward job.

Like I was told by an (Olds) dealer many, many years ago, they made this stuff to sell, not to last, and was that ever a true statement.

 

Unless you have access to a schematic of the unit, ability to disassemble and replace the capacitors it might not be worth the effort. As you mentioned though, if you have knowledge of a local repair shop they might be able to refurbish the whole unit at one time, including replacing any components that are out of tolerance. Then, as was mentioned, it may not be all that important unless you have lots of 8 tracks and just want to play them all the time.

 

Agreed, fortunately there is a repair shop here in SC that I can bring it to, found 'em via Hemmings Magazine

 

If you have 18 minutes, this is a pretty good watch, and a great example of starting with the basics. Audio isn’t much different than automotive repair - before replacing parts, identify the problem and address the basics first.

Yes this is a CD player, but it’s only seven years removed from your beautiful 8-track. Belts (and cleaning and lubrication) are the first things to look at in any audio gear with rubber and moving parts.

Not to beat a dead horse, but before you or your local repair shop begin replacing electronics, a thorough cleaning, fitting a proper belt, and motor lubrication (basic maintenance) are appropriate first steps.

 

Copy that, will give it a try

 

Yesterday I set out to change the speed/clean out the speed adjustment pot for the 8 track but I decided to firstly try it out again before I did anything. Lo and behold, I tried out a few tapes and the speed was perfect, at least for my liking. Then, I noticed no sound was coming out of the RH front and LH rear speakers. Another issue is born. But, I just said the heck with it, I can handle 50% of the speakers working over Neil Young sounding like Alvin the Chipmunk.

Even more perplexing, I took the car for an extended ride yesterday at popped in several 8 tracks which were played in their entirety, Steppinwolf Live (my all time personal 8 track favorite), Pink Floyd The Wall, Styx, the Grand Illusion. The unit worked flawlessly with all 4 speakers sounding out, speed perfect, all good including the CB properly functioning in accord with the bubble coil on the power antenna.

So, a final conclusion has been come to. This radio is nothing more than a moody PIA that does what it wants when it wants to. And I'm leaving it right at that. It will not be coming out for yet another refurbishing. I put the money into a couple of new Pitching Wedges for my golf bag instead.

Happy Easter everyone!

 

Quirky things aren’t they…
(vintage audio, humans, and automobiles).

A positive outcome, thanks for the update, and don’t forget the 8track version of Animals, it’s got a unique version of Pigs on the Wing, with guitar solo by Snowy White, not found on the album or cassette.

Happy Easter!

 

You are 100% correct on that one, I not only have that in 8 track, I remember the cut by Snowy White. In fact, that's a song I always end with on my guitar, I always play it twice. I like having this unit in the car, but man, I get ticked when stuff does not work like it should. I need to get over that a bit.

 

Caught Snowy and Thin Lizzy at a small club outside of Philly, the defunct Emerald City in Cherry Hill, NJ.
8 track nirvana - drove my ‘72 442 about an hour, cranking Animals, Jailbreak, and Live and Dangerous.
Amazing show. The gas there and back probably cost more than the ticket.

Have enjoyed Roger Waters live a few times, but sadly never Pink Floyd.

Do you have an eight track home deck as well, I’ve got a few, but cannot get any of them to sound as good as other formats. Basically display novelties, and great memories.

 

I've got a Fisher Studio Standard home unit that plays/records both 8 tracks and cassettes. Have yet to hook it up though, it's been on the garage shelf for 3 years.

 

I’ve got a couple of garage units as well. The belts on 8track home decks are typically very accessible relative to some cassette decks. Get that Fisher going again!

 

Blue, this is the motor speed adjustment hole for the 8 track. Typically you dial it in on a bench with a strobe or a factory tape used for calibration of these units.

This is actually just an AMFM radio but the 8 track player is the same radio with an 8 track player or cassette installed inside the radio on top of the radio circuit. This is where the motor speed adjustment would be. Small screwdriver to adjust. Left is slower right is faster. Good luck

 

Thanks Jim, that's the hole I placed in the plastic screwdriver to re-set the speed, all is well for now with that unit. I hope to demonstrate its working components at the Nationals this year. Here's to hoping it cooperates.

 

This is only my opinion and view of those 8 tracks. I was so glad when they went out of style, they were always trouble, eating tapes having them flip to hear the other side right in the middle of a song and the sound wasn't that good. If I were to have one today in an old car it would just be a novelty item and I would never bother to play it. It's like how my car has an AM radio I don't even bother to turn it on because there's only a couple of stations that play music and it's in mono and fades in and out of the station and that's besides listening to constant commercials. Personally I like the silence and enjoy listening to the engine and the car run. I think the radio/music in a car was originally invented to drown out the nagging persistent voices of a significant/wife/children while on long trips.