NOTE: Make sure you unplug the unit from power first before attempting any repairs.
Correct capstan Belt is Teac No. 5534692001 (supercedes the old P/N 5012321300). We stock this item HERE
NOTE: Patience is a required component. If you lack it, don't attempt this project!
Remove front cover by removing the following items:
1. head cover (1 Phillips
screw)
2. left tension arm (1 Phillips screw).
Yours
may look different.
If there is no screw in the arm, it is mounted to the front panel and
you do not need to remove it
(unless it will not move- see Other Notes below).
3. capstan bushing- turn counter-clockwise with
fingers
4. both reel tables (if they look as pictured above,
pull rubber covers to access 3 mounting screws on
each)
Save
spacers that may be behind each table
5. Two screws above/below
each reel table (save flat washers)
6. Pinch Roller- pull straight
out
7. Four screws, one on each
corner of front panel (save flat washers)
The front cover should now be loose enough to lift off (If the top edge of the cover is tight against the top of the case, loosen the two screws on top).
Remove back cover:
If present, remove the 6 screws that hold the cover on the back of the electronics section (those on edges- DO NOT remove any from the center)
Our goal is to feed the new belt through the back panel and get it around the flywheel. To do so, we need to clear access to the flywheel axle. Loosen the bracket which provides support for the flywheel's back pivot point (hereafter referred to as the thrust plate). There is no connection, the plate just presses against the flywheel's axle to keep it from sliding out the back.
It is obscured by the back panel cover and on some models by a box that contains some electronics. This will be on your left when you are looking at the rear of the unit. Although you may be able to work through the wires, it is easier to move the obstructions:
Loosen 6 screws that hold the deck in the wooden case- 2
on top and 4 inside the case that run horizontally through a wooden
bracket and into the deck.
DO
NOT loosen the 4 screws on the sides of the wooden case! They are
backed by nuts, which sit in a well.
You can loosen them easily
but it accomplishes nothing and is difficult to correct!
Slide deck out a few inches until you gain access to the 3 or 4 screws that hold the side of the box to the deck.
Remove the single screw that holds the top of the box
Slide the box up until you gain access to the top thrust plate mounting screw.
Loosen the top screw 1/2 turn. Remove the bottom screw and allow the plate to rotate down
Install belt:
Installing the belt requires sliding it in past the back of the flywheel until you can reach it from the front. Slide, rotate, finigle, probe, lever, swear a lot, etc. until you get the belt into a position where it is around the flywheel and the rest of it is on the left of the flywheel (when viewed from front) . I have used a section of coat hanger bent at an angle, small flat screw drivers, stiff insulated wire, a sharp stick and needle-nose pliers. Some suggest using a 'fish' made of a section of soft wire approximately 10 inches long with a 'hook' bent on one end.
Working from the front, slide the belt over the motor pulley and place it in the back groove (nearest the motor) for 60 HZ power (US standard house current) or front groove for 50HZ. Slide the belt onto the matching section on the flywheel.
Make sure the slide switch marked 50/60 (inside unit above the right reel motor or on the back panel) is in the correct position.
Place a dollup of grease on the flywheel thrust plate, rotate it back into place and replace the bottom screw. Tighten both screws. Make sure the flywheel rotates freely and the belt tracks correctly. Turn several turns to be sure.
If you took it loose, slide the electronics box back, replace its mounting screws, slide the deck back into the wooden case and replace the screws. (Do not tighten the top screws until you have re-installed the deck front cover)
Replace the electronics box back panel and its mounting screws.
Replace the back cover
Replace the front cover and all components you removed to remove it
· The Left tension arm is often frozen in place. To correct, squirt penetrating oil into the joint (under the spring), loosen the screw that holds the bracket in place, tighten vice grips on body, and pull hard while rotating back and forth. When it comes loose, clean, grease and put it back in place. Some are mounted to the front cover while others are mounted behind it.
·
Right tension arm is pulled the last 1/4 in. by a magnet that was glued
to a bracket near the micro switch. Sometimes the magnet comes unglued and
sticks to the tension arm (as pictured here). 
When it does this, autoshutdown at the end of the tape will not work properly. To repair, clean both surfaces well and glue the magnet in place.
Might also consider
tightening the pressure on the coil spring that pushes the arm against the
magnet.
. Last Revised 14 October, 2008