Philips D8714 Boombox

[vampyretim]

Hi,

I'm repairing a Philips D8714 Boombox.
I've got the amp back working but am having trouble with the mechanics I've replaced the capstan belt but the take up spool is still not taking the tape and the thing is chewing them up.

Has anyone ever repaired one of these before?

It says in the service manual that you can adjust the friction force with a friction measurement tape and you can do other tests with a universal test cassette. Has anyone got either of these tapes?

Can I repair cassette decks without these tapes?

Many thanks,
Tim.

[tri-comp]

Hi,

As it says in the service-manual, adjust the torque by sliding the metal 'fins' up/down the slope.
As you don't have any means to do a precise adjustment you'll have to judge and decide when enough is enough.
Too high torque starts making the tape warp across the capstan and the sound is wobbly.
Take a look at the page from the service manual that shows exactly how the adjustment is done, upper right, small exploded view.

[samjmann]

Hi,

Have you got good FF/REW? I always aim to get this working first. This indicates that the clutch-free drive system is OK. Depending on the exact design of the deck, it's normaly possible to 'trick' the deck to thinking that a cassette is inserted. If I remember cassette take up torque was normally about 40grm/cm. Yes its best to use the torque gauge, but I'm sure many of us have got by without using one!

If all is well the take up spool should rotate quite quickly, but be easily stopped by pinching it between two fingers. The torque in play is much less than that of FF, so you can use the FF as a 'reference'.

Greasy rubber drive surfaces used to give lots of trouble, as did slack idler belts. The clutch action should be visible.

Hope this helps. Good luck, SJM.

[vampyretim]

Thanks guys.

Will do as you both suggest and report back.

[Jimmyhaflinger]

Some philips and grundig machines used a soft plastic gear to drive the take up reel, these always become brittle with age and often strip even in normal use

[ben]

Almost certainly stripped gears, had this on numerous Philips using that or similar mechs from the 1980s.As Jimmy says, orange flexi plastic goes brittle. Grundig also used similar as did some Technics kit. Parts NLA, though I did repair one with a gear from a Mitsubishi VCR clutch.