Panasonic RX-ED77 Cassette Mech Timing

[vivax14]

Can anyone help me out with this one please?
Does anybody know, or even better, have any instructions, on how to set up the timing on a Panasonic RX-ED77 dual cassette deck please?
The unit in question requires new belts, which I stupidly thought would be an easy replacement. I have the belts and replacement pinch rollers.
I have looked on YouTube, but can only find something in a foreign language, which I can't follow tbh.

If anyone can give me some advice on this I would really appreciate it.

Thank you

[vivax14]

Don't know if this will help, but apparenly it uses an AR2 cassette mechanism series deck.
I've looked at the places I know of for a manual, but can't find one.

[DMcMahon]

Probably will not help much but the RX-ED77 Service Manual can be downloaded from a couple of sites such as manualslib.com

David

[vivax14]

Originally Posted by DMcMahon

Probably will not help much but the RX-ED77 Service Manual can be downloaded from a couple of sites such as manualslib.com

David

Hi David,
Thanks for your reply.
Yeah, I've got the service manual but, unfortunately, it doesn't cover the cassette mech.

Mark

[DMcMahon]

The service manual exploded diagrams do show the cassette mechanism parts but will not really help in terms of fitting parts.

I see some posts in the tapeheads forum which indicate that the referenced AR2 cassette mechanism is Panasonic.

David

[vidjoman]

I can’t recall any manual showing how to fit belts. The exploded diagram will give clues about the way its assembled. You then have to work out how to do it. The manuals are meant for service engineers who should have a good idea what to do.
Can I ask what you mean by timing?

[vivax14]

I never knew about the tapeheads forum. Thanks. I have just joined

Regards
Mark

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by vidjoman

Can I ask what you mean by timing?

I presume he means timing as in a car engine's timing belt. Very important in video recorders, where various cogs and levers have to be meshed in exactly the way prescribed in the service manual for anything to work properly, but rarely relevant in audio cassette mechs (though I've had some fun and games with 1980s car cassette machines).

[vivax14]

Originally Posted by vidjoman

I can’t recall any manual showing how to fit belts. The exploded diagram will give clues about the way its assembled. You then have to work out how to do it. The manuals are meant for service engineers who should have a good idea what to do.
Can I ask what you mean by timing?

The mechs are controlled by a main gear on each deck, which has grooves in it top and underneath. This controls the full operation of the deck. The rotating heads, eject etc. Obviously everything needs to be in the correct position in order for the 'operation levers' to go into the correct grooves on the main gear.
Maybe timing is the wrong wording, but I couldn't think of anything better.

Mark

[vivax14]

Originally Posted by Nickthedentist

I presume he means timing as in a car engine's timing belt. Very important in video recorders, where various cogs and levers have to be meshed in exactly the way prescribed in the service manual for anything to work properly, but rarely relevant in audio cassette mechs (though I've had some fun and games with 1980s car cassette machines).

That's exactly it, Nick

Mark

[Ted Kendall]

There are probably holes or marks on pairs of gears which need to be lined up in a given mode - not very helpful without specific information, I grant you, but they may provide a clue.

[vidjoman]

There’s a ‘neutral’ position where the flywheel can turn without driving the mechanism. This corresponds to the stop position on most decks which run the motor at all times. I doubt that you will need to remove any of the gears, if fitted, in order to fit new belts. On many decks there will be a solenoid to start the drive to load the mechanism into play etc. assuming this deck has touch buttons to operate it.