Need some help with a Ferguson 3226 reel to reel player - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Stef2022 · 24th Jun 2022, 2:11 pm

Hi, I recently got a Ferguson 3226 4-Track reel to reel tape player for my mother so she could play a family recorded tape from the 70s.

It seems to be in pretty good condition, It turns on & plays although has some of what I gather are the usual problems for these players such as the Fast-Forward/Rewind mechanism been stuck (I've already cleaned those up & got them working).

The thing I need some help with however is that the motor is held up by these rubber grommets & they have worn down over time so now the motor has dropped down a bit which means the speed change switch isn't able to engage correctly. I know how to replace them but I just don't know what type they are or where to get them from (Preferably in the UK).

I've attached an image of the motor from a service page I found that shows the grommets & also an image from a tear-down/repair video I found which shows them on the player.

Another issue is that the volume is super low even when the volume knob is upto full. You can barely hear anything. However when I use the loudspeaker output to plug it into an external amp then it's fine so not sure if it's an issue with the speaker in the tape player or if there's some other issue with a capacity or something.

Other than those 2 things it seems to be working fine, Just needs a bit of a clean.

Thanks for any help

DMcMahon · 24th Jun 2022, 5:22 pm

Hello and welcome to the Forum.

I know of the motor rubber grommets but do not where/how to get replacements, I have repaired very similar using cable rubber grommets (but not ideal). There will be others on the Forum who will be able to advise better on this.

The external speaker output is meant to connect just to an external speaker, sounds like you have connected it into an external amplifier line input, if the recorder loudspeaker output signal is good then am surprised that the playback through external amp was not distorted.

When an external speaker is connected into the external speaker jack then it opens a switched contact on the jack socket that disconnects the internal loudspeaker (to mute it). If this contact is poor/high resistance (when closed|) then this could possibly explain the low volume.

I would first check the contact, if you have a test meter then measure for low resistance across the contact (recorder switched off and disconnected from the mains supply).

David

Stef2022 · 24th Jun 2022, 7:47 pm

Its a radio, tape boombox thing more than a big amp i guess. Was all i had other than a PC to connect the loudspeaker output to while testing it.

Sound wasn't distorted, Just too slow as the motor mount grommet issue is preventing it staying on the faster speed as the drive wheel slips up back onto the smaller part of the pulley.

I do eventually hope to be able to hook it into a PC to digitise the tape and send copies to other family members. But i didn't want to connect it to a PC until I had it working fully & was sure i had the right cables and doing so wasn't going to damage it it any way.

I have found aome grommets on Ebay which look right,Just not sure about the size.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134083724...mis&media=COPY

DMcMahon · 24th Jun 2022, 10:58 pm

Its good that the eBay item has detailed dimensions.

You need to compare the main shown dimensions to your grommets, allowing for yours being worn.

David

24th Jun 2022, 2:11 pm	#1
Stef2022 Diode Join Date: Jun 2022 Location: Birmingham, West Midlands, UK. Posts: 2	Need some help with a Ferguson 3226 reel to reel player Hi, I recently got a Ferguson 3226 4-Track reel to reel tape player for my mother so she could play a family recorded tape from the 70s. It seems to be in pretty good condition, It turns on & plays although has some of what I gather are the usual problems for these players such as the Fast-Forward/Rewind mechanism been stuck (I've already cleaned those up & got them working). The thing I need some help with however is that the motor is held up by these rubber grommets & they have worn down over time so now the motor has dropped down a bit which means the speed change switch isn't able to engage correctly. I know how to replace them but I just don't know what type they are or where to get them from (Preferably in the UK). I've attached an image of the motor from a service page I found that shows the grommets & also an image from a tear-down/repair video I found which shows them on the player. Another issue is that the volume is super low even when the volume knob is upto full. You can barely hear anything. However when I use the loudspeaker output to plug it into an external amp then it's fine so not sure if it's an issue with the speaker in the tape player or if there's some other issue with a capacity or something. Other than those 2 things it seems to be working fine, Just needs a bit of a clean. Thanks for any help Attached Thumbnails

24th Jun 2022, 5:22 pm	#2
DMcMahon Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK. Posts: 6,604	Re: Need some help with a Ferguson 3226 reel to reel player Hello and welcome to the Forum. I know of the motor rubber grommets but do not where/how to get replacements, I have repaired very similar using cable rubber grommets (but not ideal). There will be others on the Forum who will be able to advise better on this. The external speaker output is meant to connect just to an external speaker, sounds like you have connected it into an external amplifier line input, if the recorder loudspeaker output signal is good then am surprised that the playback through external amp was not distorted. When an external speaker is connected into the external speaker jack then it opens a switched contact on the jack socket that disconnects the internal loudspeaker (to mute it). If this contact is poor/high resistance (when closed\|) then this could possibly explain the low volume. I would first check the contact, if you have a test meter then measure for low resistance across the contact (recorder switched off and disconnected from the mains supply). David

24th Jun 2022, 7:47 pm	#3
Stef2022 Diode Join Date: Jun 2022 Location: Birmingham, West Midlands, UK. Posts: 2	Re: Need some help with a Ferguson 3226 reel to reel player Its a radio, tape boombox thing more than a big amp i guess. Was all i had other than a PC to connect the loudspeaker output to while testing it. Sound wasn't distorted, Just too slow as the motor mount grommet issue is preventing it staying on the faster speed as the drive wheel slips up back onto the smaller part of the pulley. I do eventually hope to be able to hook it into a PC to digitise the tape and send copies to other family members. But i didn't want to connect it to a PC until I had it working fully & was sure i had the right cables and doing so wasn't going to damage it it any way. I have found aome grommets on Ebay which look right,Just not sure about the size. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134083724...mis&media=COPY

24th Jun 2022, 10:58 pm	#4
DMcMahon Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK. Posts: 6,604	Re: Need some help with a Ferguson 3226 reel to reel player Its good that the eBay item has detailed dimensions. You need to compare the main shown dimensions to your grommets, allowing for yours being worn. David