new (to me) Teac A-2340R

stonecutter2

New Member
Hi, folks!

First of all, I've been reading a LOT of posts here, and this place seems like a huge wealth of knowledge, and lots of great members!

I just bought a Teac A-2340R from someone at work, for $50. Does anyone know about when these things were made? It had been sitting for a long time not getting used since they got rid of their receiver. I'm 34, and I've never messed with a reel to reel, but it looked like something interesting to play music with.

It came with the Teac dust cover, A-2340R manual in near perfect condition, Teac accessories box w/ a little box containing a cleaning wand and bottle of fluid (empty), rubber feet with a white dust on them (seem unused), oil (in a ziploc thankfully, it leaked), and a little thing of splicing tape and sensing foil strip. I also have the original Teac metal take up reel, with original box (and plastic wrap for the reel) that has some kind of wax paper over the cover of the box.

What are some maintenance steps to take on this reel to reel, before messing with it too much? I've seen cleaning the rubber components, check the record/playback heads for wear, etc.

Are there any strict caveats about messing with this thing? I don't want to do something dumb and ruin a 2340 in pretty solid shape, with all sorts of accessories.

I did figure out last night that it's got a stuck/sticky pinch roller (as I've read here, not uncommon, and hopefully not *too* problematic to resolve with patience and cleaning). It does not pop up when playing tape - but does spring tightly upwards against the capstan once it's nudged a bit (takes some force). The capstan has some tape residue on it, but still seems to spin well. Once I lightly coerced the pinch roller upwards against the capstan, I heard some sweet 70's rock out of my speakers from a tape still on the machine (1/2 way played).

Also, I'm a little confused about getting 4 track output into my receiver - how would one hook up all of the outputs from the 2340 and into one set of RCA inputs on my receiver, to listen to all 4 tracks of a recording? Y-adapters? The machine came to me with the selector switched to 4 track, instead of 2, but I just hooked up track 1 and 3 into my RCA for "CD" on my receiver.

Thanks for any guidance/advice you can provide. Sorry for all of the questions. I'm pretty excited to be playing around with this!
 
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Your going to want to make sure you clean tape heads, and tape guides with the highest purity Isopropyl Alcohol you can find, I use 99% but you might only find 91% locally. You just take a Q-tip and soak it in alcohol and rub. be gentle on the tape heads, and only rub horizontally in the direction of tape travel(not up and down).
by the way don't clean any rubber parts with alcohol!

It would also be a good idea to get your hands on head demagnetizer and learn how to use it PROPERLY.

I use Y-adapters to listen to my 4 track on my stereo.

for $50 you got a pretty good deal. I don't know what could be wrong with the pinch roller, but I'm sure someone else here will.

welcome to the forum! I'm new here too, and you're right, the are some very knowledgeable people here

read this, if you haven't already:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=51539
 
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Thanks for replying!

I've got some 91% isopropyl alcohol, but i can take a look around for better stuff.

There's definitely some residue on the tape heads, so i'll give them a cleaning like you suggest. Also planning on getting a demagnetizer, and I've read a little about using those. Mainly that you don't turn it off while anywhere near the tape heads, or touch the tape heads.

I think the pinch roller (the roller that pops up against the capstan) is just gummed up from the Teac grease. I've read in places that this can happen over time. Mine isn't completely frozen, I can still move it - but it doesn't pop upwards when i hit Play.

I've got the sides off, and will soon take off the back and start to dust things off a bit, and clean things.

Good point about the rubber - I won't use alcohol on it. It all seems in very good shape, I don't think any maintenance has been done on it. Ever. That's probably not a unique thing :p
 
Maintenance wasn't a big thing pushed by the manufacturers. In Most cases the only thing you see in the Owners manuals is for cleaning heads and changing belts. Most people (consumers) didn't bother with Service manuals, as they didn't do the work themselves, so IF the unit was lucky, it went to a shop but only when something was wrong. In a lot of cases it wouldn't get cleaned unless the owner specifically asked for (and paid for)it.


91% is fine for starters I've never used anything but 91%. Take off the front cover and DEGREASE all of the mechanical Joints, sliders, etc. Make up a combination of 1 part white lithium grease and 3 parts of light Machine oil (Sewing Machine Oil) or Turbine oil sold at Ace Hardware. Straight Lithium is too stiff, and straight Machine oil will run all over.

Once all is degreased, put a light coat on all the mechanism joints, sliders, etc. Exercise to get all the areas lubed.

For the Pinch roller and other Rubber parts, use a bowl with warm water and DAWN (3-5 drops. Mix well. Drop the rubber parts in and soak for at least an hour or two. A Green Scotchbrite pad works well to get it clean. Rub in the direction of rotation, not across the wheel. Dry with a paper towel, and use a couple drops of above machine oil on sleeve bearings. DON'T Handle the Rubber part with BARE FINGERS(use gloves of some sort)as the body oils will get on the rubber and defeat the cleaning.

Clean the heads, path rollers, etc as described in above posts. DeMag as described. Clean and lube all switches, & pots with De-Oxit. Some will probably need a second application.

BEST PRACTICE is to clean heads and path rollers BEFORE and AFTER EACH TAPE. The less junk on the surfaces, the better the tape runs and the better the sound.

Larry
 
Okay, I disassembled the unit and got to the sleeve for the pinch roller. I used a Q tip to add a little WD40 between the post and sleeve, moved the pinch roller head up and down a few times, and voila - it freed up the gummed up pinch roller!

I cleaned the heads, reassembled the case, then tried playing a tape. Suddenly a tape that sounded fine before in the machine (it came with the r2r) sounded like the chipmunks were singing... :tears: I think I did something wrong in the reassembly...probably with the drive belt?

I did notice that, when putting the belt back on the flywheel, there were two ridges where the belt can go into (not on the flywheel, but on the motor). Is it possible i need to move the belt to the other ridge in the motor? I put the belt into the ridge closest to the back of the machine, which seemed a little more parallel with the flywheel.

I have the deck set on it's lowest speed, so it's not that i have the deck set to high mistakenly :) That was the first thing I checked.

Any help is truly appreciated. At least the pinch roller works great now!
 
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Got it solved. The belt wasn't seated on the motor spindle properly. It was riding on the edge of it. No more chipmunks! This thing works and sounds great now :)
 
And thanks, Larry! Going to do a thorough once over as u described. Luckily my machine looks like it's been somewhat taken care of!
 
stonecutter2,

I am trying to find out if Teac sold a dust cover for the Teac A2340. It sounds like you may have one. Is there a product number or some other kind of identifier on the dust cover?

Thanks!
 
stonecutter2,

I am trying to find out if Teac sold a dust cover for the Teac A2340. It sounds like you may have one. Is there a product number or some other kind of identifier on the dust cover?

Thanks!

See my response to your other post about the dust cover. As for de-mag units, the best, bar none is the Han-D-Mag demagnetizer, but they aren't cheap, about $65-$70. Many you may find on the web, or auction site may be bad, or so weak, they are basically useless, and a waste of money. The Han-D-Mag commonly isn't recommended for Cassette Decks though, just R2R machines.

It is said, when using a de-magger, turn on a good distance away from the machine, only use the unit along the tape path, and heads, never near the VU Meters, or anywhere else on the deck. Then pull away slowly, till the unit is a good distance away from the deck before shutting it off. Travel from one side of the deck, to the other, with slow, steady movements, just waving the unit in small little circles as close as you can get to the parts, without physically touching them.

De-magging should be done every 2-3 hours play time for best performance. Mark
 
Hi Stonecutter2,
I been reading the posts here and it seems like you have thing well at hand for the moment but the reason for mu posting is because of the stuff you used is not a long term solution but will last you about a month if I read everything correctly. First WD40 is NOT a lubricant but a penitrant which is mostly kerosene and wax and was designed for removal of moisture on ships. I used it on a Police revolver when I was doing that and in less than 30 days the gun was frozen solid. That is what will happen to your Linkage. The correct way to resolve this problem is to take the linkage apart- I have done it not 10 times but hundreds to thousands of times. I used to work at Teac. The linkage arm the part the Pinch Roller is attached to must be removed all the way from the rear, the flywheel and Pinch Roller Solenoid must come off and be loosened and the residue cleaned off the shaft and the Linkage cylinder with alcohol. Once it is clean use Lubriplate (lithium grease) to re-grease for another 10 years service.
There is a couple of issues that arise from a non technician doing this operation. One is the Solenoid placement has to be recalibrated to provide the correct Pinch Roller pressure which should be 2.2 Kg AND the front to rear play of the capstan shaft needs to be set so that the play is about 2 mm. It can not be tight like some people set it. You know about the pulley on the motor so I don't have to mention that. Oiling of motors and Capstan Bearing is in order. If all three motors have oil tubes they all need about 5 drops of oil in each tube front and back. If there are no tubes in the reel motors, don't worry they are ball bearings.
I hate to upset your victory but I am telling you the way it is.

*EDITED BY MODERATOR*
 
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you got one hell of a deck there bud for a steal! i have an a-2340r as well, its what opened the door to reel to reel for me, i found mine left to die behind a toolshed next to an abandoned house they were taring down in my neghborhood when i was 15. it was coverd in dirt, rust, and little green plants. the thing was probubly sitting outside in the elements for years. i got it home, took it apart, used a garden hose to wash it out, and let it dry on my pool deck. after it dried i sprayed wd40 in the motors so they would spin. to my delight it came on and worked!!!!! its a hell of a story to tell but this is your thread, not mine. anyways, these decks are INDESTRUCTIBLE!!!! and they sound amazing! good luck with it!
 
:lurk:

Just picked up one of these on Sunday at the GW in excellent cosmetic condition, plan to start maintenance on it this weekend, so will be following the action here...
 
Nice deck. All I gotta say is keep that WD-40 away from any electronics. So do not use it, period! The lithium and machine oil mix is a good formula for lubrication. I had good results with formula 409 on rubber parts.

The next thing is to post some pics. :thmbsp:
 
A question for you all. I recently bought a 2340r, with maintenance performed, that has worked wonderfully. Just this week I began adding sensing tape for the auto reverse. the first tape worked perfectly. Numbers 2 and 3 didn't reverse. When I put number 1 back on to check it, it didn't work either. Any idea what I did wrong after the first was working. I'm putting 1.5" sensing foil, made just for the job, on the outside of the tape, i.e. facing away from the heads.

Also, where is the sensor for the auto reverse? I can't figure out where it is. Maybe it's dirty.

Thanks in advance for the help.
 
Your tape is not long enough. The 1st was probably just long enough to trip the relay enough to engage the Auro Reverse. Lengthen your tapes to 2" or 2-1/2". On the outside or shiny side. The sensors are two posts, one on either side of the playback head. Clean with at least 91% isopropyl alcohol and Q-tips.

Figure 4-4 of the Service manual.
ScreenHunter_219 Mar. 17 18.03.jpg
 
Larry:

THANK YOU!!!! That is helpful on both the advice and info. And as a Proud Marine Dad, thank you and your peers for tending to Jarheads in the hurt. One of you took care of my boy and I have him back.

With appreciation for an answer and eternal gratitude for your service,

Bob
 
Glad to Help. Thanks for allowing your son to become one of the Worlds Finest, and for his Service. Do what my Grandma did. Cut down a set of Dress Blues and size them for an 18-24 month old. Then take professional pics of the Grandkids when they hit that age. It tickled Grandpa Jarhead pink when I showed up at his house in 1957 wearing Class "A"s with CPL Stripes, and blood stripe on trousers. My dad was 1st to wear them in 1934. All of my generation of grandkids wore them, then my kids and my nieces and nephews wore them. They got lost for a while and my grandkids grew up before they could wear them. I couldn't afford pro pictures of my kids at the time and the polaroids I did take are faded out. They are literally fragile enough that they now need to be replaced. And none of my sisters can sew a straight line on a ruler.

I'm 5th Gen Navy/USMC, and 2nd Gen HM. Gramps was a SSGT in the 1st Marine Air Wing (guadalcanal) in '42-'45. Dad was a Navy Radarman who converted to Navigation ET (Early Polaris subs). Mom was an HM. Brother a Aviation ET, 2 brother in laws Boatswain Mate and Engineman. the Other B-I-L was Air Farce. Oldest son was Army infantry. 2 nephews were a Marine Sgt and a Navy Missile Tech. Great Grandpa (Paternal) and Great Great Grandpa(paternal) were Marine enlisted going back to 1870 something. I was an HM3 (SS/FMF) before I got out in 1978. HM rating was overmanned due to Vietnam, and advancement was basically nonexistant. Took me 4 years to make HM3 due to over manning instead of the usual 2 years. I did my 6, saw the writing on the wall that it would literally take almost 25 to make Chief, and I got out.
 
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