Tape Deck FFwds when playing (need help)

gasparspeed

New Member
So my father has this old AIWA AD-F850 tape deck which has been on storage for years (dry storage in good conditions) because a tape got stuck inside and he couldn't get the door to open to recover it.
Recently I tried opening it and managed to get the tape out (it was locked in because apparently the head was stuck up or something and it would trigger a mechanical lock on the deck door which made impossible to open it).
I moved one of the flywheels (the "inner plastic" one) with my hand as suggested by a youtube video of a similar deck with a stuck tape and it did work, I finally could open the deck door and could recover the cassette. I saw that the main belt from the deck was quite worn and decided to change it for a new one (old one almost desintegrated when taking it out).
Now the problem is, i've replaced both belts successfully, but, when loading a cassette and trying to play it, instead of playing it, it just Fast Fowards instead of playing. Selecting FFWD does exactly the same thing as selecting Play, and from I could see, it appears that the head isn't moving or something, the main cassette reels move correctly but it doesn't read the cassette nor runs at "regular" playing speed, only "FFWD" speed.
Any idea what the problem could be? Any help would be very useful.

I've also recorded this video showing the problem, since I think my explanation isn't really that good.

PS: This is my first time opening up a cassette deck and i'm not really sure how exactly this one works and all the names of the pards but i really want to try and fix this one since my father needs it :)
 
Does this deck have soft touch controls or regular mechanical? Seems like the head and pinch roller mechanism is not moving into position and the take up tension is just pulling the tape through. I'd look for something restricting this movement, maybe a pause control link that's not in the correct place?
 
Does this deck have soft touch controls or regular mechanical? Seems like the head and pinch roller mechanism is not moving into position and the take up tension is just pulling the tape through. I'd look for something restricting this movement, maybe a pause control link that's not in the correct place?
I'm guessing it has microswitches (so mechanical i guess but not connected physically to the tape mechanism itself, but thru a ribbon cable so i'm not sure).
When "playing" a tape, pressing Pause does trigger a mechanical part inside which just pulls a small lever upwards which also triggers when in FFWD or Rewind.
Indeed i've figured out how to override the mechanism that stops you from playing if the door is open and both the head and pinch rollers don't even try to move when playing, they're always lowered. I've tried moving the pinch rollers by myself and they do move (so they aren't physically stuck or something).
I guess the problem is in the rollers and head moving mechanism.
 
Get an expendable tape and try to 'help' the pinch roller stay in contact with the capstan, if you can gently reach in there. Just to see if perhaps the solenoid holding the pinch roller in has become weak, and is allowing the tape to be pulled thru by takeup reel tension instead of regulated by capstan and pinch roller. It's also possible that the pinch roller has become smaller due to drying out, and the mechanism is working as it should... just need a new roller.
 
Okay got an update, using a random tape I managed to make the head move, it turns out that pressing the external flywheel inwards triggers the head going up, after that both head and pinch rollers went up and started playing the cassette without problem, no wow/flutter or other problems. Also tried the pause mechanism and it worked perfectly.
Both pinch rollers seem in good shape too, and when manually forcing the head up without a cassette on (pushing on the flywheel) the pinch rollers make perfect contact with both capstans.
So the only thing wrong with it I think is that somehow the flywheel gets always pushed outwards and so the head and pinch rollers don't move.
I'm going to try reinstalling the new belts since i think the inner belt might not be 100% in correct position.

PS: I was wrong before, i've confirmed this tape deck has indeed soft touch controls.
 
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