TEAC x-3 wont play?

AltecDarpa

King of carrot flowers
I have a TEAC X-3 that works for fast forward and rewind, but when you push play nothing happens, the pinch roller moves into place but no movement from the reels. anyone have any idea about this? I know nothing about reel to reel so I figured I should ask before I get the screwdriver going.:scratch2:
 
Chances are good that it has a bad capstan motor - they are quite prone to failure on that series. Check if the capstan motor is working by lifting the tape tensioning lever on the right side while the machine is on and listen carefully for the sound of the motor whirring. If you hear the motor, you are one of the lucky ones who just needs a belt. There is an outside chance that the microswitch on the tape lever mentioned above is not working, so listen for a click when you raise the lever. Good luck!
 
I think it may be the motor on the capstan is dead, the lever clicks when raised,

How much do replacement motors cost?
 
Call Teac parts about a replacement. They may still have motors available. A weak point on this series of machine. This weakness also applies to the followup model, the X-300. The older A series was a more robust transport by far. The X-3 sounds excellent in nice order but many aren't in nice shape. This was an economy deck in that era, originally built by Teac for Radio Shack as the Realistic TR-3000.
 
Vintage TX mentioned in another thread that the motors were still available from TEAC at around $130, but I would open 'er up an do some more investigation before ordering a motor. I have come across some of these machines that have had the motor die while they were playing and that has wiped out the contacts on the play pushbutton switch as well - no fun to repair. You might see burned circuit board or switch housing on the play button switch if you're lucky - sometimes it doesn't show itself so easily. You should also make absolutely sure that it is the capstan motor before considering a replacement motor (which I'm sure you were going to do anyway, I just thought I'd throw that in there) and not just a simple fuse or power supply problem. I second the comment about the TEAC A series decks...they are about the most trustworthy workhorses out there. I also agree that the X series decks sound excellent when they are functioning correctly.
 
Take the faceplate off before you test, if the belt has turned >> black tar around the pulley, a good motor can get stuck and blow the transistor on power-supply board.
Let us know what you find :thmbsp:
 
A similar problem - but - when I lift the tensioning lever WITHOUT a tape loaded the reel spindles DO turn (as well as FF and RW). BUT - when I load a tape and hit play it stalls out and will NOT turn. Seems like the load of a tape causes it to freeze up. Thoughts?
 
A similar problem - but - when I lift the tensioning lever WITHOUT a tape loaded the reel spindles DO turn (as well as FF and RW). BUT - when I load a tape and hit play it stalls out and will NOT turn. Seems like the load of a tape causes it to freeze up. Thoughts?
Further notes: the pinch roller engages but will not turn at all. When in stop mode it spins freely by hand. Don't hear any kind of sound from the center of the deck like I might expect from a capstan motor running. Hmm. Bad motor or bad belt?
 
Belt is where I'd start. Clean pulleys before replacing the belt. And get a genuine belt from Teac if possible. This machine has a DC capstan motor, and it's a weak motor. Same goes for all X line transports. Also, motor switches are a known weak item also. This transport began as an OEM item for Radio Shack, who first offered it as the Realistic TR 3000. It sold so well that Teac decided to sell this machine as a Teac. Also, change that belt every 2 years or so, cheap insurance against a motor failure.
 
A new belt did the trick. It took a bit of fussing to find ALL the screws that held the front plate (definitely needed to remove back, and top/side panel first) but once in, it was a fairly direct process to loosen the head block assembly intact to access the belt path from the front. Sticky gooey tar over everything. In my haste, after successfully replacing the belt, I forgot to detoxit the switches, pots etc, and oil the motors (dang it!) but it seems to be running smoothly. I have another TR-3000 that needs the same work so I'll take my time with that one!
 
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