• Please note that there are a few updates and clarifications made in the Audiokarma Rules, mostly relating to advertising and the addition of the new "Paying it Forward" & "Giving back" forums in the AudioKarma Audio Marketplace section.

Bringing my Sony TC-651 back to life

Buddshepherd

Buddshepherd

New Member
I posted a week or so ago about the two Sony reel to reels I brought home.
Thanks to some good advice from here I scored a repair manual and have figured out a few problems.
I was having problems with squeaking tape. That was the kind of tape. It only squeaks with Sony PR-150 reels. I have Scotch 150 and Ampex 341 and they work fine. The Sony also leaves a lot of residue.

1. I attempted to record and found a lot of noise in the input circuits. Upon further investigation I found that the socket that the PC board for the record amplifier plugs into is split down the middle.

2. When playing in reverse at 7 1/2 sometimes the tape will gradually slow down and stop. Sometimes it smells hot. If I let the player set for a half hour then it will play fine. There is no problem at 3 3/4

3. The reel brake pads don't hold very well. I am fairly sure the solenoids are working. I ran the functions with the front cover off and everything was working.

4. Cosmetically the TC-651 is in amazing condition. The wood has perhaps one scratch and the front cover has a small scratch but that is it. The forward and reverse functions work as well as the auto reverse feature. Can't tell a lot about the sound as I have very few really good tapes. My old Tascam had the heads adjusted wrong so the tapes recorded with it don't sound good on anything else.

Any comments or advice would be appreciated.
 

Attachments

  • sony_651_close_up.jpg
    sony_651_close_up.jpg
    85 KB · Views: 36
Register to hide this ad
Sony tape tends to get issues with lubrication and shedding. Soft Binder syndrome as it is commonly called. The TC 651 is one of the better Sony decks.
 
Of course the Sony tapes are the ones with the old music that I wanted hear and were basically why I got the 651 to begin with.
I have a lot of classical recordings and easy listening from the 70's. I like the classical but some of the tapes marked, "dinner mood music" make me feel like I am in an elevator.
I made the mistake of bringing home two reel to reels and four boxes of tape and putting them in the house. As a result I have been "encouraged" to remove "projects" to the farm shop for completion.
However this means that I have had the opportunity to listen to the 651 several hours a day since I got it and fool around with it when I should be working on serious mechanical issues.
I am kind of afraid to get into the electronics at this point but I keep looking at the repair manual.
 
The tape slowing down could be a bad start motor capacitor. It gives similar symptoms - slowing down, and a hot motor. It can burn up the motor if it's bad. Can you oil this motor?
 
You might get some help w/the SONY tape by using the NU Finish car wax treatment mentioned many places for SSS. YMMV
 
Probably need to replace the brake pads.

I had the same deck and picked up some felt pads from Lowes. They are designed to go on the bottom of lamps and such so you don't scratch furniture. The product is Felt Gard item 9815. Below is a link to the makers website. If you click on the item number (9815) you can see a picture of the product. It's been a while but I think the felt was a little thick. I just trimmed it with a razor blade until the brakes didn't drag when not engaged. You need to be sure both sides are equal thickness. If one side stops faster than the other the tape will get loose or tight on the reels. Stuff costs about $3.

http://www.shepherdhardware.com/products.php?type=153&search=9815
 
Thanks for the info. Especially on where to get the felt pads. I was wondering what to use for pads. I need to take the back off and check out the motors. I did blow them out with air but didn't get a lot out of them. They turn freely and every thing works fine in 3 3/4 speed.
I tried recording with pretty mixed results. There is a lot of static on both channels at first, then it went away, then it came back on one side. I am going to try fader lube on the level controls and see if that helps.
I will try the wax on the tape. It is full of old George Jones and while it is a bit low brow after the opera tapes, I like it. Found a Beach Boys tape today. Kind of amazed a farmer who came to see me overhauling a tractor. Have to be very careful not to touch the reel to reel with greasy hands!
 
This may not be the place to post this question but I can't find how/where to post a new question. Anyway, does anyone know what tool is needed to align the record/playback heads on a Sony TC-651? The holes on either side of the heads are very tiny and I can't tell what type of head/blade is needed to adjust the heads. Thanks.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1091.jpg
    IMG_1091.jpg
    59.6 KB · Views: 6
That's not a casual adjustment. Unless you know a previous owner messed with them, you shouldn't adjust them. Why are you trying to align them?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom