CT-F1250 Reel Motor Rebuild (CT-F800/900/950/1250)

[vigman]

Rich,
CT-F950
WOW great write up..and a complex motor.... So I have the low torque,falling on it's face issue... When COLD the unit will work for ~ 2 min.. and then stalls out in play. FF & REW seem to be ok AND I get a solid 12.8 volts @ 180ma when in FF or REV. The reel motor in PLAY hovers between 6 ~ 8 volts.. and it also causes the big wire wound resistor on the drive board to get REALLY HOT ( 7.5 ohm )

Do you still rebuild these motors ?

Thanks
Mike

 

[pustelniakr]

Motor rebuilds should be performed as a part of an overall restoration, and not without the machine it will live on afterwards. This because the motor needs to be run in on its own machine, until the rebuild takes. This is affected by the belt and take-up tension the motor is subjected to, until the brushes wear to fit the new situation. There is no way to not affect the brush contact patch during this rebuild. Too much load during run it, when the brushes are only making tiny contact with the armature will result in a need to go back in. Some aftermarket belts are too tight, causing such issues. Once the motor rebuild takes, there are no further concerns for quite a while.

Good luck,
Rich P

 

[vigman]

Rich,well I focused on the load issues.. in FFW & REW it was not as fast as I remember. We had lost the counter belt & the main drive belt , so I bought a E bay kit.. and replaced all 4 belts. This is when my problem started, post re belt. With the take up motor unloaded ( no belt ) the voltage was closer to target ~ 8.2 volts. So the OLD BELT ( which I replaces ~ 2 years ago, that was my original issue ) went back in ( not as tight of a fit ) and it works ! played about 6 tapes and it's all good... no stalling for no reason..
Do you have a tout for a BETTER belt kit ??

Thanks
Mike

 

[pustelniakr]

I've had good results with these: http://www.vintage-electronics.net/pioneer-ct-f950-belt-kit.aspx

The small belt that goes right to the reel motor is a bit tight, so I stretch it gently before putting it on. Then I let the deck run, in play mode, without a tape in it, for 3-4 hours. Then I put a tape in and see what the voltage is when playing. If not up there yet, I run it a bit more without a tape. Once the brushes run in, and the voltage shows it, You should be good to go.

Enjoy,
Rich P

 

[Andy Close]

I've had good results with these: http://www.vintage-electronics.net/pioneer-ct-f950-belt-kit.aspx

The small belt that goes right to the reel motor is a bit tight, so I stretch it gently before putting it on. Then I let the deck run, in play mode, without a tape in it, for 3-4 hours. Then I put a tape in and see what the voltage is when playing. If not up there yet, I run it a bit more without a tape. Once the brushes run in, and the voltage shows it, You should be good to go.

Enjoy,
Rich P

Hi Rich, I'm new to the forum but have read a lot of your posts in the past, I'm very impressed with your knowledge and experience. I have a CT-F950 that has been in to a local tech four times for the intermittent playback issue. Since the last time I picked it up I had approx. 30 hours trouble free. He did not rebuild the motor but said he did some basic clean without disassembling, not sure how or what this could have been but it was his best result so far. Last night it gave up again. I managed to get quite a few videos of the issue. Looks to me like the take up reel stops and the tape spools after the right hand capstan then unit stops. The tech is not sure what the issue is but after reading many posts I am guessing the RXM-047 needs a rebuild. Could you possibly do a motor rebuild for me if I send it over to you? I see from a few earlier posts that it is preferable for me to send the entire unit. What ever the option, if you are interested or able to give any advice, could you please contact me and let me know how to proceed. I've put so much time and money in to this deck but am not the type to give up easily. I know that it has plenty of years of enjoyment left in it! Thanks, Andy

 

[pustelniakr]

I'm sorry. It is not kosher to conduct business in the general forums and I am booked solid anyway.

I suggest that you print posts 1 -7 of this thread and see if your tech will perform them for you.

As a stop-gap, you might run the motor in play mode, without a tape in it for 24 hours and see if the issue improves. The problem occurs because these decks are left unused for long periods, allowing the commutator contacts to oxidize. maybe running it for a good while will clean up that issue and give you better contacts. I have not tried this, but I do run them in like this after a motor rebuild. This reduces the number of time I have had to go back in a do it again.

Good luck,
Rich P

 

[Andy Close]

I'm sorry. It is not kosher to conduct business in the general forums and I am booked solid anyway.

I suggest that you print posts 1 -7 of this thread and see if your tech will perform them for you.

As a stop-gap, you might run the motor in play mode, without a tape in it for 24 hours and see if the issue improves. The problem occurs because these decks are left unused for long periods, allowing the commutator contacts to oxidize. maybe running it for a good while will clean up that issue and give you better contacts. I have not tried this, but I do run them in like this after a motor rebuild. This reduces the number of time I have had to go back in a do it again.

Good luck,
Rich P

Thanks for your response and please excuse my conducting business, I was unaware. The rebuild is a bit too complex for the tech who is helping me out. I will pick the unit up and give the 24 hour run a try as you suggest before he goes back in to it again. Someone suggested the problem could be attributed to a cracked idler clutch part, is this something you think could be a consideration or should I pursue the motor issue?
Thanks,
Andy

 

[pustelniakr]

This thread is focused upon the motor rebuilding. For further troubleshooting of your unit, I suggest starting your own thread. You will get more exposure that way. I think a cracked idler is not very likely. If you look down inside from the top, you should be able to see the reel motor stop if that is your problem.

I don't have time for remote troubleshooting like I once did. That is why I write up these DIY threads. Maybe @markthefixer can chime in to help you in your own thread.

Good luck,
Rich P

 

[nj pheonix]

Just ran across this thread for the first time.
Impressive work.
Not for the faint of heart indeed

 

[dbxdx5]

I am trying to get access to the inside of a BFA2L36 capstan for a Nak deck. This capstan doesn't have swaging divets- the entire top seems to be press fit in.
Any tricks on how to get this end cap off?

View attachment 1583869

I'd ask over on the Tapeheads.net forum. There are several experienced Nak techs there who can tell you if there are any tricks.

 

[Sinder]

very nice instructions, top photographed, thank you


had also had the pleasure of repairing the engine last year. In addition, the pitch buzzed when outside the middle position