Navanoise
Member
Big thanks to member Hifirob2 and others over in the MCS 3245 Questions thread. Thought I'd post some pics how I got this 1978 deck working again.They also helped me determine this deck was made by NEC. Hope this can help others. The deck was a thrift store find for $20. All the knobs and switches were intact and overall it was pretty clean. I was able to determine it powered on at the store. When I got it home and popped a tape in it the tape did play albeit a little warbly and the right digital meter was pegged all the way on whether there was a tape playing or not. After a little while when playing a tape it would just stop. Attempts to get the tape playing again where not too successful so I posted the issues here and was told what they likely were. I opened the deck up and here's what I did.
Here it is in the store when I found it:
The pegged meter was fixed by spraying some contact cleaner on the record button switches which are connected by long rods and by repeatedly pressing the record button. This loosened the mechanism and lo and behold the meter worked normally again. Very easy. Sorry I don't have a picture, but it is very easy to spot this mechanism once the top it taken off.
Was told the probably reason the tape stopped was because the belts that run the tape counter weren't functioning properly and if the tape counter stops for any reason the deck thinks it's reached the end of the tape and shuts off. This is frustrating that the entire operation of the deck hinges on these the tape counter and belts! You can't even disable the counter to get it to work. The belts were intact, but old. The one rear belt looked easy to take off, but the belt that runs into the main drive goes behind the cassette and I didn't think I had the capability of getting in there...more to come.
I decided to try replacing the main belt since it didn't look too difficult to replace. I ordered a belt from Turntable Needles. They had this listed as the one:
FBS7.5 Flat Belt, Small 7.5 Inch.
I got it replaced and played a tape and it seemed to work better but about halfway through the tape it stopped again. Bummer. Guess it was time to replace the tape counter belts. Turntable Needles didn't have these listed in their data base for this deck, so I had to measure the belts and look up the best match.
I settled on these:
SBO3.7 Square Belt, Orbicular 3.7 Inch
SBO4.7 Square Belt, Orbicular 4.7 Inch
Main drive belt replacement:
Then belt can be slipped off. Turntable Needles sells a belt install tool but I mad one myself out of some steel wire I had and also used a toothpick. This belt wasn't too hard to install. Definitely take pictures before you start!
Then the tape counter belts. Like I said the outer one wasn't too hard to figure out who to get it off as it slips in and out of whatever the little mechanism that sends the signal that determines whether the tape is playing or not. Sorry, I'm not sure what that thing is called. First i tried just replaing that belt and played a tape again and once again the tape eventually stopped mid-tape. I wasn't sure I could get to the main counter belt that runs into the drive, but upon closer examination I saw the plate behind where a tape sits could be removed with taking out just two screws. It wasn't too hard, just had to take the door cover off. Be careful when in the area because there are two spacers behind the plate that need to be reinstalled and of course watch scratching the tape head itself. The plate wasn't too hard to finagle out once the screws were taken out and the belt it right there.
Watch for the spacers behind the plate.
Once removed. Easy access!
Had to remove this hold down clip to get the plate out of the top. Watch the little switch on the left that tells the deck if there's a tape in the machine. I actually was able to reinstall the plate through the front so maybe it can be taken out that way too. I cleaned all the rubber wheels too.
How I determined the belt size. Don't stretch the belt when doing this.
4" belt
5" belt
Turntable Needles told me it's best to get a belt that's slightly smaller so I went with the next size down. 3.7" for the 4" and 4.7 for the 5". there's a formula they go by but I can't find it at the moment. They said the 3.7' might be out of range...too small, but I thought I give it a go anyway.
This is what the tape counter looked like when it stopped playing mid-tape you can see it's not quite flipping over and that's why a signal is sent to shut the tape off.
And here it is paired with my MCS 3245 receiver. Ain't they pretty?
Happy to report I've been playing tapes for a week now with no issues
A big thanks to the friendly service a Turntable Needles! Don't hesitate to ask them questions.
Here it is in the store when I found it:
The pegged meter was fixed by spraying some contact cleaner on the record button switches which are connected by long rods and by repeatedly pressing the record button. This loosened the mechanism and lo and behold the meter worked normally again. Very easy. Sorry I don't have a picture, but it is very easy to spot this mechanism once the top it taken off.
Was told the probably reason the tape stopped was because the belts that run the tape counter weren't functioning properly and if the tape counter stops for any reason the deck thinks it's reached the end of the tape and shuts off. This is frustrating that the entire operation of the deck hinges on these the tape counter and belts! You can't even disable the counter to get it to work. The belts were intact, but old. The one rear belt looked easy to take off, but the belt that runs into the main drive goes behind the cassette and I didn't think I had the capability of getting in there...more to come.
I decided to try replacing the main belt since it didn't look too difficult to replace. I ordered a belt from Turntable Needles. They had this listed as the one:
FBS7.5 Flat Belt, Small 7.5 Inch.
I got it replaced and played a tape and it seemed to work better but about halfway through the tape it stopped again. Bummer. Guess it was time to replace the tape counter belts. Turntable Needles didn't have these listed in their data base for this deck, so I had to measure the belts and look up the best match.
I settled on these:
SBO3.7 Square Belt, Orbicular 3.7 Inch
SBO4.7 Square Belt, Orbicular 4.7 Inch
Main drive belt replacement:
Then belt can be slipped off. Turntable Needles sells a belt install tool but I mad one myself out of some steel wire I had and also used a toothpick. This belt wasn't too hard to install. Definitely take pictures before you start!
Then the tape counter belts. Like I said the outer one wasn't too hard to figure out who to get it off as it slips in and out of whatever the little mechanism that sends the signal that determines whether the tape is playing or not. Sorry, I'm not sure what that thing is called. First i tried just replaing that belt and played a tape again and once again the tape eventually stopped mid-tape. I wasn't sure I could get to the main counter belt that runs into the drive, but upon closer examination I saw the plate behind where a tape sits could be removed with taking out just two screws. It wasn't too hard, just had to take the door cover off. Be careful when in the area because there are two spacers behind the plate that need to be reinstalled and of course watch scratching the tape head itself. The plate wasn't too hard to finagle out once the screws were taken out and the belt it right there.
Watch for the spacers behind the plate.
Once removed. Easy access!
Had to remove this hold down clip to get the plate out of the top. Watch the little switch on the left that tells the deck if there's a tape in the machine. I actually was able to reinstall the plate through the front so maybe it can be taken out that way too. I cleaned all the rubber wheels too.
How I determined the belt size. Don't stretch the belt when doing this.
4" belt
5" belt
Turntable Needles told me it's best to get a belt that's slightly smaller so I went with the next size down. 3.7" for the 4" and 4.7 for the 5". there's a formula they go by but I can't find it at the moment. They said the 3.7' might be out of range...too small, but I thought I give it a go anyway.
This is what the tape counter looked like when it stopped playing mid-tape you can see it's not quite flipping over and that's why a signal is sent to shut the tape off.
And here it is paired with my MCS 3245 receiver. Ain't they pretty?
Happy to report I've been playing tapes for a week now with no issues
A big thanks to the friendly service a Turntable Needles! Don't hesitate to ask them questions.
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