Need help with a Yamaha KR-1000 cassette Receiver - Tape functions don’t work

[laidbacklark]

Hello AK’ers, found this unit at a thrift recently - it’s a Yamaha KR-1000 ‘Cassette Receiver’ as it’s called on the front panel (Made in Japan) All the knobs were missing but it powers up and the Tuner/Phono/Aux inputs work. It’s a fairly hefty unit.

None of the tape functions work. Opened it up and it’s a very tightly integrated unit. From the appearance of the tape mechanism, it feels like it’s all motor driven and there are no belts to be seen. When you press any of the tape controls, you hear a click and some mechanism tryin to engage but nothing happens - no play, FF or Rewind. There’s barely any info on this unit elsewhere on the web. Have attached some pictures - if you can provide insights into what type of a tape mechanism this is, will help me with next steps. TIA

 

[dankik]

it feels like it’s all motor driven and there are no belts to be seen.

There is at least two belts as shown in the exploded view (32-capstan belt, 13-counter belt).


Melted capstan belt (red arrow)

Maybe counter belt here:

 

[laidbacklark]

There is at least two belts as shown in the exploded view (32-capstan belt, 13-counter belt).

View attachment 3792647

Thank you - is the job doable ? I am only learning to change belts and it seems doable on cheaper decks - this assembly looks quite complicated at first glance

 

[dankik]

For the capstan belt, from your photos you can easily get to the motor pulley (red arrow).
The belt goes around the capstan that I think you can see (green arrow). It looks like you might be able to remove the motor back plate with 1 or 2 screws.
There may even be enough room to slip the belt around the capstan flywheel without removing it. Hard to tell from your photos.
If you can get to it you will need to clean off the old belt with Isopropyl alcohol and Q-tips, thread the new belt around the capstan flywheel then around the motor pulley.


Here are the instructions for belt replacement from the SM.
It also shows the location of the counter belt in Figure 13.

 

[laidbacklark]

For the capstan belt, from your photos you can easily get to the motor pulley (red arrow).
The belt goes around the capstan that I think you can see (green arrow). It looks like you might be able to remove the motor back plate with 1 or 2 screws.
There may even be enough room to slip the belt around the capstan flywheel without removing it. Hard to tell from your photos.
If you can get to it you will need to clean off the old belt with Isopropyl alcohol and Q-tips, thread the new belt around the capstan flywheel then around the motor pulley.

View attachment 3792650
Here are the instructions for belt replacement from the SM.
It also shows the location of the counter belt in Figure 13.
View attachment 3792658
View attachment 3792659
View attachment 3792661
View attachment 3792664

Wow, I don’t know how to adequately express my gratitude for this - a big THANK YOU !

 

[dankik]

Make sure that when you press PLAY, FF, REW that the motor spins even though the belt does not move the capstan. If you have a bad motor, that's a different problem.

 

[laidbacklark]

Make sure that when you press PLAY, FF, REW that the motor spins even though the belt does not move the capstan. If you have a bad motor, that's a different problem.

The motor does spin - just tested it. Thanks

 

[dankik]

Here is a source for the capstan belt. (no affiliation with seller)

 

[laidbacklark]

When I power on the unit and a tape is inserted, I hear something continuously running/spinning in the tape assembly. What would that be ?

 

[dankik]

That could be the capstan motor. There are two motors, AFAIK, in the deck: 1) capstan motor, 2) reel motor.
The capstan motor turns the capstan shaft that pinches against the pinch roller to control the tape speed.
The reel motor drives both take-up and supply reel hubs to wind the tape onto the cassette hubs.
With no tape inserted and if you press PLAY, look to see if you can see the take up reel spinning.
If you press FF, the right reel should spin, and with REW the left reel should spin. That's the reel motor.

 

[Restorer87]

if you need the belts, webspareparts have the kit avaiable: Yamaha KR-1000 Belt Kit for Cassette Deck

 

[laidbacklark]

That could be the capstan motor. There are two motors, AFAIK, in the deck: 1) capstan motor, 2) reel motor.
The capstan motor turns the capstan shaft that pinches against the pinch roller to control the tape speed.
The reel motor drives both take-up and supply reel hubs to wind the tape onto the cassette hubs.
With no tape inserted and if you press PLAY, look to see if you can see the take up reel spinning.
If you press FF, the right reel should spin, and with REW the left reel should spin. That's the reel motor.

With no tape inserted, nothing happens when I press the controls you mention. When a tape is inserted and I press the controls, the wheel in front of the reel motor (marked with the red arrow in the picture) moves. Rew turns it in one direction, FF in the other direction and Play engages in the fwd direction - all for about 3 seconds before they stop. I feel it’s just the belts that may need replacement.

 

[dankik]

Sounds good.

 

[laidbacklark]

Sounds good.

Now for sweaty palms as I try to work on it, have an older cheapo Kenwood player that I need to fix belts for, will do that first for the confidence boost. THANK YOU once again wholeheartedly for your help - it won’t be the last time I will ask for more as I dive into it

 

[laidbacklark]

To give back to the community in the smallest way, the volume knob from a Def Tech ProSub800 subwoofer is a perfect fit for the Yamaha KR-1000 volume knob in a not so visually jarring way (some cheapskate steals all the knobs from units in one of our nearby Goodwill stores). Still need to find replacements for the other three knobs. Hope this helps.