New to vintage refurb - Pioneer CT-F4040?

[Noah Miller]

Hey all,

I'm sure you've all been where I am right now. I have a fully operational setup, but I continue to buy cool old vintage gear at low prices. I'm going down the rabbit hole, but eh, who cares.

Anyways, I picked up a Pioneer ct f4040 for $13. Mint condition inside and out, but the reel mechanism won't turn both sides, so tape spills out the left side but won't be taken back up on the right. I got it opened up, and I think one of the rubber belts is stretched/worn/oxidized(?) to the point of no longer catching on the wheel.

How do I find replacement belts for specific models? What are some reliable places to find advice and/or replacement parts? Can anyone point me to a guide that explains how tape decks work inside and out, so I can better understand what might not be working?

I can provide pictures later today if that would help anyone answer more accurately.

Any help would be appreciated with this specific problem, as well as any information that could help me down the path of vintage refurb. (I also recently picked up a Panasonic Quadroplex SA-207 receiver that was buried in a ceramics studio for 25 years, so I have that to work on as well).

Thanks in advance!

 

[palsapal]

I haven't got intimate knowledge of your deck - other members may. We need to know roughly where you are - state/city/town is enough to be able to recommend sources. You can add this to your profile so that it appears on all your posts.

If one of the belts has failed then it's more likely to be degraded to goo (the hardest to clean up after) or snapped. Less likely it has stretched or is too loose.

Found this pic in line by Googling. There looks as though there's three belts (indicated). You'll need a service manual to find out which is which - register with HiFiEngine which is a repository of such documents which have been posted to the site by other users. I've just had a look & there's only a user manual for downloading. Doubt this will tell you about belts. Service manuals may be available from other sources but you may have to pay.



I'm not aware of a general guide which would help you fix a cassette deck.

I bought Pioneer cassette belts via an eBay source (do a search) & they came with simple instructions on how to install. Other posters may recommend other sources when they know where you are as there is often discussions on whose belts are good & whose are worth avoiding.

Pictures would be useful. Get as close as possible for your camera still to be able to auto focus & use illumination if poss (flash can create misleading shadows). Make sure they're in focus before you post otherwise not worth posting.