Pioneer CT-F6161 head cleaning?

[jleon92f]

Good Morning!

My Pioneer CT-F6161 tape came yesterday, a beautiful looking very clean cosmetics. I was wondering how do you access the heads for cleaning?

John.

 

[Strawman]

You should have enough access just by hitting the eject button so the door flips open. I'm not familiar with that model, but you should be able to reach with regular or worst case, some of the long handled swabs with alcohol. I have a JVC that the door cover slides up and off for "easier" access, I never bother with it.

 

[Fred Longworth]

Use denatured alcohol (available from your druggist or from Home Depot in the paint section.)

If you can find pure isopropyl alcohol, it works fine as well, but rubbing alcohol contains a great amount of water -- and water is the enemy of your machine.

I use a cotton swab for cleaning, and hold the swab in a set of hemostats. Use a swab which is damp, not wet. Clean the heads, tape guides, capstan and pinch roller.

Now, on a reel-to-reel, the capstan is located on the same side of the tape as the magnetic data, so it needs to be extra clean of oxide. On a cassette, it's the opposite: the pinch roller is on the data side of the tape, and needs to be extra clean.

Best,

Fred Longworth
http://www.repairaudio.com
StereoTech Classic Audio Repair

 

[Strawman]

Correct, maybe I should have clarrified. I don't use "rubbing alcohol" for anyting other than sore muscles.

 

[jleon92f]

Thanks, for all the info, I will try getting in there with a cotton swab, also on the RTR,I never noticed the capstan rides on the tape info side! Thanks for that.
John.