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You need a new belt. There all avail but would need to be matched up at a electronics parts house. Usually the capstain shaft needs to be removed and lubed too... and clean the head with alcohol. Keith Keith Park Top Notch Restorations topnotch@nycap.rr.com 71 Squareback 65 Notchback 65 Squareback 75 Opel 87 Golf 88 Rx7 10th Anniversary ----- Original Message ----- From: "Greg Merritt" <gregm@vwtype3.org> To: <type3@vwtype3.org> Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 12:47 AM Subject: [T3] update: Sapphire PlayTape I > > Here's an update on my Sapphire PlayTape I AM radio / > PlayTape player, as availabe from US VW dealers around 1970 or so. > > While anticipating the arrival of a playtape cartridge, I had > another look at my Sapphire Playtape I with the bottom cover off. > There's a little blue nub that pokes through the floor of the > cartridge bay; when a tape is inserted, the nub is depressed and a > switch is pushed to activate the motor. > > Well, the motor whirs, but the motor's little pulley just > spins against the belt. The large driven pulley opposite the motor > turns freely by hand, but is a bit stiff. > > I may consider trying to lubricate the large pulley's shaft > by placing a drop of oil on the shaft from inside the tape bay. > Another possibility would be to get a new belt, in case the old one > has stretched and lost elasticity and/or pliability. > > Well, I got my playtape cartridge today. It's a cute little thing! > > I fired up my Sapphire unit and put the tape in. As > expected, the motor's little pulley slipped in the drive belt. I > removed the drive belt and spun the large driven pulley by hand. I > got an odd warble-warble-warble out of the speaker. I switched to > the other track, and got another -- but differently-toned -- > warble-warble. Was I spinning it too fast? Too slow? Was it just > broken? > > It seemed that the sound I was perceiving was predominantly > influenced by the inconsistency in my ability to drive the pulley by > hand -- the predominantly-perceived changes in pitch were due to the > variations in speed of the pulley. > > I hooked the drive belt back up. When I gave the large > pulley a helping spin, the belt would engage for a bit, and there was > Petula Clark singing away! After a couple of spins, it kept going on > its own and played and played. > > I tried turning the unit right-side-up again (the removable > cover and the pulleys and belt are all on the bottom). The belt > began slipping again. > > So, it seems that a fresh belt and a more freely spinning > driven pulley would make my player play like new. Here's hoping! > > -Greg > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org >