Old Sony Tape Deck eating my tapes...

[WorldFamousBigB]

Hey everyone, I'm new around here, but I was wondering if anyone could offer some friendly advice about hungry tape decks. I've got a Sony TC-K4A. It usually plays tapes without too much trouble, but sometimes it starts to eat them, and whenever I try to record, it's only a matter of seconds before the tape is all wound up inside the machine.
I called a local repair shop, but the tech there said, "Nice machine, but we can't service it, sorry." He said it was likely an issue with the belts, but that he wouldn't even be able to look up which belts it needed.
I really like this machine and don't want to be a big decoration. If anyone has come across similar issues before, I'd love to know about your experiences.

Thanks.

I can't post a link to pictures of a TC-K4A unit because my post count is still under five, but if you google "TC-K4A" the second link is a photobucket page of pictures of a TC-K4A.

 

[highfigh]

The guy at the local shop is just too lazy to look the parts up. Sony may still have them and if not, they can still give you referrals to who might. I called last year about power meters for a 30+ year old integrated amp and she came up with a part number in about a minute. Your cassette deck is newer than that. not by a lot, but it's newer. Go to Sony's site or call 800-222-7669 and ask for parts. That guy just doesn't want to work on it, but what it needs should take less than a half hour to fix. Get a complete set, don't just buy one belt.

Photos pf the outside won't really help anyone find your parts, either. MCM should have the belts, too.
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/

What city are you in?

 

[WorldFamousBigB]

I'm in Kingston, Ontario.

I had a quick look around the web site, but couldn't seem to find anything about parts for older machines. I will try calling them later today though.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Now Slappy]

"Reverse eats the tape!...REVERSE EATS THE TAPE!!!!!"...Bruce Willis, the Last Boy Scout.

 

[highfigh]

I'm in Kingston, Ontario.

I had a quick look around the web site, but couldn't seem to find anything about parts for older machines. I will try calling them later today though.

Thanks for the info.

Contact Sony and find out who repairs a lot of their equipment in your area, as well as who has been doing it for a long time. I know these models because I have been in the business for over 30 years and sold many of the same one you have (that was a great line of cassette decks, as are any with the TC-K model designation). A service shop that knows how to fix them will also know where to buy the belts. It's not a lost cause unless they either don't want to fix it or they want to sell you a new one.

For that matter, look online for a service manual- the belt specs are listed even if Sony doesn't sell them anymore. If you have any kind of mechanical aptitude and fine manual dexterity, it shouldn't be hard for you to repair.

 

[sparky77]

If you have a hard time finding replacement belts, you might want to try something like this for the mean time.

 

[highfigh]

Trust me, belts are available but may not be sold specifically for that model. They're still used in CD players, DVD players, car head units and all kinds of things. It's just a matter of finding someone who's willing to look up the sizes and order them.