Beocord 9000: Finishing Up The Tape Transport

The Beocord 9000 tape transport repairs have been identified and fixed. I did some more cleaning and lubricated moving parts as I started the reassembly of the tape transport. Even though I don't plan on changing out the Beocord thrust roller, I disassemble that assembly as well to clean and lubricate the parts involved. Here is a picture of that step.

Here is the tape transport ready for reassembly.

The first item to go back in is the take-up reel and supply reel assembly. That is followed by the clutch assembly and the interconnecting mechanics.

After that is the flywheel and belts.

Finally, the cassette holder and the opening damper assembly.

Since the Beocord 9000 being restored isn't ready for any electrical testing, I pulled an older Beocord 9000 I have and swapped its tape transport with this newly restored transport. I inserted an old pre-recorded cassette (from 1972!) that I always seem to use as a tape transport functional test. It is amazing that it has lived this long without getting eaten.

For this first tape transport test I only tested Play, Fast Forward and Rewind functionality. What I am looking for here is that the Beocord tape transport motor, wheels and belts operate smoothly and don't stop unexpectedly.

One thing to note at this point - I see a lot of Beocord units of the 8000 to 9000 series where people advertise them as just needing new belts. While that is most certainly true, the replacement of the rubber wheels are just as important if the deck is to perform Fast Forward and Rewind functionality reliably. In my first Beocord repair of this type I did everything except the wheels and sure enough, the Fast Forward function was very unsatisfactory. Sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't. The reason was the worn rubber wheels.

The initial tape transport test was a beautiful success. I ran the tape forward all the way to one end, then did a full reverse rewind. After that I spot checked the tape play. Everything worked extremely smooth.

The next step in the restoration will be to examine the electrical problem with this Beocord.

Beocord 9000: Identifying Repairs

The disassembly of the tape transport allows me to get to various nooks and crannies for cleaning and locate hard to see places that need repair. This makes sense from a restoration stand point but you pretty much have to disassembly a majority of the transport anyway to replace the rubber wheels.

NOTE: Don't disturb the part of the transport where the tape heads are mounted. Chances are they are still in alignment or, at least very close. There is no need to remove them at this point unless you know they are defective.

Here is a picture that identifies the four rubber wheels that will need to be replaced.

The replacement wheels and the rubber belts I will use are parts I get from Martin Olsen. He has done the research to make sure these replacement parts are accurate reproductions for the Beocord 9000.
Here are the replacement parts for the belts and wheels.

This picture shows the tape heads and the pinch roller (or thrust roller). The picture also shows what type of dust and dirt builds up inside these machines.

One of the rubber wheels to be replaced is part of the Beocord clutch assembly. Every clutch assembly from a Beocord 8000 to 9000 deck I have seen has cracks in the plastic where the pulley shaft mounts (via small brass inserts in the plastic).

I went ahead and disassembled the clutch assembly to apply the fix for the cracked plastic. I cut sections from a brass tube and epoxy into place so the brass sleeves prevent any more damage. The tubing I used is 8.73mm (11/32 inch) x 0.355mm (0.014 inch). I got mine at a hobby store that specializes in parts for remote control airplanes and cars. I used a Dremel tool to cut sections off then file off any burrs. When mounting the brass sleeves I remove the brass mounts the clutch shaft fits in to.

The final repair to identify is the repair of the tape head transport leaf springs. I already know there is one broken spring mount. I need to also check for any other places there are cracked or loose plastic pieces. I found these bad spots by the gears that dampen the cassette holder open/close function.

I will repair those spots with some epoxy when I fix the leaf spring mount here.

I wanted to get the epoxy step done and cured so I could continue with the tape transport. I actually did the cleaning and epoxy step last night so I could continue working today. This picture shows the re-installing of the leaf springs that hold down the tape head transport. Some new TriFlow Red Grease, the 2.5mm ball-bearings and the springs are complete. Next it is on to installing the new wheels and lubricating the moving parts. That should mean the tape transport will be ready to reassemble and test.

Beocord 9000: The Tape Transport

With the belt residue cleaned up, the next step in the restoration is to pull the tape transport out where it can be disassembled. There are three screws to remove and four connectors in order to remove the tape transport. Here is the Beocord tape transport removed and ready to be worked on.

Now it is on to the disassembly so I can clean, lubricate, repair and replace the rubber wheels.

Beocord 9000: Opening It Up

The Bang & Olufsen audio equipment from this early 80's period are quite a joy to work on. The components open up into a nice service position where it is very easy to get to the internals for inspection and to work on.

On the Beocord 8000 through 9000 series of cassette decks one of the first things to check is the tape transport mechanism. Servicing will always require new belts of course but there are quite a few other things to do regarding the mechanics.

The first thing I saw when I opened up this Beocord 9000 was a loose part that had broken off the transport. The inset picture shows the little leaf spring. There are three of these springs that hold down the tape head transport as it slides forward to engage with a cassette. Without these springs the tape head transport can teeter up and down which would not be good for the sound. The red line shows where the broken spring should go. There was also a 2.5mm ball-bearing that is part of the spring assembly. That ball-bearing is gone but I have plenty of spares.