[jbclem3]

That's very useful information about the cassette repair, thanks. The
Tucson was so good for FM reception that I'd really like to be able to take
care of the cassette problems and get some use out of it (them).

John



"John Durbin" wrote in message
...
You'll want a source for new parts for replacing the main drive belt...
that's going to be the most common problem on any deck this old. Take
one off, cut it and measure its length, subtract maybe 5% (10% if it was
very loose when you removed it) to allow for it stretching over the
years. Measure the cross-section thickness. Look for PRB or other
replacement belt products at on-line parts sellers for new belts that
meet those dimensions. The Tucson should be a square belt by the way,
and probably in the 1.5mm square range.

Hardened pinch rollers will be tough if not impossible to replace but
you can probably salvage most of them with rubber rejuvenation. Look for
spray cans of stuff made for cleaning copy machine rubber rollers.
Apply, wipe off, repeat until the rubber is clean & pliant again. Some
people like to soak overnight, really depends on the type of rubber and
the solvent being used. Experiment on a really trashed one to see what
effect the solvent has on the rubber before you start using it on more
salvageable rollers.

Last, the mechanism will need some cleaning to free up & remove any old
hardened grease, followed by light lubrication so it moves freely again.
That includes any sliding sections as well as gear-driven stuff. You
need the tape loading and head block movements to be crisp & unimpaired.

These are decent decks and we didn't have a lot of problems with the
tape mechanisms when they were new. I don't know of many car decks that
still run reliably 20 years down the road without having been freshly &
comprehensively serviced.

Good luck!

John

jbclem wrote:
I have some Blaupundt Tucson car radios, and I've always had problems
with
their cassette mechanisms. I'd like to learn how to clean them and
figure
out the mechanical problems. The first step is a power setup on my
workbench. I don't have a power supply, but I do have some old computer
power supplies which have 12v+, 12v- outputs (and others). Would they
work
for my purposes?

Is anyone familiar with the Blaupundt cassette players...are they worth
repairing? If they aren't, is there a higher quality cassette mechanism
that could be substituted. I know the answer depends in part on the
problem, and it's been so long I don't remember exactly what it was, so
I
have to bench test the radios first. But some general opinions would be
appreciated.

John