You're right--it's a dual capstan, non-auto-reverse machine.

I don't know why I thought the flywheels were attached to
the take-up and feed spindles, but they're not--the big flywheel is the
capstan on the take-up side, and the smaller flywheel is the other capstan.

You're also right about the belts--one goes from the motor to the larger
flywheel, and the other goes from the larger flywheel to the smaller
flywheel.

The original belts are so stretched out they don't work at all--so I
substituted rubber bands, just to see if the belt arrangement is right, and
I think it is. Hard to tell for sure, as the rubber bands keep slipping
off.

I bet if I could find the right replacement belts, I'd have it working.

Thanks again, Tim.

--David



Tim Schwartz at wrote:

Hello again,

I was not thinking that this was a dual capstan or auto reverse
machine. Try gently spinning the flywheels by hand, and I'd guess that
they are the capstans. IF this is a dual capstan (NOT auto reverse)
transport, then the most common pattern for the belts is the smaller one
goes between the 2 similar sized (diameter) area on the 2 capstans, and
the longer belt goes from one of the capstans to the motor. If it is an
auto reverse machine, then there are several possible belt paths, and I
don't know them all.

Regards,
Tim Schwartz


David Perris wrote:

Tim:

Thanks so much for the reply.

The machine was sitting unused for a long time,
so I suspect the belts degraded.

Actually, the two belts are both flat ones,
and the two flywheels are attached to the take-up
and feed spindles, rather than to the capstan--
I think there's a separate motor for that. The big flywheel
has some kind of clutch mechanism that engages just long enough
to lift the heads into place when you press Play, then kicks itself back
into driving the take-up reel. It's kind of hard to figure out where the
belts go, and they fell off before I could make a sketch.

I'll take another look inside. Thanks again for your help.

--David

Tim Schwartz at wrote:

David,

First let me tell you that I don't remember this model, so my reply is
not specific to your machine.

If the belt have slipped off, then they are also likely to have
stretched out in size and need replacement. The large, flat belt is
likely to go around the cast metal flywheel to the capstan, and the wide
section of the motor pulley. The smaller square belt from the small
section of the motor pulley to the reel drive.

Again, belts almost NEVER fall off unless they are too large, or
someone has forced something in a jammed mechanism. For good belts to
fall off even in transit, the machine would be damaged beyond repair.

Regards,
Tim Schwartz
Bristol Electronics

"David Perris" wrote in message
...
You're right--it's a dual capstan, non-auto-reverse machine.

I don't know why I thought the flywheels were attached to
the take-up and feed spindles, but they're not--the big flywheel is the
capstan on the take-up side, and the smaller flywheel is the other
capstan.

You're also right about the belts--one goes from the motor to the larger
flywheel, and the other goes from the larger flywheel to the smaller
flywheel.

The original belts are so stretched out they don't work at all--so I
substituted rubber bands, just to see if the belt arrangement is right,
and
I think it is. Hard to tell for sure, as the rubber bands keep slipping
off.

I bet if I could find the right replacement belts, I'd have it working.

I got ~150 hits when I Googled:
"replacement-belts aiwa"