Hey guys. Recently purchased an Hitachi CX W800 from eBay. The guy said all was working. But on deck 1 the forward and rewind is not working but plays tapes Ok. When I press either forward or rewind it tries to engage but shuts off like some kind of auto shut off. If I keep my finger on either forward or rewind it will try to keep engaging with a clicking noise but doesn't engage to turn the reel. I hope this is some kind of easy fix or I will have to return the item even though the guy has put down no returns. Any help would be grateful. Here's a link below with someone with the same problem on Reddit but he's affected by both decks. Only deck one is giving me the issue. Regards Rich https://www.reddit.com/r/cassettecu...y_deck_wont_fast_forward_or_rewind_but_plays/
While not too helpful, I can say I have a Hitachi TRK 3D5 (no CD ) box I found in February 2022. I had to change the belts, this being an arduous task, having to take out a flywheel and attached capstan to do so. Tricky deck to work on. I did take various internal pictures but am not sure if I even still have them. Idler tire slippage, due to wear and smooth rubber, is a common cause of such FF / RW not engaging. Cleaning with 70% isopropol cotton swab can rejuvenate to some extent. Then using a rubber restoring product to further bring back the rubber condition is usually recommended. That or specific gear glued up with grease can be a cause. I would guess it has the same tape deck part as your model. (Just took this picture below.)
Yep, check the belts first, old hard belts need to be soft and supple to keep the reels spinning. If it mostly works, a lot of internal cleaning and belt changing should get it working but some of these jobs are not for novices. Take a lot of photos, you'll forget where all the different size screws and washers go.
Thanx both of you for the helpful replies. The guy I bought it from has been decent and offered me discount if I keep it or he will send me a label out for returns. I told him I would take the discount and try and sort the problem out. Just waiting for the partial refund guys
It's part of the hobby these days, 20 years ago most of this stuff worked fine, now the belts are either goo or hard. With some good tools, a few drinks and maybe a hockey playoff game on the TV, it can be fun. Some of the older forum members soak the cases while working and they look brand new when done.
