Thanks for the detailed video !! Totally the same issue as my Aiwa !! The gear you are talking about in the video is the one I'm always talking about. But the video also revealed a 4th gear (first gear twin) on the other end, good to know !! I also didn't know you could move that mechanism with your finger, like you do in the video. I also noticed that your belt and my belt don't follow the same path. Here's my belt path Here's yours Now the question is, what's the right path and maybe more importantly, what is the function of the golden color pin ? Maybe it needs to connect with the belt also, like this maybe then ? Also when mine is in play mode, and you press rewind to play the other side, it rotates in the other direction for 5 seconds and then switches back. I guess this is not normal, it should keep playing the other side, yes ? ( Tape or no tape it's behavior the same ) Do you also have that problem ? Here's a video of the problem: https://www.flickr.com/photos/22664067@N02/37795249091/in/datetaken/ Also when I let it do the auto reverse thing, most of the time it eats the tape, because the left pinch roller doesn't connect with the tape and therefore it's struggling to keep up and that's why the tape is being eaten. There were a few times that it didn't get eaten, but then a new problem gave birth, the audio was playing backwards and it also revealed that it was the same side of the tape that was playing. So to conclude, the auto reverse doesn't play the other side of the tape, but plays the same side that was just ended, backwards. Maybe the mechanism you described in the video with the 2 gears, is also responsible for the audio being backwards or not ? Or another possibility is that, because of the missing adjustment screw of my tape head, it's not properly horizontally aligned and therefore plays the audio in reverse ? I'm also finding it doubtful that the twin gears alone would ever be able to move that plate, because you need a decent amount of force to move the plate it seems. Too bad the silver plate can't be lifted, too show the gears underneath, then you could probably see what's wrong. And I don't think a bit of oil can magically move that plate again, it must be something mechanical that's going wrong. Also could you help me with the tape head adjustment screw, what is the exact length and diameter ? I hope we can both be helped with a solution for this mess !!
Have you seen this ? If both capstans are intended to turn in the same direction the autoreverse mechanism is different to the usual one Sony and Panasonic use.
Soxbrother, Not sure if this helps much but my Sony wm600 also has an uneven tape head similar to the one in the picture you posted earlier, and I'm not having any audio issues. The missing screw is definitely something to look for but I'm not sure it it'll fix the positioning of the head/solve the reverse playback.
Hey Soxbrother, Your belt orientation seems to be correct. Mine was incorrect. Also, here are some photos of the measurements of the screw for the tape head. It appears to be identical to the other screw for the tape head but hear are the measurements provided in the photos: Length: Threaded part diameter: Head diameter: I am almost certain both screws are the same, here they are side by side: Also here are some photos of the auto reverse mechanism: I would download the service manual so you can have everything. Heres a link to the manual: https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/aiwa/2me.shtml
@AiwaDude Thanks for the info of the screws !! I'll download the service manual, but I don't think I will take it apart. Because then I can't put it together again I think. I hope there's a simple solution for this !! P.S.: Can you remove the plate, so that you can see the mechanism/gears behind it ?
So this is the mechanism that is broken somehow, (along with something else probably) those are the twin gears/cog wheels you see on the drawing, that should change the direction and move the left pinch roller forward and the right pinch roller backward, when the auto reverse modes kick in.
I hope that maybe @Doctor Walkman can give us some insight ? It's possible he repaired numerous Aiwa's with the same problem as us.
Hey soxbrother, Sorry for being MIA. I recently ordered a broken HS-G600 (from eBay) and some tools (e clip removal tool etcs) so that I can experiment and take apart to see if I can find a solution to this auto reverse problem. I'll keep you updated. I'm thinking that the issue could be the old grease has lost it's lubrication properties and is acting more like a glue as one of the previous posters mentioned. Re-greasing some of the contact points for the auto reverse mechanism may solve the problem.
Ok. Thanks for trying to solve it !! Good luck !!! I hope you can find a solution for both our problems. I'll post a video tomorrow so you can hear the audio of my Aiwa, I hope you can then tell me if it's normal and if it's not, maybe what can be done about it.
Was that perhaps the grey one of 69 $ ? Right now there's also a red one on ebay with the auto reverse problem.
Ha yes that's right, I offered the seller $30 for it and he took it. So all in all with shipping it was about $36.
A good deal !! I was thinking about buying it as well, to practice taking it apart and putting it back together. I hope you can find the solution !!!
@AiwaDude Here's the video https://www.flickr.com/photos/22664067@N02/37174139304/in/dateposted-public/ The sound you here is the beginning of a tape being played with my Aiwa. When the music begins, the sound is still there, but it's camouflaged by the music. ( the music is slightly garbled in the beginning, but that's because the tape has been eaten a few times, LOL ) You can hear it slightly when listening to music, but you have to hear very hard to notice it. But nevertheless it's there. The tape you hear is maybe 24 years old. I have a new tape as well, but it sounds the same in the beginning. Is this normal for a walkman ? I guess it's the sound the motor makes or something ? What are your thoughts about it ?
Hey @doublecee how do you apply the platenclene rubber restorer? I was thinking of spraying onto a cottonbud/que tip and then wiping it on the pinch rollers? thanks
Okay, finally got around to fixing the auto-reverse problem. The issue is a nylon gear that cracks presumably due to age and/or wear and tear. Here is a link to the video I made which shows how to disassemble the AIWA cassette player and repair the gear. I recommend that you watch the video in its entirety prior to attempting the repair. Also here is a close-up picture of the cracked gear for your reference: Let me know if you have any questions and good luck with the repair!
Great video thank you for taking the time to do this. 2 questions: most of these screws are metal on metal? Would you usually use thread lock on all of these? Did Aiwa do this originally? A technique for repairing cracked gear collars I have seen many times is to drill the gear out making the diameter of the hole just slightly bigger to relieve the pressure on the shrunken gear. Would that work on the cracked gear in your video? Maybe on this gear it wouldn’t?
Hey 16s, Yes, all the screws are metal. When disassembling I didn't notice any thread locker on the screws, but adding a little probably wouldn't hurt. I haven't had any screw fall out during normal use (finger crossed). I would advise against drilling the gear to increase the diameter of the hole. The auto reverse seems to rely on friction with the other larger nylon gear in order to trigger the auto reverse. I was actually tempted to glue the 2 gears together since I don't see a reason why they shouldn't be, but I opted not to since it wouldn't be reversible. Thanks for the questions and please feel free to ask more!
Hi everybody! I had the same issue witm my hs-j09. The problem was that cracked plastic wheel. It did slide, so it did not swap the capstains and probably also did not switch the channels. Anyway. The solution was to get a plastic hs-j36, having the same reverse mechanism. Luckily, the j36 had the wheel in perfect condition. The work is definitely not simple, requires few hours and patience. Good luck! Ps. Maybe we can collect a list of walkmans using the same mechanism as possible cheap donors. M.
