Hi all, I recently found my Sony Walkman TPS- L2 in the garage a few weeks back. It had its original leather case on. I put in two AA batteries and hit play. Sure enough the red light lit up but the cartridge wheels don’t turn at all. I said oh well and threw it up on eBay and someone bid $200 but never paid me. I should have know better because they had zero purchases or sells. So now after researching it a bit more I realized that these very first Walkmans are pretty valuable. I thought maybe I could try to fix it myself. So I took the cover off and noticed the belts are all in place but the motor doesn’t turn at all. So what do you all suggest on how I should proceed with the troubleshooting or repair? Thanks all!
After sitting for so long the motor has probably dried out and frozen in place. Maybe give it a manual turn and try to free it up. It will almost certainly need some fresh lube and a new belt to.
I would try to pinch the motor head in some pliers with rubber pads added so no marks are left on the brass motor head and work it back and forth a few times to try to loosen it. I have had good success this way.
So I did a little more reading and some people use alcohol and then watch oil. I’m assuming I have to have the motor sitting upright and put the drops of watch oil at the base of this shaft in the pic. Is it something that takes weeks to free up?
So I went back to look at the motor again and clicked play but saw no movement. So I placed a small black dot with a sharpie on the motor shaft. Guess what? The motor does spin, it’s just that I couldn’t hear it or feel it. So now should I order the belt kit and do a belt replacement? I guess the original belts are all stretched out. Not that I could tell because they just look in place to me.
Well ok. Glad I asked. I see the YouTube videos of people doing a restoration by painting their old Walkman
TPS-L2 is Sony iconic walkman. any change to its original look will destroy its value. as a matter of fact you paint other walkmans to look like TPS-L2. I have seen some people paint BM-12 and TCM-600 to look like TPS-L2. So cheaper walkman units can be painted to look like a more collectible ones.
I appreciate all the great advice! I ordered a set of belts on eBay. It ships from Japan. I hope it all goes ok with the install. I watched the YouTube video that clearly shows each step. I’m just a little unsure of how that cover hinge on the left side pops out. The video shows him doing it but his hand doesn’t show exactly which way you push on the pin.
Or, like me with my Crown SZ-11, they can be painted just to make it a different color than it came... because there was no-way I'd be caught dead with a personal stereo in Light Powder Pink!
I'd love to have a light powder pink player nickelindimer! The US seemed to be the dumping ground for all things silver, gray or black and we never had the cool colors found in other markets. I've got a few lower end red units and they really stand out on the shelf next to their high end but standard color siblings.
