I have a couple of Panasonic RQ-X20's I'm restoring to full functionalities; these walkman's are known to be quite reliable and just need just new belts, quite the opposite of the RX-SX's which have all sort of problems including "exploding" clutch. And here is my doubt: the clutch of the RQ-X is not too different from the RQ-SX as you can see here and the white plastic ring is broken too. Luckily, the retaining clip is larger and stronger and it keeps the clutch assembly functional. But my point is: is that how it is supposed to operate ? Has anyone tried replacing the white ring with the brass replacement made by MMihok ? thanks for any info
here is the picture, it was taken from a private conversation, maybe that is why I could see it but others couldn't
I have tried the brass retaining from Marian in a Panasonic RQ-SX52 and fits perfectly no problem at all, but as Valentin says, not sure if fits in this model
I had a discussion on the subject with an expert on Panasonic walkman and he says he never saw an RQ-X unit with a clutch ring broken in two pieces. The crack is actually due to the shrinking plastic, the spring is very soft as the required friction of the clutch must be rather low. The retainer clip is bigger and stronger and will keep the clutch working. I also checked with Marian and he says he will try to experiment using his brass ring replacement in RQ-X units, but it also says he has never seen an RQ-X with a non-working clutch. Moreover his brass ring for the RQ-SX is supposed to be shipped with a bigger retainer clip to keep the clutch together as the brass ring is designed to fit loosely on the shaft, not too tightly.
In regard to RQ-X units, that clutch retainer indeed does crack, as it can be seen in picture attached in first post. However, unlike RQ-SX units on which the crack will prevent the clutch from staying toghether, on these RQ-X the problem is added friction. Since the retainer is designed as a press fit, once the crack happens, the clutch spring will push the entire assembly, so the friction instead of happening only at the felt pad, it will also happen at the nylon washer and on the bottom of shaft. This can create erratic behavior and is something that needs to be fixed for proper operation. Solution is to simply glue the retainer to the center part of the clutch, so it stays in place. No need to replace the retainer with a new one. In my opinion, these mechanism are much better than the RQ-SX series, being capable of low W&F figures when bushings (motor and capstans) are in good condition. It also doesn't share many of the problems RQ-SX series have, like rubber rings on the capstans or shriking gears. Unlike the vast majority of full logic mechanisms, which use a solenoid, this mechanism is operated just by back and forth rotations of the motor, both flywheels having one-way clutches integrated. For this reason, the engagement is very quiet, not having the typical click sound.
