I pick up this old piece as non working unit. With fresh batteries not any notice from the motor, no sounding. Old belt removed, Broken but not sticky. Slightly heat from motor gives me a clue, I try to move the main pulley, hard to move, I applied oil, the only I had is a special one for Technics Direct Drive axis. Two drops and next day motor turns gently and smoothly. I have ordered a new belt to Marian. I have done a test with an old belt twisted to adapt to the wm-2 in order to know if caps are good. The sound level is about the 50% I think. New caps are coming. Central gear seems to be ok.
Hi Silver965, I don't know much about this model, only I know is first series, in theory doesn't affected by central gear issues. I have tested with a belt not exactly fitted, but I least know that mecanism seems to work well on play mod, with wow & flutter, of course but I hope when put the proper one goes ok
@JUAN ANDRES MONTIEL DIEZ What serial number does your WM-2 have ? (serial is in the battery compartment) It seems you have the thicker center gear.
@Valentin that you know .. from which serial number the marking is more Subtle ... I have one with serial number 799xxx with broken gear
It's interesting... I wonder if SONY really made 800.000 or more WM-2 or the serial numbers are not in order. This seems to be a very high serial number, one of the highest I have heard of on a SONY walkman. Given how big the market was back then, it's certainly not impossible that a milion or more units were produced, but I'm not sure if that's the case. The one I repaired for @Emiel has serial number 241 322 and it had a broken center gear as well. So at first glance, it seems that the threshold is somewhere between 120 895 and 241 322, as this in the only info I have at the moment. Ones higher than 241 322 are clearly expected to have a broken gear, same with ones with serial lower than 120 895 (which are expected to have a good one). But more data is needed to draw any kind of conclusion. So anyone who has a WM-2, please post the serial number and if you have a broken center gear or not.
Serial 341214 has the newer center gear and was replaced on mine. Definitely this model changed. My logic board is very different than what the service manual shows. Heard the old versions have FWD play button newer ones are labeled PLAY
@kmare What I see in your pictures is different from both what is stated in the first post and the one that I repaired. Differences that I spot: 1. Yours has an auto-off feature, indicated by the reflective/black pattern on the takeup reel. That's to turn off the motor in FF/REW at the end of tape if you don't press stop. Not present in the other 2 variants. 2. PCB also does seem to look different that the other 2 variants and seems to have only one audio IC (looks similar to the one used in the WM-7 as far as pins go). The one I repaired recently has 2 audio ICs (preamp/poweramp), one for each channel. 3. The FWD/PLAY, but that's only a cosmetic difference. 4. The center gear itself. The one I have repaired has a riser plate, which is not present in DD range. The one in first post does seem to have that plate as well. Pictures attached. Not sure if yours does have that plate or not, the angle of the picture does not reveal that information.
That is interesting. From the diagrams, it seems that the "thick" gear version does not have a metal ring at all. It's a big gear that extends all the way to the center plastic portion (the plastic bearing so to say). That's why that version doesn't break, because it's only plastic. And the metal raiser plate is glued with an elastic type glue to the gear. The fact that the glue is elastic allow the gear to shirk independently of the metal part... If they kept this design in all DDs, none would have failed.
a year ago I bought 4 in bulk in a local market .... one was and sold (I reimbursed the expense made at the market) and these remained ... two of which for spare parts and another restored and functioning. .. Note the serial numbers .... all three have the same circuit but the central wheel on one is different and in fact it is broken (it is the same mounted on the @kmare walkman) ... in the previous post or wrong serial number 799xxx it was not broken but the other one .. When I said that it seemed to me that something was missing I was referring precisely to the lack of the wheel for the optical sensor in @JUAN ANDRES MONTIEL DIEZ ... the optical sensor obviously later Sony has been updated ... Now I don't know if the serial number actually matches the built Walkman number if so ... Sony Wm2 ne to many facts... Notice the differences of the central gear in photo 3
It is clear to me that there is no obvious correlation between good gear and a specific serial number range. I attach a picture with the other version of PCB (serial 241 322).
Yesterday received the new belt, installed and fully recapped with rubycon caps, the 220 uf are a little thicker than older ones but finally could be put in place. Mecanism runs gently and smoothly with not apreciable wow & fluttter. Volumen was not significantly higher than with the older caps, moving the volume pot the level increase suddenly on one channel, drop some contact cleaner and gradualy volumen level was recovering on both channels but some noise is appreciated by moving the volumen control.
Led don't work, I think it is a own led issue but I'm not sure. Regarding the sound is surprinsingly very good, powerfull, natural and analogue, with medium very good articulated, wider scene, controllated highers and punchy bass. You can imagine what this model means for the people, I'm sure they fall in love inmediatly, the wm-2 user experience summary is pure emotion despite It has not a superbass performing or a headroom highers extension. Walking or even running at normal speed without any rumble audible is a piece of cake for It. Quality overall is very good, is a perfect example of well executed project wich continues the way of Tpsl2 in order to transforms the habits of the society
