hi there!

just scored a WM-F107 that is in near perfect condition. the solar power works well enough to play the radio, but we are having some issues getting the tape to play.

the battery side car attachment came with it and it is not charging the unit to play tapes. i left the unit outside all day in the California sun hoping it would be enough to get the tape to go, no luck.

any ideas who/what/where we should start with trying to fix it? i had one as a kid and when i broke it, dad never returned it back! of course the ebay ad stated that it worked, but since it took forever to get here, i have NO plans of selling or returning it!

any help would be greatly appreciated! thank you!

Bad belt more likely, people on eBay will always say it works perfect no problem, when in fact it not!

can a bad belt be fixed? who would we take it to? or is this something my tech savvy husband can tackle?

thanks for your prompt reply!

Belts can be replaced. They are available to purchase on ebay for about 15 dollars. As regards fitting them, some are easier than others. On certain models the belts are easy to access. Others require a lot of work, including removal of circuit boards. Removal of the back cover will give you a better idea.

Try using a very small screwdriver to remove the screws. Otherwise you could damage them.

the WM-F107 is the "waterproof" model therefore the screws are all covered with a plastic cover.

this walkman is so rare, i'm worried about damaging it. has anyone else attempted this?

As far as the belt goes you can order one from member "DocP" just be careful with that one, you can crack the panel.

DrMR2000,

have you ever taken one of these apart? do you think it can be done?

is it the solar panel you are referring to? any advice?

thanks again for the reply, i appreciate it!

Don't forget that when you plug in the lead from the removable AA battery holder you are effectively terminating the circuit that plays the tape from the rechargeable cell. However, the cell will still recharge whilst the tape is playing from the AA.

yes! thank you for that reminder.

we aren't getting any movement from the tape either via solar or battery. no play, rewind or fast forward. it looks like there may be some bits of unknown grit around the inside too. should we try compressed air or q-tips soaked in isopropyl-water mix to remove?

glad to have the walkman, sorry that the seller wasn't 100% honest with us.

If it black goo, Lacquer thinner works great for removing, compressed air will work fine for the dust, but only use 90% isopropyl no water will cause corrosion, for the rubber parts as pinch rollers use rubber cleaner don't use isopropyl will dryout and crack the rubber.

anybody ever disassemble one of these WM-F107s?

any tips? pics?