xcortes - 2011-02-15 13:16
Hi,
I'm new to this forum although I've been watching it for some time now. Has anybody considered preventive measure to avoid the splitting gears problem? I've read that the cause is drying plastic. Is there any kind of additive to make it more elastic, resistant? How about a metal ring glued to the gear on one or both sides?
Xavier
I don't think so. The best you can do is temperature and humidity controlled environment but that's not going to help much.
It's a material flaw compounded by design (thinness) and perhaps, planned obsolescence. Sony perhaps thought that if the DD lasted forever with no belts, nobody will be there to buy their awesome new Walkman DC7 in 2004.
The best bet you can hope for is a reproduction gear.
Any additive will likely destroy the gear as it is super thin and will likely change its friction ratio. Metal ring will likely not work- the top is used by the auto stop/play mechanism and It will still crack anyway as there is now even more stress on it.
