Yeah, I ran up against the same problem a few years ago. I never did figure out how those things come off. I didn't have any noises coming from those pots so I never really pursued it. I believe that it's held in by a circlip on the inside of the the faceplate. You may be able to access it by pulling the bottom panel off but I think that the pots are actually soldered directly to the top of the main board down there. In that case, you'll have to go through the back, pull the capstan control board and maybe the motor to get at those. But, if you're in the same situation that I was in, if it don't stink, don't stir it!
