Otari MX5050 Pinch Roller Problem...Help please!

[therecordco]

Good afternoon all...New member needs help!

I am the president of a non-profit youth music organization in Boston.  Our programming is centered in music recording technology.

Recently an Otari MX5050 was donated.  Seemingly great condition from a reliable source.  Everything is in order except...the pinch roller.  It is completely frozen.  It's possible to manipulate it by hand by it is way too difficult to be normal.  I'm convinced it must be the pinch roller solenoid or the linkage.  My vice-president, Susan Rogers, is/was a maintenance tech in the hay-day but she's not up to date with good service centers/parts pricing in 2010.  Can someone offer some advice?  She has more than enough experience to repair the machine if someone here can help us fully diagnose the issue and suggest a vendor for necessary parts.

Thanks guys!

Matt McArthur

[Ki Choi]

Hi Matt;

Welcome to TP forum.

You can fix the problem by placing the deck on its back and shooting a little WD40 in the linkage's sleeve bearing and the shaft.  Let it work its way down the shaft over night and move the pinch roller back and forth by hand until it is loose.

[ironbut]

Hey Matt,

That seems like a pretty common problem. Not really a design flaw but the result of a long term lack of use and hardening of the grease they used.

It would probably be a good idea for you to have an owners manual. You can download one for free here;

http://www.analogrules.com/