Just got a 909, now the fun begins!

[Gkar]

Hi, all, just picked up a Pioneer RT-909, pretty dirty condition, the heads have hunks of black grunge on them, the wear doesn't look too bad, but the grunge is really hard to remove!  Any suggestions on how to clean them and the guides?  Someone mention naptha to clean them up.  Also, this came from a heavy smoker and it looks it! Any suggestions on a cleaner for the nicotine?  There also looks to be some kind of gunky glaze on the heads away from the tape path.  And finally, does one need the hubcaps to hold the pinch rollers on, she threw out the old pinch rollers because they had fallen apart, and can't find the hubcaps, although I am prodding her to keep looking!  thanks!

[ironbut]

Hey Randy,

For the most part, those caps that go over the pinch rollers are just decorative. You may be able to find some at Vintage Texas or Reel Pro Sound.
http://www.reelprosoundguys.com/
http://www.angelfire.com/electronic2/vintagetx/    (Rolf doesn't list all the stuff he has so email him)

It sounds like the previous owner had a problem with sticky shed. If this is the case, you're in for some heavy duty cleaning of the entire tape path. Naptha is a good cleaner for just about anything that might on there. Just be sure and use a magnifier of some type and a good light and inspect the inside corners of the guides and the outside edge of the heads (often difficult to see because of the head shields).

Those machines are kinda famous for having their rollers turn into goo. There's a lot of second rate rollers being sold but you can probably get a nice pair of them from Reel Pro Sound. If the previous owner was lucky, they may have gotten a "proper" one but I wouldn't bet on it.
You should be able to use something like Simple Green or 409 to clean off the metal work. Just don't flood it on or it'll get into the mechanisms.
You can download an owners manual for free here;
http://www.hifiengine.com/manuals.shtml
They only have the 707 service manual (not the 909) but many of the mechanisms may be similar.
You can probably find the 909 service manual at the above mentioned sources.

[Gkar]

Thanks so much Steve!  In looking at the heads, I am guessing that the yellowish, almost varnish-like coating around the tape path on the heads is sticky shed and general tape shed material, gonna give that naptha a go!  So good to know that the hubcaps are just decorative and that I still have what I need to make the 909 go!

[Gkar]

well, the naptha is working better than the normal head cleaner, but this almost varnish-like coating is tough!  It's gonna take the whole weekend just to clean these heads!

[ironbut]

Naptha is about the strongest solvent I'd use on heads and guides. You can try alternating solvents like alcohol and naptha too. Sometimes crud will be in layers that different solvents work best on.
If you haven't cleaned the face of your machine yet I forgot to tell you that in many cases, you can remove the metal face with just a few screws. That way, you won't have to worry about the solvents marring the surface and you can take the face to a utility sink for cleaning.

[Gkar]

Thanks, Steve, I just noticed that the capstans were coated with black crud, similar to that stuff on the tape heads.  Since the capstans are solid metal, I tried acetone to clean them, the crud came off much easier and was able to clean them down to the metal nice and shiny.  I believe it is a big no-no to use acetone on tape heads, am I correct on that?  I have been able to get the black crud off one head, and another is starting to get better, however there are flecks of a varnish-like material on the heads in places, particularly in the worn area between the tracks, this stuff doesn't seem to be coming off much at all, and I am guessing that the heads, particularly where the tape contacts the heads, needs to be mirror smooth.  Also, I think I know what the black crud is, its very possible that it is the remains of the pinch roller when it when bad, judging from the capstans, the owner probably threaded up a reel and started to play it and the machine gummed up, and she just left it like that (for years?) before selling it, how does that sound?

[ironbut]

You're right. Don't use acetone on the heads or the guides. It may loosen the epoxy that may or may not be holding them together.
The heads do need to be nice and shinny but they could be worn to the point that what you're seeing is the gap. If you check out the Beginners Guide located in a sticky above the General forum, there's some pictures of heavily worn heads which are history. If the heads are just grooved, they can be relapped which evens out the surface so there's no grooving.
BTW Does your machine specify what material your heads are made of?