Monthly Archives: May 2024

Fixing another Fostex R8

Today I am fixing another Fostex R8 from a customer. The problem was that the plastic capstan wheel was slipping on its axis, and the spooling motor wheels did the same. This is a common problem with these decks. The Fostex will not play and/or spool correctly then.

Fortunately, John from https://www.tascamninja.com/ makes aluminium replacements. These fit tightly on the axis and can be fastened with a screw.

aluminium capstan wheel replacement
aluminium spool wheel replacements

I also replaced the belt. Now, the deck plays and spools perfectly.

A small problem

But unfortunately, one problem remains: the arm on which the right tension roller is mounted, has got a fair amount of play, maybe caused by a blow or something.
This is causing the right tension roller to guide the tape in a skewed position. It is not a show stopper, but it is certainly not ideal for the tape path.