This dual tape deck has worked up till recently. Now, neither decks function. however, i somehow managed to intermittently get the right (recording side) to work. It will try to play on one side, and then try to switch to the other, sometimes it'll go and advance some. and i cannot open the cassette door unless manually pushing on the small plastic mechanism. for the life of me i don't see anything out of place or broken, except i think i just broke one of the rubber roller mounts.

I'm wondering if this is something worth while repairing. Or how much it might cost to fix.

Thanks

Jon laicovsky, April 2007

OK great information, now can anyone advise me of the number of the capstan pressure roller????

Tom A, August 2009

Replace the belts. I had the exact same problem and I found that the belts affect all of the mechanisms inside the transport and will even prevent you from ejecting and loading a cassette.

Will, March 2009

I would really recommend replacing the rubber pinch rollers at the same time as the belts. All of these rubber components have dry rotted and become spongy or hard as stone.
I have a service shop , and when i replace the belts i always replace the pinch rollers. they are less than $3.00 each.
All parts can be bought at MCM Electronics.com
Good luck , just remember , Take Your Time.

Galaxie Electronics, November 2008

Same problem - decks stopped working, one a year ago, the other last night, and tape cassette would not eject. I took the machine apart, and I also think it's the belt. Pressing the belt to allow the wheel to turn relieved the locked roller mechanism. Another source of belts is http://www.andrewselectronics.com/ U.S. $3.08 each.

DCP, September 2007

I ordered a service manual and a set of capstan belts. Problem solved! My tape deck works fine now. The total time to disassemble, replace the worn belt on the "A" deck and put it all back together was approximately one and a half hours. Total cost of the manual and belts was $28.12 (US dollars).

If you order a downloadable service manual, it's a PDF file, so you will need Adobe. Also, you may not be able to easily print all the pages of the manual; the assembly and electrical diagrams are odd sizes and don't compress to your standard 8-1/2 by 11 sheet of paper.

Lastly, when disassembling the motor, you will have to disengage/remove two belts, the capstan belt and the FR belt. When replacing the belts they must be fed around several pegs called "claws." The capstan belt has three claws; the FR belt has two claws. Confirm that the belts are not twisted! You must make sure the reel motor gears are in correct position; you can't put the motor together if the gears are in the incorrect position. After the motor is reassembled, remove the belts from the claws. The belts will slide appropriately into position over the drive gears. The hard part of the job is now done.

Once the tape deck is completely put back back together, plug it in, and turn on the power. The tape deck will automatically reset itself. Test the tape operation buttons to make sure the unit works properly.

Good luck!

Delmar Cologne Reese, June 2007

I agree with RG. I noticed the belt drive called the "capstan belt" didn't move while the motor was turning. With the unit off, I manually advanced the belt. When I turned the cassette deck on, the motor ran moving the belt, properly reset the cassette release mechanism, played the tap briefly and then the problem reoccurred. There are several places on the internet to find service manuals for the unit. A reasonable site with immediate direct download is "servicemanuals.net" for ~$12 (US dollars).
The part can be found at "www.partstore.com"
The Capstan Belt is part # is Sony 335941701
It costs $3.81 (US dollars).
I'm going to order a manual and several belts later. If it works, I'll let you know.

DCR

Delmar Cologne Reese, June 2007

I'm experiencing the same problem. Deck A, "the playing deck," just stop working out of the blue and I had to physically remove the cassette; the "recording deck," B is now okay even though I had some intermittent problems with it. I contacted Sony regarding the problem; they didn't even have the model number on their site! Our decks are similar to the TC-WR565, but we have added the dolby S and advanced play back features. The on-line chat with Sony wasn't helpful. I was simply told the cassette deck would have to be repaired. Also, the cheapest repair cost I've found has been approximately $120, and that's just to look at it. It would be nice if you could simply replace the entire cassette mechanism. I haven't been able to find replacement a part.

I have an Sony ES system...receiver and single tape deck. I later added the dubbing deck and a CD player. I have been using the remote control more often. I wonder if their is a signal conflict/glitch that has interfered with control of the dubbing deck? Just a thought.

Delmar Cologne Reese, June 2007

I ran across the same problem today. It appears to be worn out drive belts. I worked my way back to the point where the drive belts were not getting enough torque to completely lower the pinch roller assembly. That's why you have to push the little tab down to open the door. I'm still looking on the web for parts. Like you , I hate to get rid of such a good machine.

RG, June 2007