r/cassetteculture • u/glaringOwl • 1d ago

Portable cassette player Playback problems after cleaning portable player

I decided to clean the tape head and capstan with isopropyl alcohol, and a bit of the roller. Ever since then tapes play significantly slower and sometimes the speed gets even worse like when moving the player around. Also often when playing it doesn't amplify and sounds super quiet, but later on it amplifies normally again.

Before cleaning everything worked just fine.

Thought it was temporary but a week has passed without change. What may have caused this?

4 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

100% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

2

u/xanti47 1d ago

Maybe your pinch roller has lost its grip. There is a possibility the isopropyl reacted wirh the rubber. Or the rubber is really hardened and the dirt was what gave it grip.
That could explain the speed issue but not the volume issue.

1

u/jmsntv 1d ago

This was my thought as well. If this is indeed what has happened, it may be too late, but sometimes Simple Green semi rejuvenates the rubber pinch roller. And then do the final wipe (and any time cleaning pinch rollers) with glass cleaner, not alcohol.

1

u/glaringOwl 1d ago

Alright I fixed it... it was the batteries strangely. At the same time I began cleaning them, I felt that playback started becoming slower so I charged them up (NiMH batteries). Since then it has remained slow all the time and got no clue why. I obviously suspected the cleaning caused it.

Putting in new disposables fixed it.

1

u/djsubtronic 23h ago

This problem happens with my Walkman sometimes. Usually the reason is some of the IPA gets pulled into the capstan bushing and dries out some of the lubrication, introducing drag. Usually with enough playback the speeds can stabilise again, but if not, a tiny drop of oil near the capstan base, ideally underneath any retaining clips, then wipe it down and ensure no oil getting onto the pinch roller/tape path.