[CharlieWednesday]

I recently got some help here on how to open up my Beocenter 8000, and I have done so succesfully – thanks to those who helped.

I knew the tape belts needed replacing so I ordered a set from Beoparts and replaced them. It seemed a successful task – the wheels spun very smoothy and quietly when thumbed around before I out it all back together, and I have successfully replaced belts on other B&O tape decks before, so I felt pretty confident.

I did find that the belt supplied by Beoparts for looping to the motor was a bit loose, but fortunately I had some other belts of a similar type and found one a little tighter.

Nor entirely successful however – when playing on side 1, it sometimes can be heard to slow down a little – not a lot, but noticeable. This seems to get worse the further into playing the tape you get (I might be imagining that, but….).

When playing side 2 there is an additional problem – a constant clicking noise. I identified the cause of that and this may be the cause of both problems (the sluggish speed, and the clicking), but I can’t figure out how to fix it. I’ll describe it as best I can:

With the plastic cover removed from the front of the tape unit, above and behind the cassette there are two white plastic levers operated on a simple spring. One has a kind of ‘tooth’ that engages with teeth on the left tape spindle, and one on the right tape spindle (I hope ‘spindle’ is the right word!). When you push the heads up with your thumb into the play position, these levers cause those teeth to disengage from both spindles, allowing them to spin freely – or they should.

The one on the left tape spindle isn’t fully disengaging, so, when playing side B, and this spindle is doing the work, that tooth on the lever clicks against the teeth on the spindle wheel, hence the noise only when playing side B.

Those two levers are connected by three tiny cog teeth that you can only just see, so that moving one lever moves the other – the teeth seems to be engaging okay, so I can’t understand why one of them doesn’t seem to be quite moving as far as it should – less than a millimetre needed. If you push it directly with your thumb it moves far enough to disengage the teeth, but not when pushed by the movement of the tape heads.

I know this is difficult to understand from a written description but there are so many experts here, maybe one of you has come across this problem before? Might as well ask just in case eh!?

Oh, and I believe these Beocenters (8000 thru 9500) have either type 1 or type 2 tape deck mechanisms – mine is type 2.

 

[Dillen]

It’s a known problem with this drive type.
Glue in a small piece of carton or plastic card (apprx 0,5 mm thickness) here:

You can give the exposed motor bearing a tiny drop of sinter oil.
The belt for the motor must NOT be tight!

Martin

[CharlieWednesday]

Yes I had noticed that and wondered if gluing something on there might help – it’ll be delicate as it’s so tiny, but I might give that a try, thanks.

So the belt for the motor should not be tight? Perhaps the one I got from Beoparts is right then – I’ll put it back on.

Oh, and I should add – thank you for the very helpful photo, which shows me exactly what I need to do.

[CharlieWednesday]

Well thank you again Dillen, I’m happy to say it worked. First I tried a piece of old credit card but that was too thick for me – it prevented the spindles from moving at all when playing a tape, so I shaved it down with a craft knife. I’m sure it will be different for each cassette deck with this issue, but on mine, the plastic needed was practically paper thin. I glued it on in the exact plac in your photo, and it worked a treat.

The clicking has gone, and the tapes play at the right constant speed on both sides.

Recording seems to be good too (which I hadn’t tested before the fix), and the sound quality is surprisingly good – I haven’t played tapes for a long time until recently and I seem to remember they sounded terrible in the 90s, but of course, I wasn’t playing tapes on a B&O back then.

Thanks again for your help. My Beocenter is now in like-new condition (glass panels also needed re-taping, and a little crack in the flap that covers the inputs needed gluing), so I’m really pleased with myself.

Now, I just need to try and find the matching Beogram 8500 for sale somewhere…

[anthony elliot]

Hi Guys, My apologies for using this thread, but don’t know where to turn (could you possibly point me in the right direction?)

I wonder if you could help. I recently bought a Beocord 7000 (plus Beomaster, Beogram CD etc etc) I was over the moon getting it (auction). I took a chance at the auction (cost a wee bit), anyway when I set it up the Beogram CD didn’t play, lucky for me it was just a head clean. When I got to the Beocord 7000, the head/transport did not move (I am gutted) anyway I was able to get access to the cassette unit (I am ok to a certain level of disassembly) and can see that the “big belt” had failed. I wonder if you could help me… I have obviously got the unit out, but unsure how to go further t0 access the belts, also I do not know where to get the right belts and of suitable quality. I think I have the Bang & Olufsen Beocord 7000 Version 2 tape head (if that makes sense). I have attached photos. Any help would be appreciated or pointing me in the right direction.

Forgive me for using the thread, I am new to Beoworld site. I just love the look of the B&O system and really wanted them to be OK.

Sincerely Tony

 

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[anthony elliot]

Hi Guys, Just a quick update, a bit of common sense and patience, I was able to figure out access (see pic). 2 belts had failed, the big flat one and the small one on the other side (head area). I just need to know the configuration of the big flat belt and where to get quality ones (I would change all 3).

again sorry to be a pain

 

Tony

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[anthony elliot]

Hi Guys, I was really worried about hijacking your thread, so again apologies (I will keep off now). I think I have the belt configuration (not 100% sure) and have just ordered belts from Beoparts-shop

Sincere regards

 

T

 

[CharlieWednesday]

The tape unit from your 7000 actually looks very similar to the one in by Beocenter 8000 so it might be the same? It looks like the V2 to me, so hopefully they are the belts you ordered!

Fitting the two small belts was easy for me, the large belt was difficult but not impossible – there was a bit of careful negotiation to get it into place, as I remember.

If your tape deck is the version 2 (which it looks like from your photos) it may also have the same problem mine had (other than needing new belts), and I used Dillen’s fix (and very useful photo earlier in this thread) to fix mine. It now works perfectly.

Remember mine was not a Beocord 7000 so might not be the same, but this is what I remember:

• Medium sized belt on the back, nice and obvious placement between motor and wheel (shown on your second photo)
• 4 screws to remove the plastic panel that sits beneath the cassette
• Smallest belt fits under there, between tape spindle and wheel
• Under here is where you may also need Dillen’s fix – push the heads up into the play position with your thumb, then turn the spindles. If they turn freely you’re probably okay, but if there is resistance or clicking, see Dillen’s fix
• Turn it over and there is one screw which holds a small circuit board in place, and also allows some movement in the housing when removed (I am saying this from memory sorry). Guiding the big belt into place was difficult but possible without having to take the whole thing apart – I had to guide it around the wheels with a small screwdriver

Good luck with it.

[CharlieWednesday]

Sorry, didn’t see your next post worth the additional photo until I have typed the above, I see you have already got the back off (I managed without removing that, somehow!), but I have attached a picture, I am pretty sure this is how the large belt fitted in:

 

 

[anthony elliot]

Hi CharlieWedensday (have you met RubyTuesday :-), Thankyou so much for the response (I have spent all day looking at this). I have everything ready for belts, but was unsure on belt placement. I found info (from this beoworld forum) that showed a breakdown and belt fit. It indicates that the large flat belt also goes round the white cog (pics attached) In my case that might be right as there was quite a lot of perished belt on this cog (hence my concern am I getting the configuration right??). Still not 100% sure

Kind Regards

Tony

[anthony elliot]

https://archivedforum2.beoworld.ouronlineserver.com/forums/p/13275/304134.aspx

not sure pics went through, but here is thread

[CharlieWednesday]

That’s a useful thread from the old forum (wish I had seen it before I replaced the belts on mine). From what I can see though, in the first picture given under Step 8, the belt is in fact going where I had also indicated in my drawing? I’m sure (from memory) that this was how I fitted mine anyway.

Either way, looks like you have the info you need now – good luck when the belts turn up. I ordered the same belt kit form Beoparts for mine (and I have just ordered another belt kit for a Beocenter 8500 I have just bought on eBay), and they worked well.

I think I’ll go on the old forum myself now, see if I can find the answer to my BC8500 CD player issue…

PS: Yes, I used to go out with Ruby Tuesday but it ended when she caught me in bed with Man Friday. Awkward.

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