GE 3-5259A Blockbuster Cassette Has No Power.

[BoxBeats]

Hi,
I’m working on my second Blockbuster which is pretty perfect minus a non-functioning cassette drive. I’ve changed all the belt drives, replaced the broken head mount with the 3D printed replacement but I am not getting power to the tape drive. I checked the motor connections and it is only reading 2.8 volts. I thought it might be a similar problem another user was having with the R264 resistor so I replaced the 1/8 watt 2.2 resistor with a 1/4 watt 2.2 since I didn’t have the 1/8 watt. The other user used a 1/2 watt 2.2 resistor but I’m worried about the stronger resistor—I want to play a cassette not burn the house down. Do you think it is a dead motor? Is there something else I can look for? In desperation I refreshed the solder on the motor leads but nothing changed. Should I try the 1/2 resistor?

As you can tell, I’m a YouTube watching do-it-yourself knucklehead.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[BoxBeats]

I went ahead and assumed it is the cassette motor and ordered a replacement but the part is coming from distance so I’ll have to wait a few weeks to find out. Questions for anyone that has replaced a motor: 1. Do I need to lubricate the replacement motor? It is stated as new/old stock. 2. Will I need to adjust the speed? (my guess is yes).

Thanks!

 

[Superduper]

You can add a drop of oil to the bearing but once the oil wears out, the speed might change a bit. Yes, the need for speed adjustment is always a possibility after any belt replacement or deck service.

 

[Superduper]

To verify if the motor is shorted and dragging down the voltage, remove the old motor and test the power leads again. If the voltage comes back up, then a new motor might be prescribed. If the voltage is still low, a new motor obviously will not address your issue.

 

[BoxBeats]

Thank you @Superduper!