Panasonic RX-5085. New cassette motor and main belt installation

[Matrixambience]

Finally done! After waiting a few weeks for a new belt ordered for main drive and a motor I bought on ebay which was from a JVC professional tape deck / rack system style, I got my Panasonic back to playing cassettes with super accurate speed and clarity. What a feeling to accomplish something like this. To some of you electronic gurus, this is not a big deal, but to me, it's a big deal. Been struggling with some personal issues and with my job....which I used to love, and now despise. It was therapeutic, rewarding and enjoyable to work on a boombox that I had when I got my first Panny 5085 in 1982. This isn't the original one I bought, but same model. Pushing play key on tape deck and it fired right up with correct speed and without tampering the speed screw...whew! Awesome! What a fun hobby! I enjoy reading all your stories, tech support and pics! Thanks guys! Sorry if this topic is in wrong thread category.

 

[Superduper]

Good Job! How did you know that motor was going to fit or work beforehand?

 

[Matrixambience]

Hey Super, I browsed ebay and typed in Matsushita brand 12 volt cassette player motors, and narrowed search by searching Panasonic , Quasar , National products, and then found a gentleman selling many various parts from many different brands of cassette players and boomboxes. He had a JVC cassette player motor that looked exactly like the motor my 5085 has. It had the Matsushita/Panasonic trademark on it like mine. The triangle shape with arrow points on each corner of the triangle. It was 12 volt, but model number was different than mine, and it had a larger plastic pulley on motor shaft. It was listed for $25 bucks with free shipping so I jumped on it. I carefully removed the pulley off old motor and after removing pulley on beat old motor, placed pulley on new motor, installed new belt and mounted motor. These motors have like 6 mount screw holes and are threaded for different mount applications. Kudos to Panasonic for making service replaceable parts pretty much a snap! That's why I only stick with Panasonic products. I am playing it now and sounds superb! I will try to find the information and seller info on my ebay account if you want it for reference.

 

[baddboybill]

Hey Super, I browsed ebay and typed in Matsushita brand 12 volt cassette player motors, and narrowed search by searching Panasonic , Quasar , National products, and then found a gentleman selling many various parts from many different brands of cassette players and boomboxes. He had a JVC cassette player motor that looked exactly like the motor my 5085 has. It had the Matsushita/Panasonic trademark on it like mine. The triangle shape with arrow points on each corner of the triangle. It was 12 volt, but model number was different than mine, and it had a larger plastic pulley on motor shaft. It was listed for $25 bucks with free shipping so I jumped on it. I carefully removed the pulley off old motor and after removing pulley on beat old motor, placed pulley on new motor, installed new belt and mounted motor. These motors have like 6 mount screw holes and are threaded for different mount applications. Kudos to Panasonic for making service replaceable parts pretty much a snap! That's why I only stick with Panasonic products. I am playing it now and sounds superb! I will try to find the information and seller info on my ebay account if you want it for reference.


Very cool you got it working but you got lucky on motor as there are 2 types that you need to look for, CW and CCW. (Clockwise and Counter clockwise) . But congrats on getting her done


Bad Boy Bill

 

[skippy1969]

Awesome!!!!!!

 

[oldskool69]

Outstanding effort and way to go!

Sometimes just whittling away on our boomers to fix them is all the therapy we need when times get tough.

 

[Matrixambience]

Thanks guys! Yeah I was totally surprised that it worked like it did. There was no markings for ccw or cw. The original motor had a black and red power wire harness, and the JVC / matsushita motor has a white and orange wire. I matched the black to white wire and red to orange wire according to power board and soldered them together and used heat shrink tubing for sealing.....and held my breath.

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

Great thread.

This is exactly the kind of work I need to be doing. To completion.

 

[baddboybill]

As a rule of thumb most times but not always the CCW is on decks where keys are at bottom and tape goes in right side up. And CW is when keys are on top and tape goes in upside down


Bad Boy Bill

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

As a rule of thumb most times but not always the CCW is on decks where keys are at bottom and tape goes in right side up. And CW is when keys are on top and tape goes in upside down


Bad Boy Bill

That's good information right there!