***IMPORTANT*** The initial belt used on the mode pulley ended up being too tight and would not allow this deck to go into record mode properly. A 130mm IC 2mm thick belt has fixed this issue. I have updated the video description accordingly.
Overmolded plastics are the Achilles heel of all these machines. Regarding your epoxy repairs, I believe they used a Nylon derivative for the overmolding. What you did with the Cyanoacrylate first off would have been sufficient had the mating surfaces been chemically clean, and about 10lbs of clamping force been used during the curing period. There's nothing wrong with the build technique, a little bit of glass fiber in the epoxy helps, as does using one that bonds well to thermoplastics, rather than metallic filled JB Weld. Another little hint on consumer adhesives when structural strength is required; the slower the cure time and greater the cost, the better the bond. If you end up needing to use a Rivnut, I can send you a high strength one that could be installed with an inexpensive Harbor Fright tool. I like your closeup views, nicely focussed, and well exposed.
Thanks! I'm not too worried about it for now. It's been holding for over a week now. Looks like I actually had better epoxy for the job until recently but it ran out.
I hope to get that video done this week - we'll see how things go. I had other obligations last week so nothing got done. Random off topic question... any experience with the Denon DR-F8 or the other flat twin units? They're starting to tempt me.
Nakamichi is a status symbol, lots of folk like to showcase their 'status', it's human nature. Yes, the NAKs are good, but so too are other top-end machines - Revox, and the top ends of Sony/Pioneer too. I'll check in this video later ..........
16:36 - can you visually see the light if the shutoff lamp is working or not? is this enough to stop it actually playing a tape? my naka 480 seems to be functional - when I press play the rear belt spins - but the tape does not spin only faults i can see is the eject button has snapped the housing - and the lights on the transport controls dont work - but the lights on the VU meter do work.
I don't think you can see it unless the transport is out. It should still allow playback for a couple seconds before shut off if the lamp is out. Is the control motor cycling the mechanism? This is the kind of thing I see from mine when it dead-spots.
@@Oklawolf Thanks for the reply mate - I think removing the whole transport is beyond me... I was hoping it was just a quick eject fix - but the more i read - the more naive I learn I was lol I only just realized the play head is not moving up to meet the tape at all... when I press play the belt at the back spins - and the motor with the big fly wheel makes a whirlling noise - which i think is it trying to raise the play head mechanism - but its not going anywhere under its own power I can manually move the big fly wheel when the play button is pressed to raise the tape head to meet the tape - and the motor whirling goes away and the reels spin - if I do this and stick a tape in there at the same time - it plays and pauses successfully - but the audio sounds like the chipmunks (high speed audio? )
It will need a new control belt, and the rest of the transport serviced. It likely has the same problem mine did with old bad grease in the pinch roller pivots that has now turned to glue. Forcing them to move will usually pull the shafts out of position leading to it no longer being in alignment, but sometimes you can apply some heat to the side of the pinch roller arms where the shafts are and it may free them up enough to add some sewing machine oil. I didn't have any luck with that method on this one - I had to completely strip it down, re-lube, and re-align. And then replace the capstan motor, because it wouldn't hold speed. It's all in the rest of my videos on this deck. I'm not the biggest Nakamichi fan thanks to this one.
@@OklawolfI knew forcing it to move was a bad idea. I just cant believe how complicated these tape players are - one thing goes wrong and then 10 things will go wrong. Probally not the best unit for me to cut my teeth on. thanks again for the help - I will put this in the "too hard basket" for now. Im very tempted to get it serviced by a pro - but it wont be cheap here in Australia. Thanks again!
Same here. I own a 3-head 482z. I am not impressed at all with their build quality. Too much plastic used. Those horrible orange caps. When it all works it sounds beautiful I must say. But now my door mechanism has failed. Another broken piece of plastic. I won't buy a Nakamichi ever again.
@@Oklawolf UPDATE: I had another look at my 482z. It got me so frustrated that I actually threw it out in the garden and set it on fire. Dumbed the leftovers in the bin. I'm not kidding. 200 dollars down the drain and I don't even care. That transport is such a piece of junk. I did society a big favor today. Love my 2 Denon's, Pioneer and Technics tape decks.
***IMPORTANT*** The initial belt used on the mode pulley ended up being too tight and would not allow this deck to go into record mode properly. A 130mm IC 2mm thick belt has fixed this issue. I have updated the video description accordingly.
Thanks for the soldering iron trick. Worked a treat!!
Overmolded plastics are the Achilles heel of all these machines. Regarding your epoxy repairs, I believe they used a Nylon derivative for the overmolding. What you did with the Cyanoacrylate first off would have been sufficient had the mating surfaces been chemically clean, and about 10lbs of clamping force been used during the curing period. There's nothing wrong with the build technique, a little bit of glass fiber in the epoxy helps, as does using one that bonds well to thermoplastics, rather than metallic filled JB Weld. Another little hint on consumer adhesives when structural strength is required; the slower the cure time and greater the cost, the better the bond. If you end up needing to use a Rivnut, I can send you a high strength one that could be installed with an inexpensive Harbor Fright tool. I like your closeup views, nicely focussed, and well exposed.
Thanks! I'm not too worried about it for now. It's been holding for over a week now. Looks like I actually had better epoxy for the job until recently but it ran out.
@@Oklawolf Looking forward to your post-build video, I had a 480 years ago, very capable machine.
I hope to get that video done this week - we'll see how things go. I had other obligations last week so nothing got done. Random off topic question... any experience with the Denon DR-F8 or the other flat twin units? They're starting to tempt me.
@@Oklawolf No direct experience with the F8 but generally speaking, I prefer the sound signature of this era Denon to the newer ones.
Excellent 👌🏻 job😊
Looks like a great restore so far, and congrats on 1K subscribers!
I'm busy servicing a 480z (also in silver) and it's my first time working on this type of mechanism..
G'day fella. Been subs for a while and want to congratulate you on getting to 1K subs
Congratulations on 1000 subs. 👍
Congratulations on your 1.05 subscribers as of today!🎉
Nakamichi is a status symbol, lots of folk like to showcase their 'status', it's human nature.
Yes, the NAKs are good, but so too are other top-end machines - Revox, and the top ends of Sony/Pioneer too.
I'll check in this video later ..........
Epoxy method won't last long by itself. I finally used a small screw and epoxy on my 580.
I have same deck black not chrome. Same eject problem. Do you service these nak(480) for customers?
Not at the present time, sorry.
@Oklawolf I understand, learned good bit from video. Thank you
I know that I will never buy a Nakamichi with this mechanism ever.
16:36 - can you visually see the light if the shutoff lamp is working or not? is this enough to stop it actually playing a tape?
my naka 480 seems to be functional - when I press play the rear belt spins - but the tape does not spin
only faults i can see is the eject button has snapped the housing - and the lights on the transport controls dont work - but the lights on the VU meter do work.
I don't think you can see it unless the transport is out. It should still allow playback for a couple seconds before shut off if the lamp is out. Is the control motor cycling the mechanism? This is the kind of thing I see from mine when it dead-spots.
@@Oklawolf Thanks for the reply mate - I think removing the whole transport is beyond me... I was hoping it was just a quick eject fix - but the more i read - the more naive I learn I was lol
I only just realized the play head is not moving up to meet the tape at all... when I press play the belt at the back spins - and the motor with the big fly wheel makes a whirlling noise - which i think is it trying to raise the play head mechanism - but its not going anywhere under its own power
I can manually move the big fly wheel when the play button is pressed to raise the tape head to meet the tape - and the motor whirling goes away and the reels spin - if I do this and stick a tape in there at the same time - it plays and pauses successfully - but the audio sounds like the chipmunks (high speed audio? )
It will need a new control belt, and the rest of the transport serviced. It likely has the same problem mine did with old bad grease in the pinch roller pivots that has now turned to glue. Forcing them to move will usually pull the shafts out of position leading to it no longer being in alignment, but sometimes you can apply some heat to the side of the pinch roller arms where the shafts are and it may free them up enough to add some sewing machine oil. I didn't have any luck with that method on this one - I had to completely strip it down, re-lube, and re-align. And then replace the capstan motor, because it wouldn't hold speed. It's all in the rest of my videos on this deck. I'm not the biggest Nakamichi fan thanks to this one.
@@OklawolfI knew forcing it to move was a bad idea. I just cant believe how complicated these tape players are - one thing goes wrong and then 10 things will go wrong. Probally not the best unit for me to cut my teeth on. thanks again for the help - I will put this in the "too hard basket" for now.
Im very tempted to get it serviced by a pro - but it wont be cheap here in Australia.
Thanks again!
Same here. I own a 3-head 482z. I am not impressed at all with their build quality. Too much plastic used. Those horrible orange caps. When it all works it sounds beautiful I must say. But now my door mechanism has failed. Another broken piece of plastic. I won't buy a Nakamichi ever again.
I very much prefer my BX150 to this one. Sankyo transport FTW.
@@Oklawolf UPDATE: I had another look at my 482z. It got me so frustrated that I actually threw it out in the garden and set it on fire. Dumbed the leftovers in the bin. I'm not kidding. 200 dollars down the drain and I don't even care. That transport is such a piece of junk. I did society a big favor today. Love my 2 Denon's, Pioneer and Technics tape decks.
Wait until you see part 2. This thing had some NASTY surprises in the front part of the transport.