Sony playback problems

[pentium]

After my uncle passed away, one of the many items I received was his trusty Sony TC-377 reel-to-reel deck and about a four foot tall stack of tapes.
Today I finally got the time to pull it out and try it and after figuring out what each knob did I hooked up my cd player, grabbed a blank reel of tape and did a test recording using Gershon Kingsley's Music to moog by CD.
When the cd ended I rewound the tape, re-threaded it and turned the knob to play.
Almost as soon as the music started to play I noticed that it was playing back slower than normal. I then also noticed that the right channel was silent.
First thing I did was remove the reel, clean the heads and record a 20 second clip I knew was stereo. When I played it back it was still slow but the right channel was STILL silent.
I switched off the left channel and cranked up the amp to hear if anything was coming from the right. It was faint, but it was there...Or I was just getting stray noise from the left.

Then my amp overloaded and kicked out. I forgot that there was a leakage problem and going too high would kick the amp out and reset itself (I need to retune the radio).

Anyways, excluding the amp issues, What's going on?
I don't dare want to open the player up due to all the mechanical parts inside just screaming to be knocked out of adjustment and visually the heads look okay.

[pentium]

Re: Sony playback problems

Oh, I forgot to mention that this thing has probably not seen a good oiling in a few years and it came from the room of a smoker however it was covered by a white cloth (which was yellow when I got it)

[pentium]

Re: Sony playback problems

Okay, it plays back at normal speed if you DON'T HAVE THE PAUSE BRAKE HALF-ENGAGED.

So that just leaves the tape head(s).
This is a tri-head system. One records, one is playback and the third erases?
My uncle was an audiophile. He used only the best.

[pentium]

Re: Sony playback problems

Oh heck, I suck at troubleshooting.

The right channel monitor switch had corroded contacts. Cleaning them restored the right channel.

Problems solved.

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Sony playback problems

I've got an old beat up Sony TC-200 that has a flakey Line/Speaker output select switch, and both volume pots are shot. Problem is I can't get it apart without a ton of work.

Anyone know how to align the heads on these things? There is only a couple adjustments, but I know they are off.

[pentium]

Re: Sony playback problems

My goodness.
Along with the TC-377 there was also a TC-200 in the closet along with it's manual and plastic cover.
How hard is it to align a head?

Problem is I can't get it apart without a ton of work.

When it comes to complex stuff like that just take many photographs.
That saved me alot of trouble when I had to replace the carriage clutch spring on my selectric typewriter. That thing has more moving parts than a wind-up clock!

[kc8adu]

Re: Sony playback problems

I've got an old beat up Sony TC-200 that has a flakey Line/Speaker output select switch, and both volume pots are shot. Problem is I can't get it apart without a ton of work.

Anyone know how to align the heads on these things? There is only a couple adjustments, but I know they are off.

have you tried to get some deoxit into thse parts yet?
i have fixed pots that nothing else would clean up.
btw i have a ton of sony service manuals here.
if i can find the ones you need i can scan them for you.