New Here! Trouble with RCA VMT-395 VCR

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  • SuperFrankieOSX
    New Member
    • Oct 2021
    • 6
    • United States
    #1

    New Here! Trouble with RCA VMT-395 VCR

    Hello there all!
    I recently acquired an RCA VMT-395 VCR, it was working quite well for about 3 days until it stopped playing, it would fast forward and rewind but when I press play it would pull up the tape but the tape doesn't move so after a few seconds it shuts down (I guess because it's detecting a jam). So I found that the belts were pretty worn out and slipping on the loading mechanism, so I did some digging and found a belt kit on ebay, after cleaning the pulleys and installing the belts it fast forwards and reminds a lot better and the belts no longer slip on the loading mechanism. However, it still doesn't play, when I looked it appears that the loading mechanism is not pulling the tape up all the way, when I spin it by hand just a little bit the tape begins to play. I will post a link to a video later on. Thank you for any help! (PS it doesn't have an idler tire, it uses gears and all of them are in good shape with no cracking, which goes for the rest of the plastic gears inside the deck)
    Tags: None
    • R_J
      Badcaps Legend
      • Jun 2012
      • 9535
      • Canada
      #2
      Re: New Here! Trouble with RCA VMT-395 VCR

      Check that the two small loading belts on the loading motor are the correct size and that they are not slipping during the tape loading process.

        Comment

        • SuperFrankieOSX
          New Member
          • Oct 2021
          • 6
          • United States
          #3
          Re: New Here! Trouble with RCA VMT-395 VCR

          Originally posted by R_J
          Check that the two small loading belts on the loading motor are the correct size and that they are not slipping during the tape loading process.
          Checked those, both the correct size and not slipping, it looks like it's trying to spin after mostly loading, if I give it that little push by hand it seems to fully engage, but once I disengage it (i.e using reverse or stop) it's back to square one. Thank you for the reply!

            Comment

            • R_J
              Badcaps Legend
              • Jun 2012
              • 9535
              • Canada
              #4
              Re: New Here! Trouble with RCA VMT-395 VCR

              Check the grease on the worm gear and also on the tape guide slides, if it looks hard like dry rtv, clean it and re lube the gears and slides. You may also want to clean the mode switch
              Last edited by R_J; 10-25-2021, 06:12 PM.

                Comment

                • SuperFrankieOSX
                  New Member
                  • Oct 2021
                  • 6
                  • United States
                  #5
                  Re: New Here! Trouble with RCA VMT-395 VCR

                  Originally posted by R_J
                  Check the grease on the worm gear and also on the tape guide slides, if it looks hard like dry rtv, clean it and re lube the gears and slides. You may also want to clean the mode switch
                  Gotcha, it does look a little dry, what kind of grease should I use?

                    Comment

                    • R_J
                      Badcaps Legend
                      • Jun 2012
                      • 9535
                      • Canada
                      #6
                      Re: New Here! Trouble with RCA VMT-395 VCR

                      We had a black moly grease we used, but a white lithium grease should work fine, or something similar. The mode switch can be removed and opened to clean the contacts, they are likely oxidized. This can cause the motor to stop before it reaches the tape loading end position.
                      Last edited by R_J; 10-28-2021, 12:45 PM.

                        Comment

                        • SuperFrankieOSX
                          New Member
                          • Oct 2021
                          • 6
                          • United States
                          #7
                          Re: New Here! Trouble with RCA VMT-395 VCR

                          Originally posted by R_J
                          We had a black moly grease we used, but a white lithium grease should work fine, or something similar. The mode switch can be removed and opened to clean the contacts, they are likely oxidized. This can cause the motor to stop before it reaches the tape loading end position.
                          I'll try using a white lithium grease, I have some around the house. I just need to figure out where the mode switch is at.

                            Comment

                            • R_J
                              Badcaps Legend
                              • Jun 2012
                              • 9535
                              • Canada
                              #8
                              Re: New Here! Trouble with RCA VMT-395 VCR

                              Attach a picture of the lower mechanism and I will point it out, it should be near the loading motor, black, about 1/2" x 1 1/2 long usually held in with one screw.

                                Comment

                                • SuperFrankieOSX
                                  New Member
                                  • Oct 2021
                                  • 6
                                  • United States
                                  #9
                                  Re: New Here! Trouble with RCA VMT-395 VCR

                                  Originally posted by R_J
                                  Attach a picture of the lower mechanism and I will point it out, it should be near the loading motor, black, about 1/2" x 1 1/2 long usually held in with one screw.
                                  Here's a picture I took before replacing the belts, I believe I see it. Here's another picture I kinda got of the loading mechanism on the top with that gray looking grease.
                                  Attached Files

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