Fix (un-stick) cassette tape from 1980 console ...

[webb_texas]

Long story, short...

1. Bought this total gem of a Blazer (see my new member post earlier today). 1980 K5. AF/FM works great!

2. Found shoe box of my parents best of the best country classic cassette tapes (I'm 32, they are 65) including literally every Willie and Waylon album, lots of Johnny Cash, some others like Bob Wills that I don't know which apparently makes my parents self-proclaimed failures.

3. I inserted the first cassette tape: Jerry Jeff Walker - Viva Terlingua and it got stuck, did not play, and I can't get it out!!

HELP ME. What to do?

Option 1: Get dirty and remove tape deck, start a project that is destined to fail knowing my skills
Option 2: Go to auto car shop I trust for modern work and just trust them when they say "I got this"
Option 3: Replace clean original 1980 AM/FM cassette with modern audio system (100% not an option - I'm never doing this)

Other option to consider?

Thanks, John

 

[K5wrench]

You know it is probably a tiny lever in the eject system that is dirty or sticky.
How about spraying some of that color tv tuner cleaner in there.
You know the stuff that evaporates immediately leaving no residue and is legal everywhere except California.
The most important thing is not to ruin Jerry Jeff.

 

[webb_texas]

Oh geez, I cant tell if you are making fun of me or not ...

I've been up in that tape deck with a kitchen knife, but afraid to grab WD40 or anything for fear of ruining the headers, etc.

 

[onetonbb74]

I know the eject motor on panasonic VCRs is 6 volts DC...I taped 4 AA batteries together and hot wired the eject motor until the tape came out (superbowl XIX)...not sure if that will work for your cassette tape deck. Good luck.

 

[webb_texas]

It’s a manual, spring loaded eject function from what I can tell ...

... so far no one has advised to remove deck from under and reinstall?!? Worst case electrical failure would be audio only right?

 

[kennyw]

If you pull the tape deck, it will be easiest. Then you can remove the cover and look at the mechanism.

 

[diesel4me]

I've pulled quite a few radio/cassette players out to get the tangled mess of tape that got eaten out of all the mechanism--taking off the top cover of the radio is the only sure way to get all the tape out,or untangled..

I'd keep the factory radio if it works well--like they say,its only original once..I cringe when I see a truck's dash chopped up to put one of those new radios in..

Jerry Jeff Walker may not be playable again if the tape got ruined ,you may be able to cut out a mangled section,splice it, and still play it however..
I've seen a few of his cassettes at the flea market I went to today,so don't worry,you can still get another cassette probably,or copy a CD onto a blank tape..avoid using any tapes over 60 minutes in length--they longer playing ones are more likely to get eaten..

I probably have a few hundred various country cassettes,mostly from the 80's and 90's female artists..they have been moved to my garage after I started buying CD's for $1 each,now I have as many or more of those..

 

[HankScorpio]

My last Jeep still had a tape deck that worked. Scrounged around and came up with a Metallica, Aerosmith and P-funk on tape. Good luck with getting the tape out, the nostalgia is great. I would pull the deck and see what you can get to. If you get it working make sure to visually check the tapes for loose winding before you put it in. Forgot all about doing this after I moved on to cd's and jammed a couple before remembering that slack isn't helpful.