I ran across this Sony TC-355 reel-to-reel tape machine. It had been discarded and was covered in a layer of dirt and, I think, nicotine. I figured that even if there was a slight chance of rescuing the machine it would be worth the effort. Anyway, I dragged it home to the Famous Repair Shop & Web Lair.
A thorough cleaning using Method wood cleaner on the case and a variety of other goodies on the face and the TC-355 looked pretty good. Now we have to see if it works!
Some good news, and some bad news. Testing revealed that this Sony TC-355 tape machine was in moderate condition. The rewind function worked, but the forward and fast forward actions did not. This could be because of one or more bad belts, faulty mechanical components (such as levers and pivots), or slipping drive wheels. The motor, or motors, seem to run.
In the next post we will discover what a deep diver into the internals uncovers.