Eveywhere I look I see either people saying that VCRs suffer from it or people saying I have a VCR that suffers from it, but what IS the problem? Is it the capacitors? Diodes? bad mains?
I bit the bullet and got the same unit as the one that my father had in '84 to hopefully read better all the tapes that have been saved in collection.
Fuses blow right away, but before I start desoldering the metal protection cage, I want to know if there's any hope
203918
203919

Q4 is probably shorted, and maybe the driver for Q4, also check any Zener diodes tied to a voltage output check all capacitors with an ESR meter and replace as indicated. Then plug in to AC with a 40 Watt light bulb (incandescent) in series to keep from damaging any more parts. If it lights up full bright you still have a short. If it lights up a little and immediately fades out then it's probably fixed. That's how I recall fixing many of those back in the day but it's been almost 20 years.

Thanks Ed. Looking at Q4 its a 2SC3170. Doesnt seem to be made anymore but there are a few old ones up on ebay. do you know if there's an equivalent?
Great idea on the bulb tester, made one of those many many years ago i'll have to look for it or just make a new one.
Are diodes identifiable without a schematic? SAMS has one for $22 but id rather not add any extra expense to this project that may end up as a dud anyways.

Is Q4 shorted?

You should be able to tell if there is a shorted Zener by checking the outputs of the power supply for a short to ground. Without a schematic might take some guess work. They typically put a Zener slightly higher rated than the normal voltage on one of he outputs to act as a clamp in case of excess voltage to intentionally blow the fuse and protect the electronics from damage. Was the original fuse blackened? Might have been hit with a power surge.

I havent checked any components yet, just getting ready to. I dont have and ESR handy so going to borrow one from a friend. Still need to desolder the entire metal shield off the bottom, not a fun task.
The original fuse was black as night, looked like it exploded inside the glass. When I replaced with my own fuse, it blew normally. Sounds like a power surge initially put this thing out of commission.

Otherwise the unit seems to be intact, except it sounds like theres a a shred of tape thats stuck inside the tape head cylinder (inside that little 1/32" gap between the top and bottom of the head. when i spin the head i can feel resistance and a crinkling sound that sounds like tape.
Tried to unscrew the two screws on the head to remove it but no luck, Im guess its soldered in somewhere. Visual inspection of the heads look intact, im just hoping the thin copper wire inside didnt break. otherwise this unit is permanently dead.

If it doesn't have visible wires from the upper cylinder like many older VCRs had, then it has pins that come up from the rotary transformer through the bottom of the upper cylinder and are soldered to the board on top. You would have to desolder those pins to remove the upper cylinder and check for something inside.

Thats exactly it, assuming I just desolder all 16 points?
203921
203920

No not all 16 just the 8 that go to the rotary transformer. The other ones go to the heads. Don't mess with those. Easier to show you see picture.

I would also inspect the heads very closely for any damage. I used a 10X loupe for that.

Thanks Ed. Started doing it but was having some soldering braid trouble (will get back to it)
I was able to get the metal shield removed off the power circuit, removed Q4 and Im getting a voltage when testing E to B (which should be an OL reading) so i'm guessing its no good. (NPN with order B-C-E)
Q1 and Q2 checked out okay

http://www.videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=203923&stc=1&d=1644381164

I actually have a GE Badged Panasonic 4-Head Linear Stereo VCR from 1987 that came from my great-grandfather's house when they were cleaning it out to get ready to sell it and it also randomly developed a power supply issue one day (and it had been working perfectly up until the middle of last year and I got it around October of 2020 and then suddenly one day the VCR just died, (no front panel display or anything.)

When I opened it up, the fuse was blown and it was blown the same way as the OP's VCR's fuse was blown, which was pitch black glass like it had blown really hard from some sort of hard surge of some sort.

I had attempted to check capacitors and transistors on the power supply board and I only saw one capacitor that looked bulged and I replaced it and the VCR didn't come back to life, it still was blowing fuses. :sigh:

I actually have a GE Badged Panasonic 4-Head Linear Stereo VCR from 1987 that came from my great-grandfather's house when they were cleaning it out to get ready to sell it and it also randomly developed a power supply issue one day (and it had been working perfectly up until the middle of last year and I got it around October of 2020 and then suddenly one day the VCR just died, (no front panel display or anything.)

When I opened it up, the fuse was blown and it was blown the same way as the OP's VCR's fuse was blown, which was pitch black glass like it had blown really hard from some sort of hard surge of some sort.

I had attempted to check capacitors and transistors on the power supply board and I only saw one capacitor that looked bulged and I replaced it and the VCR didn't come back to life, it still was blowing fuses. :sigh:

You can follow along with me as I attempt to repair mine, we might solve it together :D So far, I can say Q4 is definitely one of the issues. Still need to check diodes and capacitors

I pulled C5 which is a 120uf 200V cap, and tested with my DMM.. in capacitance mode it read 125uf which is fine, in resistance mode I got 18MOhms, when hooked up to 9v battery and measured I was getting 9V so i think this one is okay.
None of the caps looked bulged so I can either test 1 by 1 or replace them all as a precaution

Your vintage did not have the "under spec'd" capacitors which plagued the industry years later.. If one failed, it's because it's nearly 40 years old, dried out and opened. That will not cause fuses to blow.You are looking in the correct area which would be with the circuitry on the primary side of the transformer for shorted components, Q4 and the associated diodes.
In the 30 years servicing consumer, industrial and broadcast VTR's, I have never seen a piece of recording tape find its way between the upper and lower drum. Most likely, the bearings are shot in the head motor. That being the case, the VTR is junk. That is the most expensive part in the unit and is long discontinued anyway.. If you attempt to remove the upper drum, make very sure you have the leads totally desoldered or you will break a pin and the head motor is ruined. The upper drum(heads) is pressed onto the lower unit, so it may take some patience wiggling it off. They can be difficult sometimes removing it.
I don't mean to be pessimistic but I can see this restoration being a money pit and you end up being very disapointed. I have bought working units from the Goodwill for $5-10 each. I have six spare decks from the Goodwill to ensure I have something to play the tapes in my very large library. I have seen it many times and for what you will invest in your 1984 vintage can amount to a lot.

Your vintage did not have the "under spec'd" capacitors which plagued the industry years later.. If one failed, it's because it's nearly 40 years old, dried out and opened. That will not cause fuses to blow.You are looking in the correct area which would be with the circuitry on the primary side of the transformer for shorted components, Q4 and the associated diodes.
In the 30 years servicing consumer, industrial and broadcast VTR's, I have never seen a piece of recording tape find its way between the upper and lower drum. Most likely, the bearings are shot in the head motor. That being the case, the VTR is junk. That is the most expensive part in the unit and is long discontinued anyway.. If you attempt to remove the upper drum, make very sure you have the leads totally desoldered or you will break a pin and the head motor is ruined. The upper drum(heads) is pressed onto the lower unit, so it may take some patience wiggling it off. They can be difficult sometimes removing it.
I don't mean to be pessimistic but I can see this restoration being a money pit and you end up being very disapointed. I have bought working units from the Goodwill for $5-10 each. I have six spare decks from the Goodwill to ensure I have something to play the tapes in my very large library. I have seen it many times and for what you will invest in your 1984 vintage can amount to a lot.

The only reason I say may is because i found about a dozen pf these tiny strands of tape inside the transport area, its slightly possible one shredded into the gap on the video head while spinning, I really hope
its not a blown head. But i have only put $10 into this unit at this point so if it turns out the head it dead then at least it was a learning experience how to troubleshoot a power supply
203934

The only reason I say may is because i found about a dozen pf these tiny strands of tape inside the transport area, its slightly possible one shredded into the gap on the video head while spinning, I really hope
its not a blown head. But i have only put $10 into this unit at this point so if it turns out the head it dead then at least it was a learning experience how to troubleshoot a power supply
203934

It looks like something is misaligned in the tape path and shaving the tape off!

It looks like something is misaligned in the tape path and shaving the tape off!

Its possible, but hopefully not.

Q4 arrived today, put it in the circuit and it STILL blows. :saywhat:
I tested diodes 1-5 on the circuit as well as Q1 and q2 which appeared to be still in spec
D1 is a bridge rectifier so its probably fine
D2 reads .5V forwards and OL reverse
D3 reads .6V forwards and 2V reverse
D4 reads .6V forwards and 2V reverse
D5 reads .6V forwards and 1.8V reverse
these were tested in circuit as the leads are so short, if i removed them i dont think id be able to get it back in.
http://www.videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=203957&stc=1&d=1644882466

Ed, I built the dim bulb tester, and now Im ready to test voltages. Am I looking at the DC side voltages? Will i know when one looks off without having reference voltages?

The bulb test was to verify the short was gone before you plugged it in directly to AC. if you didn't do that you might have damaged the new Q4. Have you rechecked it? Also I'm a little old fashioned when testing diodes and transistors. I just use an analog volt-ohm meter usually set on 100X scale and test for a shorted condition. If a diode conducts one way and not the other it's generally good. Also not advised to go probing around in a power supply like that since the primary side is hot to ground. You need an isolation transformer to do that but rarely necessary to be working on that area of the PS powered on. There should be 5V and 12V outputs at least once it's running with a dim bulb. Not sure where else to go from here without a schematic.

Thanks Ed, I agree without a schematic is difficult. I think Q4 may indeed be damaged again. Pulled it out, bulb still lights very bright with it out, so guessing the problem is still elsewhere

Did you check D1 the full wave rectifier for a short?

Ed, D1 is a S1VB20 or so, tested in diode mode across all pins as show in data sheet and got .6V forward and overload OL in reverse
http://www.videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=203967&stc=1&d=1645113658

So you went 1 to 2, 1 to 3, 2 to 4, and 3 to 4 and all tested like a good diode? Then it's something else...

So you went 1 to 2, 1 to 3, 2 to 4, and 3 to 4 and all tested like a good diode? Then it's something else...
Yes all good.
Ive tested all the diodes in the HOT zone, all the transistors bar Q4, replaced a few capacitors that I had on hand. I must be missing something or measured something wrong.
When I measure DC voltages past the rectifer I only get about .5V
When i measure AC votages at the mains I'm only getting 1-2V coming in from the hot and neutral pins

I'm close to giving up on this and taking a loss. which is a shame because otherwise the VCR looks barely used.

Have you mentioned the model number ? Someone here may have a diagram.

Ed in Tx is ALL OVER this one. To both paraphrase him and add to what he said: You will need to find EVERY COMPONENT that is bad, or near-bad (read: resistors), before these power supplies will fully function and not take out most, if not ALL, of the components you've already replaced! Trust me! That's both on the "hot" side AND the secondary.

These pre-'86 Panasonic SMPS's were nothing but a nightmare for me as I was learning VCR repair in the late 80's. I got my ass kicked on several occasions. Fortunately, the senior tech (read: boss) was there to bail me out. Most of the time...

It wasn't until Panasonic's '85-'86 models where the power supply circuitry was finally 'trimmed down a bit' to my limited brain power before I would really start to get my wings on these. Then, in the late 80's I would develop a list of EVERYTHING that should be replaced before further diagnosing any ADDITIONAL problems.

Good luck, starbond, on your journey repairing this and ultimately playing back your tape collection!

Brian

Its possible, but hopefully not.

Q4 arrived today, put it in the circuit and it STILL blows. :saywhat:
I tested diodes 1-5 on the circuit as well as Q1 and q2 which appeared to be still in spec
D1 is a bridge rectifier so its probably fine
D2 reads .5V forwards and OL reverse
D3 reads .6V forwards and 2V reverse
D4 reads .6V forwards and 2V reverse
D5 reads .6V forwards and 1.8V reverse
these were tested in circuit as the leads are so short, if i removed them i dont think id be able to get it back in.
http://www.videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=203957&stc=1&d=1644882466

D3-D5 on your VCR appear to be bad, because on diodes they're only supposed to measure voltage one direction, and you're measuring voltage (albeit a very small amount) in both directions, which tells me that D3-D5 might be part of your problem (and possibly something for me to check on my VCR as well.)

Ed in Tx is ALL OVER this one. To both paraphrase him and add to what he said: You will need to find EVERY COMPONENT that is bad, or near-bad (read: resistors), before these power supplies will fully function and not take out most, if not ALL, of the components you've already replaced! Trust me! That's both on the "hot" side AND the secondary.

These pre-'86 Panasonic SMPS's were nothing but a nightmare for me as I was learning VCR repair in the late 80's. I got my ass kicked on several occasions. Fortunately, the senior tech (read: boss) was there to bail me out. Most of the time...

It wasn't until Panasonic's '85-'86 models where the power supply circuitry was finally 'trimmed down a bit' to my limited brain power before I would really start to get my wings on these. Then, in the late 80's I would develop a list of EVERYTHING that should be replaced before further diagnosing any ADDITIONAL problems.

Good luck, starbond, on your journey repairing this and ultimately playing back your tape collection!

Brian

Oh boy, maybe I'm biting off more than I can chew haha. I wouldve hoped the primary side was the issue as I have only been focused there BUT maybe there's something obvious on the secondary side I have missed.
I'm no electronics pro, but this is the first time I've dealt with a bad power supply, in my limited years of working on VCRs, tape decks, receivers, etc.
It will be rewarding to get it working again, if not to see all the lights go on and putting a tape in and seeing the wondeful picture. Now if it turns out there's also a tape transport problem, well.... :smilemad:

I want to thank all of you and Ed in particular for the help so far. I can give values and pull parts and replace them but where i struggle is intpresting what the values mean, and how to trace the board to the issue as I have no EE experience beyond self experimentation and all the folks at AK and VK :)

Vortex,
I admit i have no knowledge of diodes beyond that its kind of a one-way power direction-er, but I have seen conflicting information that varies from "it should be OL in reverse" to "getting a reverse measurement is OK"
Now that being said, these diodes are small and only have a colored band around them if anything, is there an easy way to identify how it should be replaced without a schematic?


Lastly, when I removed the bridge rectifier and turned the power on, there was no fuse blowing. Probably doesnt mean much but its the only time a pulled component prevented a blow (this was pre dim-bulb)

What is the model number?

Oh boy, maybe I'm biting off more than I can chew haha. I wouldve hoped the primary side was the issue as I have only been focused there BUT maybe there's something obvious on the secondary side I have missed.
I'm no electronics pro, but this is the first time I've dealt with a bad power supply, in my limited years of working on VCRs, tape decks, receivers, etc.
It will be rewarding to get it working again, if not to see all the lights go on and putting a tape in and seeing the wondeful picture. Now if it turns out there's also a tape transport problem, well.... :smilemad:

I want to thank all of you and Ed in particular for the help so far. I can give values and pull parts and replace them but where i struggle is intpresting what the values mean, and how to trace the board to the issue as I have no EE experience beyond self experimentation and all the folks at AK and VK :)

Vortex,
I admit i have no knowledge of diodes beyond that its kind of a one-way power direction-er, but I have seen conflicting information that varies from "it should be OL in reverse" to "getting a reverse measurement is OK"
Now that being said, these diodes are small and only have a colored band around them if anything, is there an easy way to identify how it should be replaced without a schematic?


Lastly, when I removed the bridge rectifier and turned the power on, there was no fuse blowing. Probably doesnt mean much but its the only time a pulled component prevented a blow (this was pre dim-bulb)

The band side of the diode is the cathode side (if I remember right) and that's the side that the voltage goes into and is supposed to have no voltage on, the non-banded side is the anode and that's the side the voltage comes out of and is supposed to have voltage on.

I hope that helps, and if I have the terms mixed up, feel free to correct me.

What is the model number?
Panasonic PV-1430 with a mfg date of 1984. I think any of of the sister models might have a similar layout assuming they were made around the same time (PV-1530, 1630, 1730)

Vortex,
Indeed that is how you tell which end of the diode is which, but how do I know what to replace the current diode with? there are no numbering or indications on the component to a part# so I can buy a replacement.

Panasonic PV-1430 with a mfg date of 1984. I think any of of the sister models might have a similar layout assuming they were made around the same time (PV-1530, 1630, 1730)

Vortex,
Indeed that is how you tell which end of the diode is which, but how do I know what to replace the current diode with? there are no numbering or indications on the component to a part# so I can buy a replacement.

Looking at the pictures, the diodes do actually have a number on them. Remove the diodes from the VCR and you will see a number on there, it will look like 1Nxxxx or something similar.

Looking at the pictures, the diodes do actually have a number on them. Remove the diodes from the VCR and you will see a number on there, it will look like 1Nxxxx or something similar.

Thanks, I will look close when I pull the resistors again. I get a little anxious desoldering parts in and out because I have a tendency to rip the pads off the board due to my modest soldering skills and braid which never seems to suck up solder, but thats another story lol

One question now that I'm wondering after seeing your post about your VCR that was stereo but not hi-fi.. and this is addressed to anyone: After looking up linear audio VCR information, it mentioned how Dolby NR was used to compensate, but that was on linear stereo tracks (not hi-fi).
Now, this unit has Hi-fi AND Dolby NR. Was it just overkill or am I missing something here?

--snip--
One question now that I'm wondering after seeing your post about your VCR that was stereo but not hi-fi.. and this is addressed to anyone: After looking up linear audio VCR information, it mentioned how Dolby NR was used to compensate, but that was on linear stereo tracks (not hi-fi).
Now, this unit has Hi-fi AND Dolby NR. Was it just overkill or am I missing something here?Correct. Dolby NR was utilized only on the linear audio tracks. Not the HI-FI audio.

Thanks, I will look close when I pull the resistors again. I get a little anxious desoldering parts in and out because I have a tendency to rip the pads off the board due to my modest soldering skills and braid which never seems to suck up solder, but thats another story lol

One question now that I'm wondering after seeing your post about your VCR that was stereo but not hi-fi.. and this is addressed to anyone: After looking up linear audio VCR information, it mentioned how Dolby NR was used to compensate, but that was on linear stereo tracks (not hi-fi).
Now, this unit has Hi-fi AND Dolby NR. Was it just overkill or am I missing something here?

I do actually have a Hi-Fi VCR from 1987 but it's a Prosumer grade version of the JVC S-VHS VCR from the same time period (the one that had a simulated wood grain cabinet and had the large remote that had the flip open door on the bottom of the remote for the editing controls).

I measured the resistors on the high side, any I could find in numerical order, but couldnt find R7 anywhere. They all look okay, even R1 which is still within 5% so not likely to be a resistor issue. Visual inspection of all on the power board doesnt reveal any blackened or crisp ones.

http://www.videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=204001&stc=1&d=1645626834

Well i have some good news to share for once.
After getting my replacement Q4, the unit DOES power on now, although not fully.
When I flip the dim bulb switch the lightbulb lights for a second as the transformer starts and the vcr head whirs up for a moment, then the bulb goes out.
Once I press the power button the VCR then the bulb glows dimly the entire time the vcr is on. all of the front panel functions work excepct for part of the main screen VFD, the clock and time elements light but the orange PLAY FF RWD side does not. The whole thing runs weakly, I can put a tape in the transport and it will lower onto the spools and I can eject it, but Im guessing due to the bulb pulling current the unit is running not at full power.

I'm afraid to run the VCR without the bulb intermediary as I dont want to blow Q4 AGAIN. Given that the bulb glows constantly (but dimly) while the unit is on, is there any fresh ideas about where to look next or measure?

If I put the DMM to the DC side of the rectifier I read 54VDC coming out, which I don't know if that's high or acceptable.

Well i have some good news to share for once.
After getting my replacement Q4, the unit DOES power on now, although not fully.
When I flip the dim bulb switch the lightbulb lights for a second as the transformer starts and the vcr head whirs up for a moment, then the bulb goes out.
Once I press the power button the VCR then the bulb glows dimly the entire time the vcr is on. all of the front panel functions work excepct for part of the main screen VFD, the clock and time elements light but the orange PLAY FF RWD side does not. The whole thing runs weakly, I can put a tape in the transport and it will lower onto the spools and I can eject it, but Im guessing due to the bulb pulling current the unit is running not at full power.

I'm afraid to run the VCR without the bulb intermediary as I dont want to blow Q4 AGAIN. Given that the bulb glows constantly (but dimly) while the unit is on, is there any fresh ideas about where to look next or measure?

If I put the DMM to the DC side of the rectifier I read 54VDC coming out, which I don't know if that's high or acceptable.

Usually if the dimbulb glows dimly when something is powered on it means the item in question is working properly, if it glows bright and stays glowing bright then that means it still has a short in it.

Great news, the VCR is now up and running! Thank you everyone who helped me out on this and I hope this thread can serve as a guide for anyone in the future who is (foolish) enough to take on this task. Despite the noises i heard in the head, the video seems to be playing fine.

The next step is to work on the pinch roller, the audio is very fluttery and sure enough the roller is not catching fully. Also the rewind and fast forward belt which I assume is slipping a bit too.
http://www.videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=204020&stc=1&d=1646102784

Great news, the VCR is now up and running! Thank you everyone who helped me out on this and I hope this thread can serve as a guide for anyone in the future who is (foolish) enough to take on this task. Despite the noises i heard in the head, the video seems to be playing fine.

The next step is to work on the pinch roller, the audio is very fluttery and sure enough the roller is not catching fully. Also the rewind and fast forward belt which I assume is slipping a bit too.
http://www.videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=204020&stc=1&d=1646102784

That's great news! I actually think I had a VCR like that one time, that I got from my high school. I think the issues I had with mine was I had to replace the drive belts, and the idler tire, you might try that on yours.

I think I figured out the issues on the power supply on my VCR, it has a shorted bridge rectifier.

My VCR's power supply uses a small S1WB-S4071 Bridge Rectifier and I tried Googling that number and I come up with no results, but when I just google the first 4 digits of the rectifer I come up with a bunch of results but not the exact one I'm looking for, what would be a modern equivalent to that part?

It seems the tape is pushing up just slightly too high on the tape path. Also inspecting the pickup side of the tape, it sits higher on the spool than the tape before it.
I'm hesitant to adjust the guide rollers, is that the only way to fix this? I dont even have a spanner tool for it.
http://www.videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=204045&stc=1&d=1646687495

What's the tape path look like at the guide just after the AC head? I've seen the vertical forward-back tilt or "zenith" of the AC head. or a worn pinch roller, cause tape skew.

If you go messing with the entry and exit rollers you will probably need an oscilloscope hooked to the head amp RF-out to do an alignment assuming you have a known good tape. Put a small mark with a felt tipped marker on the shiny metal part on top of each roller assy just in case, so you can put them back where they were.

Ed when i check the other end of the path it actually looks okay. If you say a worn pinch roller can cause the same problem then thats exactly what it is. I can see the tape start to spool out loose for a half a second before the roller pulls it back in but its a back and forth battle. I'll try some rubber restore but its pretty far gone. Problem is I dont know how to get it off the transport

Seems like all the rubber parts are in need of replacement. When FFD or RW sometimes the tape gets stuck despite the motor turning, When I press stop and the transport rollers go back in, the tape does not pull in those 3-4" of slack so If I were to hit eject Id end up with a snagged tape, I have to rewind or ffd first for a few seconds before ejecting the tape. Looking at the idler(?) roller between the two tape spindles its also pretty shiny and smooth.
http://www.videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=204051&stc=1&d=1646872125
http://www.videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=204050&stc=1&d=1646872125

Ed when i check the other end of the path it actually looks okay. If you say a worn pinch roller can cause the same problem then thats exactly what it is. I can see the tape start to spool out loose for a half a second before the roller pulls it back in but its a back and forth battle. I'll try some rubber restore but its pretty far gone. Problem is I dont know how to get it off the transport

Seems like all the rubber parts are in need of replacement. When FFD or RW sometimes the tape gets stuck despite the motor turning, When I press stop and the transport rollers go back in, the tape does not pull in those 3-4" of slack so If I were to hit eject Id end up with a snagged tape, I have to rewind or ffd first for a few seconds before ejecting the tape. Looking at the idler(?) roller between the two tape spindles its also pretty shiny and smooth.
http://www.videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=204051&stc=1&d=1646872125
http://www.videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=204050&stc=1&d=1646872125

One thing I've had to do with these Pannys from this time period is that the idler tire has to be replaced (they are dry-rotted by now) and I know I had an old Panasonic 4-head Linear Stereo VCR from 1984 that I had picked up from a flea market several years ago for $10 that it had issues with wanting to "eat" tapes and also not want to rewind and fast forward tapes properly, at first I thought it was one of the 3 or 4 drive belts on the bottm of the unit, but when I checked them, they were fine, but then when I checked the idler tire, it was cracked and dry-rotted, so I got a new idler tire installed on the unit and its been fine since (a friend of mine has it now.)

That pinch roller is shot. No good. When I worked on those it was routine to replace the pinch roller and other rubber parts, idlers, belts. Often replaced the takeup clutch ass'y too, with OE parts. The aftermarket parts I tried usually came back to haunt me. Another wear part is the back tension band. I can almost guarantee there is excessive back tension on the tape because of a worn tension band. But that will be hard to find new and then you have to adjust the tension with either a special tape with a tension scale or a "Tentelometer" which I used.