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Revox B77 Reel-to-Reel

These are the heads after cleaning, under different lighting conditions. The PB head cleaned up well but they REC head still has scores running across it, I don't know if these will come off if I persist with cleaning?

VIDEOS:

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Video 2

PICTURES:

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A load of that is just sticky brown tape crap, I’m sure. Keep cleaning, you are only about half done! It’s what my Akai looked like.
 
The heads look good approx 50% worn but they still have tape oxide residue
Get some acetone and a few Qtips, note that most nail polish remover is acetone
Alan
 
The pics of the 4000DS and B77 heads got me thinking! I have a late A77 and I guess the heads are 75% worn. So far as I can tell there is no drop off in performance yet, source /monitor tests during recording is ever so slightly lighter in bass but top end is clear and accurate. I dont use it much, new heads are currently not an option. I wonder how many hours are left on them before the performance starts to drop off.
My Akai has been unused for 15+ years as it is well used and the tape transport is below par, slow tape winding, wow sets in at the end of tapes and poor take up reel tension. Ive download the service manual and am going to attempt to resurect it. That just leaves my Uher 4400 report, which could use new belts!
 
That has come up surprisingly well. Is it sticky/gooey at all? That, or peeling is the usual sign Nextel has had it. If you really want to go to town someone is making really nice wood and metal cabinets for them (eBay). I’d be really tempted if I had one!
 
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Tony L said:
That has come up surprisingly well. Is it sticky/gooey at all? That, or peeling is the usual sign Nextel has had it. If you really want to go to town someone is making really nice wood and metal cabinets for them (eBay). I’d be really tempted if I had one!
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Not sticky or peeling but the surface is matte and slightly abrasive to the touch, meaning if you wipe a finger or piece of dry kitchen paper across it, debris gets deposited on the finish and needs to be wet-wiped to remove it. I don't know if this is how Nextel is when new or if it only gets like this with age, but I don't like that sort of finish as it's impossible to keep it looking pristine. `The front baffle of the Tannoy System 600s I had was similarly frustrating, as is the entire external enclosure of the Alto PA speakers I recently bought, they're a real PITA to keep mark-free! The wood cab for the B77 is tempting, though I'd be torn between preserving originality and improving aesthetics. The B77 is probably one of the most utilitarian-looking R-2-Rs ever made! :D
 
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Picked up the B77 user manual from my uncle, hoping to find some info on oiling the bearings. Confusingly the manual is for the 3.75"/7.5" version not the 7.5"/15" version! All I found was a line stating the B77 bearing oil lasts a lifetime and NOT to apply any additional oil. Obviously they weren't expecting their decks being used for 40+ years! How and where do I apply the oil? Is it dropped into the tiny hole in the middle of the capstan shaft, or somewhere else inside the machine? How many drops to apply and how regularly?
 
Here is the present repository of all Studer manuals which is the parent company of Revox
https://www.reeltoreel.nl/studer/Public/Products/
https://www.reeltoreel.nl/studer/Public/Products/Revox/Revox_B77/
The capstan motor of Revox machines has sintered bronze bearings and they were designed to be good for life however I dont think they thought they would be still here 40 years later
The spooling reel motors have very good quality SKF ball bearings and do not need to be lubricated or changed unless they are noisy
The Capstan motor has sintered bronze bearing and needs only 2 drops of oil left overnight and should be good for a year, the sintered bronze bearing is porous and will absorb the oil, then providing lubrication as the bearing warms up.
Problem is the best way to do that is remove the capstan motor and then remove the shaft.
So what you can do is lay the machine on its back and you will see a plastic seal to the capstan shaft, directly below this seal is a felt washer so put 2 drops on the shaft right at the seal and leave it there over night. next morning wipe the capstan shaft with a lint free cloth lightly damped with isopropanol
This will oil the upper bearing
To do the lower bearing you have to remove the rear cover and with ref to the manual sec 4.4 there is access to the lower bearing felt washer through the 3 holes of the motor cowling, again leaving the machine on its face overnight with 1-2 drops of kluber oil
be very careful when placing the machine on its face as its easy to break the switches or bend the tape tensioners, so I have the Nab adapters and trumpets in place and the head cover plus a piece of foam o give a little stand off
The pinch roller also has a sintered bronze bearing and requires 1 drop of oil occasionally dont add more as you dont want oil on the rubber
I remove the screw and the pinch roller making a note of shim washers upper and lower of the pinch roller.
clean the shaft and reassemble the lower shim and pinch roller half way down the shaft then add the one drop of oil then lower off add the upper shim, cap and screw

Alan
 
Tony L said:
Arguably worth getting a head demagnetiser too, they are pretty cheap (I think I paid £15 for a new one) and I’m sure this machine sounded better after being done. I also changed the belts and pinch-roller (it had been left in ‘play’ at some point so had a dent), but beyond that just cleaning and a bit if re-lubing inside as some of the grease was sticky. It seems to work fine. I’ve not recapped it.
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Han-D-Mag's now apparently cost upwards of £110! :eek:
 
Yikes! Mine is one of these (Amazon). I think I paid less than that though, it was in the UK too.
 
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Persevering with IPA has got the heads looking as clean as my eyes can see. There's still a narrow yellow thread running the entire horizontal length of the head, but as it runs exactly through the middle it could just be how the head is constructed. I tried taking photos today but they all came out too dark, will try again tomorrow.

That's a good price on that Han-D-Mag. I do have a step-down transformer but TBH I'd be more comfortable with a demagnetiser that's hardwired into a 3-pin UK plug so there's no risk of it becoming disconnected during use.

I looked out my E-3 and it turns out I have two of them! One is a 100VAC model fitted with a moulded 2-prong plug, this was included in the vintage TEAC TZ-10 maintenance kit I bought around 15 years ago from overseas. The other is a 220V-240V model that's unterminated (plug has presumably been chopped off the twin-core flex) so I'll need to get my dad to fit a UK plug before I can use it.
 
You can improve lighting with a small piece of white paper in front of the heads (with cassette: behind the heads). Makes for better photographs.
 
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