On 09/05/2017 10:47 PM, David Collins wrote: > From my old HP CE days you could always get black off the capstan if > you used alcohol or similar (never recommended). The key thing is it > shouldn't be sticky/gooey.
I noticed the issue by starting a read from load point and observing that the bit timing and data was all over the place until things came up to speed. I was getting different data with each try. I pulled the capstan off, cleaned the powdery stuff off with isopropanol and gave it a 30 minute soak in methyl salicylate and isopropanol. The capstan comes out clean (no more shedding) and firm. I also noticed that the bits of foam on the inside of the capstan had degraded to goo. I replaced those with some new foam. The read results have improved considerably. Not perfect, but much better. --Chuck