My Nakamichi tape deck died, and so I got a replacement belt and idler wheel tire for it. That didn't fix it. Internet searches suggested that corrosion in the cam motor was the most likely culprit.
Today I took it apart, opened up the cam motor, used a wire brush Dremel attachment and some Deoxit, and got it cleaned up. Put it all back together and it actually works! It was a frustrating process, with lots of tiny little parts, but gosh it's nice to have a functioning tape deck again.
Good for you. They are the best decks.
I was just contemplating whether to open up my old Nakamichi as it won’t rewind. Mine is much older than your by appearance - so it may be straight forward. But I have such clumsy fingers for that kinda work.
@icastico If it's just a rewinding issue, then it could be a problem with the idler wheel tire not making sufficient contact. (If it was the cam motor, you'd have no movement at all - as in my case.)
This is one relatively simple fix for idler wheel issues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCD7hSMuqYg
It's possible to replace the idler wheel tire altogether from the front, but reconditioning might do the trick.
Xris
icastico