writes:

That's right or sometimes the idler wheel just gets brittle and won't
be driven. Then they need replacement. Sometimes the tension spring
gets weak or the grease in the spindle gets stiff.

At that age, likely all of the above. More info in the Audioe+Misc FAQ
at the site below.

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Mirror: http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Note: These links are hopefully temporary until we can sort out the excessive
traffic on Repairfaq.org.

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