Please recommend a good tape head & roller cleaner [ for car radio/cassette player ]

If you can find an Allsop 3 that would probably be best, but I think they've been long discontinued. A demagnatiser may be beneficial too, though in all my years of cassette ownership I never got stunning results from one.

The Allsop cassette cleaner can be OK, but it's only if you cannot get any access and it's no real substitute for a proper manual clean. Note that some head designs don't allow it to work properly, so the cleaning pad just gets stuck in one place and doesn't sweep back and forth over the head.

Are you able to remove the head unit from the car?  If so, then that's the best thing to do.  You should then be able to open up the case and get access to the head, capstans, pinch rollers, and any other running surfaces.  Then give them a good clean with cotton buds and methylated spirit.  The rubber pinch rollers should be cleaned of any oxide and can be treated with rubber rejuvenator.  Ideally, they should be replaced by now, but this may not be possible or practicable. 

Cassette tape type demagnetisers are not effective.  Best to use a proper mains powered de-mag wand.  Switch on with the tip running over the metal running surfaces and head (make sure the tip is protected to prevent damage), then very slowly move the wand away from the deck and when a few feet away, switch off.

naim_nymph posted:

I really need one of those compact cassette type cleaners for a car radio/cassette player 

I can see various makes on the bay, Sony for 10 quid?

but other makes come with a cleaning fluid - do these clean better?

and some come with a demagnetiser - is this worth having too?

 

I have got two little bottles of audio-technica fluid -

one is a green coloured 'pinch roller cleaning liquid',

and in another bottle a red coloured  'head cleaning liquid'

But it's not so easy [ or perhaps unwise ] to apply this via cotton bud in a car type cassette player with such a small slot and not seeing what one is doing, hence could do with a compact cassette type tape cleaner.

Somewhere i have an old TDK head cleaner tape but dunno where it is, probably bought it back in the 90s so it maybe too old by now anyway (?)

Advise and recommendations welcome : )

Debs

Debs, 

Sorry, can't help. I know it's off topic but I'm interested in what car you might have it in.

Hi Richard 

the unit was only fitted yesterday, would be easy enough to remove it again,

but not sure if or how easy these units can be opened for servicing of internal parts (?)

I purchased this Kenwood KRC-658R in 1998 along with a pair of Pioneer speakers all professionally fitted to my [then] VW Polo, however just a few months later an unfortunate RTA wrote-off the Polo. The Kenwood & speakers were recovered from the mangled wreck, and stored safely at home for past two decades until yesterday when we fitted the Kenwood into my present Toyota.

The OEM radio/CD player head unit which came out of the Toyota functions okay but sounds so-so, thought i'd take the opportunity to scratch a tape playing in the car itch, and although i can confirm the Kenwood tuner sounds better than the OEM unit, the tape player is compromised with obvious pitch instability. With only a few months use some twenty years ago and 20 years storage i'm hoping the mechanical parts can still perform as good as new, but i am concerned the pitch warbling maybe deteriorated rubber that may have time expired... but i remain optimistic for time being.

Will have to see if this Kenwood can be opened for internal inspection and clean : )

Debs

tonyi posted:

 

Debs, 

Sorry, can't help. I know it's off topic but I'm interested in what car you might have it in.

Toyota silly car  ; )

Debs, it looks like a standard DIN fitment, so if you have the removal keys (if not Halfords can usually oblige) then unclipping the trim surround and taking it out should be fairly simple. 

Richard Dane posted:

Debs, it looks like a standard DIN fitment, so if you have the removal keys (if not Halfords can usually oblige) then unclipping the trim surround and taking it out should be fairly simple. 

found one removal key! : )

[but no bother, have a friend who can help out]

After searching my office room for ten minutes i found the instruction manual in a box of old documents - really chuffed to find it.

My old TDK head cleaner compact cassette remains elusive...

tonyi posted:

naim_nymph posted:

I really need one of those compact cassette type cleaners for a car radio/cassette player 

I can see various makes on the bay, Sony for 10 quid?

but other makes come with a cleaning fluid - do these clean better?

and some come with a demagnetiser - is this worth having too?

 

I have got two little bottles of audio-technica fluid -

one is a green coloured 'pinch roller cleaning liquid',

and in another bottle a red coloured  'head cleaning liquid'

But it's not so easy [ or perhaps unwise ] to apply this via cotton bud in a car type cassette player with such a small slot and not seeing what one is doing, hence could do with a compact cassette type tape cleaner.

Somewhere i have an old TDK head cleaner tape but dunno where it is, probably bought it back in the 90s so it maybe too old by now anyway (?)

Advise and recommendations welcome : )

Debs

Debs, 

Sorry, can't help. I know it's off topic but I'm interested in what car you might have it in.

Was hoping it was some sort of Classic