I have a video tape stuck in the VCR. The tape is rewound and has snapped at the leader. The vcr will not eject the tape even thought it tries to. I have the vcr opened and can't seem to get the tape to eject. Is there something I can do to release the tape?

Hi,
If you have not taken off the covers, you will need to do so, as you will need to spin motors by hand. If you are confident about your ability to think about a mechanism that is on par with that of a clock.

Look for the large combination gear on the bottom of the mechanism, and make sure that nothing slipped out of the track grooves, and note where the pins are in relation to their normal path of movement as traced in the grease. If the gear is at the end of it's rotation, it is out of the picture, as far as the tape handling. With the covers off, you can pretty much see where there might be something stuck, jammed, or loose.

The motors that raise and lower the cassette holder will be located to either side of the mechanism. These have a "positive stop", or a past center type of stop, and can be manuaully turned. If there is a bind in that portion of the mechanism, it will make itself apparent as to the location.

Usually the motion controls/stops are magnetic or beam interrupted Infra Red.

If you are careful, you can plug the unit in, and work the controls to see where the bind may be occuring, but keep fingers out of the unit as they could get caught and cut. Reach only with a screwdriver. If you need more than that, unplug the machine and work the mechanism by hand by spining the motor.

I qualify everything I mention here because they can be agravating.

My instinct tells me you ahve a gear that split apart, or soemthing slipped out of it's groove on the main gear on the bottom of the mechanism, which means that the purchase of a new one might be worthwhile if there are more than 2 years on the unit.

: I have a video tape stuck in the VCR. The tape is rewound and has snapped at the leader. The vcr will not eject the tape even thought it tries to. I have the vcr opened and can't seem to get the tape to eject. Is there something I can do to release the tape?

: Hi,
: If you have not taken off the covers, you will need to do so, as you will need to spin motors by hand. If you are confident about your ability to think about a mechanism that is on par with that of a clock.

: Look for the large combination gear on the bottom of the mechanism, and make sure that nothing slipped out of the track grooves, and note where the pins are in relation to their normal path of movement as traced in the grease. If the gear is at the end of it's rotation, it is out of the picture, as far as the tape handling. With the covers off, you can pretty much see where there might be something stuck, jammed, or loose.

: The motors that raise and lower the cassette holder will be located to either side of the mechanism. These have a "positive stop", or a past center type of stop, and can be manuaully turned. If there is a bind in that portion of the mechanism, it will make itself apparent as to the location.

: Usually the motion controls/stops are magnetic or beam interrupted Infra Red.

: If you are careful, you can plug the unit in, and work the controls to see where the bind may be occuring, but keep fingers out of the unit as they could get caught and cut. Reach only with a screwdriver. If you need more than that, unplug the machine and work the mechanism by hand by spining the motor.

: I qualify everything I mention here because they can be agravating.

: My instinct tells me you ahve a gear that split apart, or soemthing slipped out of it's groove on the main gear on the bottom of the mechanism, which means that the purchase of a new one might be worthwhile if there are more than 2 years on the unit.

: : I have a video tape stuck in the VCR. The tape is rewound and has snapped at the leader. The vcr will not eject the tape even thought it tries to. I have the vcr opened and can't seem to get the tape to eject. Is there something I can do to release the tape?