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Hello eBay members,

 We have an eBay store called "FISHROCK-MUSIC" we are collector/sellers. We specialize in 8 track tape acquisition, repair and play. Our store offers both repaired and untested vintage 8 track music tapes. We enjoy communicating with others members and appreciate your questions.  

 This guide deals with 8 track tapes that have foam pressure pads and shows easy quick repair work... You can get most vintage 8 tracks to play sweet songs again without having to do major repair work!

Note:   If you can roll the 8 tracks tape with your thumb using the roller and the tape moves along rather freely then leave your cart closed and follow guide. This method of repair saves nice labels and cart retainer snaps from busting.

 About 85% of the tapes I acquired do not need to be fully opened up; this simple repair method will get most 8 track tapes playing fantastic again. 

  Some helpful supplies are as follows... Scissors, splicing block, Q-Tips, new pressure pads, rubbing alcohol, sensing foil tape, small flat screwdriver, tweezers and stick glue for loose labels.  Foil, pressure pads and splicing blocks are often found on eBay.

 Repair starts with replacing a bad pressure pad. I pull a bit of the brown music tape up and out from center of cart opening, and then pry up & out bad pad plastic backing strip using a small flat tip screwdriver.  

 Next step is to clean up backing strip, this can be done several ways, the use of Q-tips or a rag saturated with rubbing alcohol and for tuff removal you can scrap first. The new pressure pad I will be using here I purchased from an eBay seller, it has a slick top and sticky bottom with wax paper protecting the glue, this pad is cut to fit already. Simply pull off paper protector, center and press on your clean plastic backing strip. Picture shows old pad and new pad ready to use "BIG DIFFERANCE 30 YRS. MAKE"

 Installing the pad is simple once you get the hang of it, with a little practice this part of the job becomes a piece of cake! The idea here is to get the edge of the new pad to glide in and under a center bar that splits the pad. There is an opening at the bottom of this bar, some carts have openings that are taller than others, more challanging carts openings are only wide enough for the backing strip to slide in so you will need to cut pad in half (not the strip) and slip back half of new pad in separately, this also becames easy as 123 with a little practice. I hold cart with my left hand and spread tape apart with fingers, this free's up right hand to manipulate pad into place, I may use my small screwdriver to assist compressing pad on some carts. Remeber when handling the actual tape to always have washed-clean dry hands.

 To roll tape back into cart simply pull on tape end opposite of roller, the tape will get shorter and shorter.The last inch or two can be rolled in using your thumb or finger on top of the roller over the tape.

 Now its time to go foil hunting! The sensing foil is a piece of aluminum tape that joins the two tape ends together to form a continuous loop. It will need to be replaced 99% of the time so as Gov. Arnold would say JUST DOo eEIT!!!   Look at song list, find the last song on any given track program, remember that song; when that song ends the foil splice is about to come out of its hiding spot and tell your player to switch tracks, so get ready because your going to need to pull out tape as soon as you hear that clunk noise that made the 8 track tape famous. I actually like to pull cart out after song ends and roll tape along with my thumb until foil appears, less pressure is put on tape and less of a chance of the tape coming apart in side the cart.

   Now that old splice is visible, pull tape out again and cut away foil.

 Set the tape ends into your splicing block laying down the roller side first and then overlapping a little with the other end of tape (see picture) pull some new foil off your roll and cut about 3/4 if an inch off. I like to use the tip of my handy dandy small pocket size screwdriver to hold tape in place.

  nex I just place foil I already have attached to screwdriver tip over the cut tape ends and press into place with a freash Q-Tip. This method works good when you have fat fingers like me.

Once you have achieved splice; roll tape back into cart as explained earlier and your ready for play.

                                            AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!

 This 8 track tape is now repaired; as you can see I was able to leave back label alone. This cart has 5 retainer snaps as you can see 3 of  the retainers are under the clean label, the center one is under the song list, had I opened this cart it would have ruined this nice clean label. This tape sounds fantastic and plays trouble free. 

Enjoy the music!  ~ korshan