tape drive is acting weird

B

ballsandy

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Recently I completed rebuilding my old macintosh se which was in need of some work. Now that I have it running system 7.0 (would go earlier but can't find the disks) I decided to pull some files off tapes I have. I set up the drive which was bought on ebay and inserted a tape. It made noises like it was running but then made a noise like it was jammed. I removed the tape and discovered a sticky orange sludge all over the tape and wheel. I looked inside the drive and saw that the pinch roller had somehow melted away where it contacts the tape wheel. The tape was not jammed nor was it hard to advance. I am really stumped and don't dare to use anymore tapes until I can fix the problem.
Anyone know what is happening?
 
the tape drive is extrenal, not part of the se. as far as earlyer systems, they can be downloaded from apple's website for free. and for the tape drive, where was it stored (somewhere hot or humid?)? also that roller might of been some kind of rubber, and got very soft over time, and when it finally got put under pressure from being used again, it slimed the tape. i am the kind that would pull the tape drive apart, and see if the now missing roller can be replaced by one from a not working tape drive, vcr, cassette player, or even 8-track player (i have done something like this with fixing a cd player from cassette player parts, namely gears). or even make your own roller.
 
oh, cool. Stranage they still allow system 6 to be downloaded.
I probably won't get the drive apart soon (or until the weekend) So hold on.

oh, and I need the link to apple's old software page and a program that can open .img files (not .image). I got PLI Infinity 88 drive and the software is archived as .img
 
older software from apple here.
even older, click here.
remember, 1st rev se run 2.0 or up, 2nd rev se(or se fdhd) is 6.0.3 and up, and 3rd rev se(or se/30) is 6.0.5 and up. up being 7.5.5. so good luck to you.
 
Well I removed the roller today.
The thing is so weak that a credit card can cut through the rubber!
I will look aound and see if I can pull a roller of other tape drives I own.
Thanks for the help.
 
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