[Hartley118]

I recall that my Collaro Studio tape deck would sometimes become noisy due I think to a build-up of rough contamination on the rubber idler that drove the flywheel. Periodically, I used to resurface the idler with medium grade sandpaper and that cured the noise. I didn't need to remove the idler, but just used the capstan motor to drive it whilst holding the sandpaper against it with a suitable screwdriver.

The problem wasn't due to age because at that time the deck was only two or three years old.

Martin