[dave_van_damn]

Ok, I figured out the problem - I had put the pinch roller cap on incorrectly.

It's up and running now - playback is fine, but the fast forward/rewind is sluggish when it gets to about half way through a tape. I assume this is an idler problem but no chance of getting a new one nowadays. I've cleaned it throughly but problem persists.

John - Any tips on how to remedy the drum problem. I'm not sure I understand how the drum can affect ff/rw...?

Thanks