AG-1980 started squealing loudly in rewind?
 

As the title says, my 1980 has just started to make a loud squealing noise whenever I rewind T-120 tapes. I've tried about 10 now, they all do it to some extent. However, if I'm rewinding a commercial tape that is very short (~30 min), it sounds normal. Occasionally it makes the same sound, but quieter, when ejecting a tape. Any ideas on what could be the cause, and is this something a technically inclined person could fix on their own?

Thanks

Not that this is going to resolve your AG-1980 issue but I actually purchased another VCR for $20 at a Salvation Army (Mitsubishi) to use strictly for RW and FF. A VCR is much better than a standalone tape rewinder.

I am very careful with my AG-1980 and want to preserve it as long as possible. Something to consider?

Yes, I have another VCR that I usually rewind in. It just bothers me that the 1980 is not functioning as it should. I like to keep my equipment up to spec.

Are you sure it's not the tapes? Tapes generally squeal, not the VCR.

Try a good cleaning of the guides/tape path: that just might clear a bit of friction that is causing the long tapes (with their different tension compared to short tapes) to vibrate.

I'm fairly sure it's not the tapes. My evidence- Tested 10 different tapes, all squeal in the 1980, but none of them squeal in my JVC. If I use a Q-tip to slightly touch the black take-up reel gear from the underside while rewinding, the noise stops. If I do this with other gears, the noise persists.

Cleaned all the tape path with 95% ethanol (I have a science lab, so I can get the good stuff), still noisy.

Touching the gear changes tape tension. The whole mechanism may need adjustment, cleaning and lub as well, that will also affect tape tension.

Yeah, that's why I did it with several other gears that were involved to see if it was specific to that one reel gear or if other parts that would change tape tension did it to.
I'm slowly taking the mechanism apart and checking everything, definitely clean and lube on reassembly. I'll have to remove almost everything to get to the reel gear. Just my luck.