JVC SR-VS10 eating tapes?
 

Recently, I had the opportunity to get my hands on a JVC SR-VS10, but I'm having issues getting tapes to eject properly. From my testing, outside of a few edge cases, the tapes only fail to eject properly when the unit is turned off with a tape inside it. I've attached a video highlighting this issue for reference. Outside of this issue, all of the other features seem to function properly, and the video quality looks great. If anyone has any ideas or has run into similar problems, please let me know if you have any ideas!

If it hurts when you do that…then don’t do that.

It does not eating tapes, simply do not eject properly. Does it do the same with deck cover on?

Yes, it does the same thing with the cover on.

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After adding some grease to some areas that needed it, the tape is now not being played/ejected correctly more often. Here are a couple of examples of what is happening now.

Check your brakes. The reels don't spin, like they're on brakes.

I just noticed some black powder close to the brakes. Do you think I just need to replace the plastic brake? If so, where is it located on this unit?

-- merged --

I replaced the pads with some 3mm felt, but the same issue is still happening. Additionally, I got my hands on a miniDV tape, and that side of the unit is also doing the same thing. Any ideas?

You can not repair mechanics by trial and error method. The worst thing you can do is to replace something (felt pads) without knowing what you are doing. No one will be able to repair that after such "repairs". If mechanics do not work as it should you must find a cause not to simply change something and then look what happens.

The brakes has completely dissolved and were basically just a powder now. They needed replaced no matter what.

If so, there are other problems too. Storage conditions may be to blame. For example, equipment from the South of France, even NOS, what was stored somewhere in an attic, is all dried out and the plastic is brittle. In such cases, you can keep the head, but look for another mechanics. You are unable to align it anyway.

P.S. Although there is nothing in your pictures that suggests there was any problems with the brakes. They look completely normal. That black powder is not from brakes, it can be anything from tape dust to dust from reel tables (if tables are degraded for some reason).

After adding a bit more grease and double-checking that I had the new brakes on correctly, everything on the VHS side is now working correctly. The issue was the brakes and the old grease.

I would avoid from playing tapes in a mechanics repaired in this way. I don't know what is meant by "adding a bit more grease" (the grease can only be cleaned and new grease applied). But I doubt your ability to double-check, because you do not have the necessary tools, and besides, you have not found the reason, it is just that the mechanics is working right now, but how correctly it is impossible to determine. But it is your business what you do with your tapes and VCR. I just hope you are not going to sell this VCR to someone as "serviced" and "fully working".

JVC OEM grease tends to seemingly evaporate over time. There's really nothing to remove. Attempting to "properly remove" any residue would require a full deck breakdown, and that can be a chore. It's really not needed.

My only worry is over-greasing, I've seen too much of that on eBay "refurbished" decks. If a glob of goo falls on the board, you're screwed. And that happens.

Eh, that seems a bit harsh.

Proper tools? I just dab grease with a fine-tip foam swab, and let the mechanics itself spread the lube. That's how many techs in many fields do that exercise. Very similar to thermal paste beads, let the CPU spread it.

On this, I agree. Don't do that. It's not serviced, or refurbished, or anything else. Just a quick patch attempt, a band-aid, and it worked again. But not the same.

I definitely have no intention on selling it/misrepresenting its condition. Just a little project for my own enjoyment :)

I just now maintained JVC 7711 I got in mint overall condition. It has dried remains of original grease (remains was like paraffin) under moving guides from upside, what was cleaned before lubrication, and nothing from bottom. And there originally was no grease at all, only scratches from guides. That 7722 from vcrshop was properly relubricated from both sides. But I did not lubricated anything else.

But you messed with brakes, replacing pads. So I believe you will get some surprise soon. Dried grease under moving guides probably was a cause for you problem. But if you did not cleaned old grease before lubrication I would advice to do it now. And apply new grease from both sides with a brush in a thin layer.