Buying a replacement CPC 464 Capstan / Tape drive Motor

[migs74]

I just wondered If anyone knew What the Specs of the tape drive motor are and possibly where to buy one.


I recently bought my first CPC 464 in need of repair and got to work restoring it and I'm really pleased to now have it working. I've added an audio in jack which is working really well but I'd really like to get the tape drive working properly. When I first got the CPC, the tape drive was seized and wouldn't run at all, I now have it running but not stable enough to get a game to properly load. I've tried absolutely everything to restore the tape drive such as cleaning, lubricating, new belts and making sure all rubber parts like the idle wheel and pinch roller are grippy and I think I've narrowed my problem down to the motor. I can oil its bearing and It'll be better at loading (Still won't load a game though)  but then over time it'll get noisy again and the speed will become more unstable and things go downhill.
I can't find any info on the motors used in the cpc 464 and no mention of the voltage or rpm etc to help me order a new one, So i was hoping that someone on this forum may have an idea or have replaced the motor themselves with a new motor.

[migs74]

Okay, So I couldn't find anything about the CPC 464 motor on the internet, So I took a chance on a motor similar to what I saw a youtuber use to repair a Spectrum +2.  I'm happy to report that I now have an Amstrad CPC 464 that loads all the games I've thrown at it so far!!!!  not bad from the previous record of 0.

So I thought it might be helpful to share with the forum which motor I used, just in case anyone else needs to replace their motor for a new one.


It was a Mabuchi EG-530AD-6F (CW) 6v Tape / Capstan Motor from Ebay that cost just over £3 with the postage. The motor will run lower than 6v, so was ideal for the Amstrad 5v supply. the motor if I remember was Clockwise.


BE WARNED though!!!!!!  The new motor is just ever so slightly larger, so the 3 screws that hold the motor in place didn't line up at first. To remedy this, On the motor mounting plate, I had to elongate the 3 holes that motor screws and rubber mounts sit in at least 1.5mm outwards, so I ended up with oval holes instead of round holes. This worked out fine though and I made sure that the motor sat central to the middle hole that the spindle sits in. It only just fitted in the spot, so careful placement and forward planning is a must.

Hope this helps anyone in the future.

[migs74]

[migs74]

[Audronic]

Photo ??