possible (cheap) replacement for cassette door damper

7 godzin temu

The damper in my Kenwood KX-880sr had finally given out.

Replacement parts are hard to come by anywhere in the world.
I searched for a really long time and very thoroughly and then, by chance, I found this: ( Lego )

Mould King M-00008 Pneumatik Zylinder 1X11 kaufen | Klemmshop, 4,00 €

Buy Mould King M-00008 pneumatics Zylinder 1X11 at Klemmshop. View product details, price and availability and order conveniently online.

I didn’t need the head, so I carefully snapped it off with pliers.
Some plastic remaines in the metal rod.
I cut a paper clip to the right length, bent one end into a hook,
then heated the other end and melted it into the plastic.
I reinforced this joint with a bit of UV-glue.

The white part in the picture is a simple nail cable clamp.
I enlarged the hole for the nail slightly so a longer screw (20 mm)
would fit.

I drilled another hole in the clamp for the air intake fitting,
so the new damper can be securely attached to the original hole in the chassis
and won’t slip.
The air intake at the end of the damper is simply sealed with heat-shrink tubing.
I fitted a suitable screw into the other air inlet to allow for fine-tuning of the delay.

Here are a few pictures, and you can find videos demonstrating how it works via the Google link

I’m very happy with the result; if I had a 3D-printer, I would
print a nice, optimal mount, but this works just fine for now.
Suggestions for improvement are welcome.

These dampers are found in many tapedecks,
so if there's enough space, my solution might help.

Mac