The words "tested" always make me cringe a little when browsing the 8 track auctions on eBay.  Putting a 30+ year old 8 track tape of unknown condition into your player is a recipe for disaster.  At the very MINIMUM the sensing foil splice should be replaced, or at least reinforced.  That's assuming that the foam pads aren't disintegrated.  Why not stave off potential disaster with a proper tape tune up?  The hardest part of the tune up will be opening up the cartridge itself (depending on the type).

Creating a Tune Up Kit

A properly stocked tune up kit will make repairing your tapes easy and even fun!  A proper kit should contain the following:

*Rubbing Alcohol (I prefer the 99% concentration)

*Cotton Rounds

*Cotton Swabs

*Small jar of vaseline

*Magic Eraser

*All Purpose Spray Cleaner

*Splicing tape (Available in my eBay store)

*Sense Foil (Available in my eBay store)

*Replacement Foam Pads (Available in my eBay store)

*Replacement Felt Pads (Available in my eBay store)

*Splicing Block (Available in my eBay store)

*Single edge razor blade (to use with splicing block)

*Scissors

*Utility Knife

*Glue Stick

*Patience!!!

The following video contains information on proper tape tune up procedures as well as some problems you may run into during the tune up.  I hope you find it useful! 

*** Please note:  Even after doing a proper tune up of your 8 track, you may need to  periodically fix tape tension issues that may arise after repeated plays. ***

Resetting Tape Tension

Tape tension issues can be fairly common and will need to be corrected to get the best sound from your tape.  And to help prevent it from getting eaten!  The following video contains instructions on how to identify tension problems and fix them.

Questions?  Comments?