I recently received a Beocord 9000 cassette deck that needed some care. It was shipped in its original Bang & Olufsen box, which was then placed inside a second box for protection. However, the B&O box was incorrectly oriented inside the outer box, likely resulting in an upside-down journey. The original box had some water damage:

Thankfully, the Beocord 9000 itself appeared unharmed:

As a rule, I never connect devices to power immediately after unpacking. Instead, I prefer to perform a visual inspection. Upon opening the Beocord 9000:

I was pleased with the unit’s accessibility. Unlike earlier models, this one is quite straightforward to disassemble. By removing two bolts at the back, it opens like a clamshell. The only thing missing is an automatic opening mechanism! Given the typical deterioration of belts in these older decks, I removed the drive mechanism and flipped it over. Here’s a closer look at the drive section:

Three bolts secure the drive to the chassis. Once removed, the drive can be carefully rotated without disconnecting any wires. It’s crucial to note the drive’s position before unscrewing the bolts. This ensures proper alignment during reassembly, especially for the eject button’s connection:

Protecting the circuit boards and the delicate drive mechanism with a cloth during this process is recommended. As anticipated, the belts had deteriorated:

Instead of simply cracking, these belts tend to melt, creating a sticky residue. This is unlike the belts used in their 1970s models, which simply fractured. The melted belts:

created a messy situation. This goo covered the mechanism and surrounding areas. Thankfully, it can be removed with ethanol. Gloves and a good supply of paper towels are essential for this cleaning process. In this particular unit, someone had previously attempted a repair, evidenced by the black residue on the power cord and DIN-to-RCA cable. This sticky substance spreads easily.

I removed the shield and the flywheel’s retaining plate for thorough cleaning:

The drive pulley was particularly coated in this black residue. I removed as much as possible mechanically:

and then soaked it in ethanol overnight.

This dissolved most of the residue, and the remaining traces were wiped away with a cloth. Next came belt installation, a surprisingly straightforward process compared to the Beocord 5000. It’s almost effortless, like inserting a cassette: the belts practically fall into place. Just remember to install the flat belt first. Here’s a photo with the belts in position:

As I finished reassembling the drive mechanism, I noticed the DIN 7 jack was damaged. The usual broken tabs left it hanging loose:

Since the jack is situated directly below the drive, I opted to repair it before reinstalling the drive. Fortunately, the jack’s design appears identical to the Beomaster 8000’s phono plug, which I have previously repaired using 3D printed parts. Once I have more inserts printed, this jack should be an easy fix. This will allow for proper DIN cable connection during testing, a task that’s currently challenging without opening the deck to manipulate the loose jack.