Fixing a stuck tape in a tv/vcr combo

Sometime in the late 90s Ruth and I bought a 13 inch Symphonic TV/VCR combo at a warehouse shopping club. This evening, we attempted to watch it only to find that after 3-6 seconds the screen showed "EJECT T" and then the TV shut itself off. The eject function failed, on both the console and the remote. A tape had been put in it earlier that day by a 4 year old, method unknown, and the tape was still in there.

Google can be your friend, but choose carefully. This problem is almost guaranteed to crop up sooner or later with TV/VCR combos made by Funai (who made/make this for Symphonic, Magnavox/Philips, Sears and others). Unfortunately most online complaints either go unanswered or worse, are blamed on a faulty $7.00 sensor assembly which requires a complete teardown of your box. Lots of people found a way to rip the tape out, breaking the VCR and leaving the "EJECT T" problem unfixed. They're hosed. But you aren't.

Here's the solution that worked, and this time I have step by step photos to help you along.

The only tool you'll need is a long philips head screwdriver and your finger. If you have a magnet tool, good.

Unplug the TV and take it to a workroom where you have decent lighting. Place the screen facedown on a padded chair.

On my Symphonic, the rear case is held to the front by five screws: four long ones across the top and bottom, and a fifth, shorter one in a less obvious location. Unscrew them all and keep them nearby. The magnet tool is useful here for removing the screws while the tube is facedown on something soft.

Pull the power cord through the case and set the case aside. Put the chassis on a table so you'll be able to reach the stuck cassette from the front. Do not attempt to loosen the videocassette. If the videotape is around the drum, gently lift it up and away from the drum and capstans. DO NOT TOUCH HAPPY FUN DRUM.

Your problem is a stuck cam, the one responsible for ejecting the tape. Note the tiny motor in the back; its pulley is attached to a small disc which is in turn connected to a giant white gear (the stuck cam). Using your finger, rotate the disc counterclockwise until the tape ejects. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MOVE THE CAM MANUALLY.

You may have to guide loose videotape out; do so gently.

Put the chassis facedown on the soft chair again and thread the power cable back through the back cover. Screw the back case to the front. You're welcome; that'll be $100.