I have a Beocord 7000 (type 4941, the "new" mechanism) and I just gave it a clean and replaced the belts. It's now working nicely otherwise, but the sound is quite dull when playing in the reverse direction. "A" side is just fine.

I couldn't find any complete service manuals for these later Beocords on site - does it have separate azimuth adjustments for both directions (and where are they?) or is the head mechanism just not rotating properly?

While we're at it, is it possible to adjust the sensitivity of the track search? If the recordings are made from a scratchy vinyl album, both this machine and my Beocord 6500 often skip the track gaps.

I've seen cases where the rotating mech. binded a bit. The tapehead needs a gentle manual push to complete the rotation.
Dried lubricants.

Martin

Better check the lubrication, first.

I have a BC5500 (which seems to be pretty much the same deck, isn't it?) to which I replaced the whole playback-head (from another mech, original head was open circuit on one channel) and adjusted the azimuth settings for both sides. I think it was just two adj. screws, on the left and right sides of the head. I might have photos of that, too.

My 5500's track search doesn't work so I'd like to know, too, if there is an adjustment for that.

Well, I reopened the deck, and checked that the head rotated quite freely all the way up to the two end stop screws, which obviously(?) are also the azimuth adjustments as they have been sealed with red lacquer. I took the liberty of adjusting the offending side by ear, and both sides play very well now. Witnessed below by a cassette I have recorded in 1986 (playing the B side, Couldn't stand the weather by Stevie Ray Vaughan)

That's looks almost the same as my BC5500. I did mine by ear and I am happy with it, on both sides of the tape. I would like to get the auto search working; after that I could sell this deck (I like it but I already have three other B&O cassette decks! And I don't have any other part of the 5500 system than this!).