@akira, Yes, the original harddrive is now plugged back in using the original cable with the original orientation (I take pictures of everything before I start disassembling). Of course I tried different orientations when things didn't work, but I hear the drive spin up, and it appears it's being accessed right after initial spin-up, but it ultimately isn't recognized.
I bought the machine without knowing its re-cap status, but it appears it has been. Everything looks good on it.
I guess my next step is to implicate or exclude a HW issue. I have no experience with IDE or the controller chips, so would appreciate any leads.
Thanks again
