Finicky floppy drive, A1000

[deimos]

The floppy drive in my 1000 works, but something mechanical is up with it. When you put a disk in it doesn’t move down enough by itself, and the disk detect switch doesn’t engage. I can see that this is what’s happening. If you touch the disk to move it down then it will work.

I’ve cleaned everything, jiggled it, but it feels like there should be more force moving the internal part, that holds the disk, down.

Any ideas?

[Jope]

I would dismantle, wash any gunked up grease off the disk loading mechanism, regrease with some white lithium grease.

[deimos]

Originally Posted by Jope

I would dismantle, wash any gunked up grease off the disk loading mechanism, regrease with some white lithium grease.

I have disassembled as far as I dare, cleaned and lubed.

But, I might have an idea. I have another drive, and in comparing them, I think there might be a bit missing. This second drive has no slop in the movement of the disk holder part, whereas my “faulty” drive has lots. The disk holder part moves left, right, up, down. Maybe that part is important.

It’s that plastic / nylon bit behind where the eject button attaches.

Edit: No, I think I’m wrong. That’s not a guide, but a holder for a magnet for a disk presence detector. I think.

[deimos]

Maybe that missing bit stops the disk holder from moving up?

[deimos]

No, it’s not that.

[deimos]

There are two “pins” that look like they should have circlips on them. The other drive doesn’t have these, it has one thing in the middle with a big plastic washer like thing where I’d expect a circlip.

The pins I’m referring to are the brass coloured bits on far left and right of the attached image.

[deimos]

One further update, I’ve looked at, by shining a torch into, my other 1000, and its drive is like the “good” one above. I also have a 1010 external drive, but it looks like it’s an entirely different mechanism.

So, 4 drives, 3 versions.

[solarmon]

The missing mechanism is for the HD switch, if it is on the right of the drive (as you look at it from the front).

What make model is the floppy drive. Show some more pictures of it - with the disk out and with the disk in. A video of it will even be better.

[solarmon]

The brass bits are guides to help with the sliding mechanism of the bottom plate. They shouldn't have anything on them.

You can normally take the top assembly off by first pushing in the eject button mechanism (without the plastic eject button) and then lifting up the assembly.

This might give you a better look at the mechanisms.

[deimos]

Originally Posted by solarmon

You can normally take the top assembly off by first pushing in the eject button mechanism (without the plastic eject button) and then lifting up the assembly.

That doesn't seem to work for me.

More pictures are coming.

I don't know how to identify the drive, I see "Matsushita" and "Tamagawa Seiki" on the the motors, but no overall identification mark.

[deimos]

Here are images showing how much the mechanism moves. If it can be prevented from moving up, it may be ok, but if it does move up, then the mechanism also moves to the side slightly and won't come back down cleanly due to interference with the frame (the bit with the barcode in the images).

With nothing to else to prevent the mechanism from moving up, the only thing stopping it will be the plastic eject button against the hole in the case.

The third and forth images show how much movement there is. The other drive I have has no movement, and an obvious part that is holding the mechanism in place.

[deimos]

These two images show how the disk detect switch doesn't engage if the mechanism doesn't end up sitting in the right place.

[solarmon]

I haven't seen this model before.

The third picture of the drive that shows it from the side, suggests that the top part could slide forward to be released. However, there might be other mechanics that is stopping it from doing that.

Are you keeping the eject button mechanism pushed in whilst you lift up the top assembly and pull it forward?.

[deimos]

Originally Posted by solarmon

Are you keeping the eject button mechanism pushed in whilst you lift up the top assembly and pull it forward?.

Yes. The top assembly doesn't feel like it wants to come off. If I was to remove the two white plastic parts that are attached to the top assembly and have pins passing through them, then it may be able to move forwards enough such that the side parts no longer prevent it from coming up. Will I regret doing that?