Having some issues trying to get the full mechanism working on both the -02 and -22 variants. Cleaned out the old grease best I can and added some new grease, but it is always stuck in the down position/loaded. It seems like there’s a bar near the near that makes it go from the up to down position but refuses to budge at all. Anyway managed to fix one of these drives successfully?
400K Floppy Drive Issues
- Thread starter Duke09
- Start date
Love those old drives, they are so musical. I suggest to tear down the mechanics and to clean it thoroughly. I remember one drive with a completely “glued” mechanism.
You need to take the cage off and really let it soak in something that will break down the grease-turned-glue... there are a few spots that are really, really difficult to access directly, so soaking time is the key.
Actually, Epictronics recently refurbed one of these, using WD-40 to break down the old grease:
I found that a drop of xylene (a solvent you can get at a hardware store in the US) does a good job of dissolving the dried up grease on these drives. Just a drop or so from a cotton swab should do the trick.
Do this in a well ventilated area!
I found that isopropyl alcohol doesn't do a good job, even with a good soak. Others might have a favorite solution (pardon the pun) as well.
Do this in a well ventilated area!
I found that isopropyl alcohol doesn't do a good job, even with a good soak. Others might have a favorite solution (pardon the pun) as well.
Managed to get everything unstuck. Used lots of WD-40 and let it soak for a couple of days.