Best way to clean the mechanics of a 128K drive

[meall]

Hi,

My 128K have some problems with its floppy drive. I removed when I received it a few month ago and clean the mechanical parts with WD40, because they were just stucked together. Impossible to insert a disk or remove it from the drive.

It worked fine for a while, but the problem is back now.

Any suggestion as to the best way to clean the mechanics and lubricate it?

Thanks

 

[Kallikak]

I use acetone. For a difficult one you may need to actually remove the eject mechanism entirely and soak it. Then I lubricate with WD-40.

The first time I did it I had problems because I didn't get to everywhere that was gummed up, so my main advice is clean lots, then some more, then some more...

Ken

p.s. these drives are usually known as 400K drives rather than 128K drives

 

[meall]

I use acetone. For a difficult one you may need to actually remove the eject mechanism entirely and soak it. Then I lubricate with WD-40.
The first time I did it I had problems because I didn't get to everywhere that was gummed up, so my main advice is clean lots, then some more, then some more...

Ken

p.s. these drives are usually known as 400K drives rather than 128K drives

I may try this. A little bit as I did for the hinge repair of my eMates.

Actually, I know they are 400K drive. I wanted to say, the drive in my 128K mac. I just said it the wrong way!

Thanks

 

[tomlee59]

Did you use any lube after you cleaned the drive with WD40? Or did you expect WD40 to be the lubricant? To rely solely on WD40 for long-term lubrication is to expect too much. It's fine for cleaning off the old gunk, but then you have to re-lube the drive with fresh grease (and preferably after cleaning off as much of the WD40 as you can get to).

 

[macdownunder]

Beware of WD40 and 400k drive mechanisms - I seem to recall that the optical sensors for the drive arm don't take kindly to WD40 (or anything else) being sprayed on them.

I have several drives with dead optical sensors (ie drive keeps ramming the arm mechanism at full extension).

Happy for someone to mention a fix to this BTW.

Regards,

Macdownunder

 

[Kallikak]

I did wonder, but as the recommendation in Larry Pina's book was to lubricate with WD-40, I left it at that.

How would something like Dry Glide go?

 

[meall]

I did wonder, but as the recommendation in Larry Pina's book was to lubricate with WD-40, I left it at that.
How would something like Dry Glide go?

I agree that WD40 is not a good lubricator. It is more a cleaner. First time I used white lithium grease after I clean it up. Did not remember that until now.

To help cleaning, this time, I dismantle the moving arts from the drive, then put them into paint thinner for the night. That's how I did it for my eMate hinge repair. Very efficient.

I will use WD40 again today to finish cleaning the moving parts. Then I may apply Gigaloo, its a good cleaner too, but most of all, it is a good lubricator, and more liquid than the lithium grease I used. Maybe the grease was too much and makes the drive parts stick again.

 

[tomlee59]

A common mistake is to get a little overzealous with the grease. Lithium grease works just fine, but use it sparingly. And clean off the WD40 first.

 

[meall]

A common mistake is to get a little overzealous with the grease. Lithium grease works just fine, but use it sparingly. And clean off the WD40 first.

I'll give a try to the Gigaloo for now. It is more liquid, so easier to spread where needed.

 

[tomlee59]

I've never used Gigaloo, but as long as it's not *too* liquid, it'll probably be fine. That said, the reason grease is preferred is precisely that it *won't* "spread around." You want this stuff to stay put, rather than wandering about.

 

[MdntTrain]

I take the drives apart as far as I can go, then wipe off any old grease. It's just not a good idea to be spraying ANYTHING around a floppy drive. After that, I wash all the parts in very hot water.. just rinse them.. no soap.. taking care not to get water into motors / steppers.

Let dry 24 hours.

Then I reassemble using a synthetic phono lube.. VERY sparingly.. on any parts that were originally lubed. WD-40 is NOT a long term lube.. and is way too lightweight to serve anything more than a "loosening bolts" or cleaning purpose.

Synthetic is necessary so the lube doesn't dry up down the road.

These methods have resulted in many perfectly working floppy drives.

~ J