Correct, only drives I currently have are these 2 800K drives (and a working external 800K drive), with no other boards to plug into.
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Hello everyone, hoping you can help with my disk dilemma!
- Thread starter Ronathan2001
- Start date
I think others will tell you DANGER! but in theory you can swap in a 1.44mb drive briefly for emergency diagnostic reasons. In theory there's a controller incompatibility - I think. Someone else will do a great job tearing me apart for this suggestion, that will probably contain more detailed technical info.
When I first tested my SE/30 box (the logic board is in indefinite triage), I put my (800k) SE board into the case and connected the floppy. I only used an 800k disk but it read correctly and ejected when I shut down. If you're out of options and/or want to try, that may be an option if you have an unambiguously working 1.44mb drive. I'm not sure if your symptoms could be the result of a controller problem (on the board itself).
When I first tested my SE/30 box (the logic board is in indefinite triage), I put my (800k) SE board into the case and connected the floppy. I only used an 800k disk but it read correctly and ejected when I shut down. If you're out of options and/or want to try, that may be an option if you have an unambiguously working 1.44mb drive. I'm not sure if your symptoms could be the result of a controller problem (on the board itself).
I currently do not have a 1.44 drive...
Since the Floppy Emu works, as well as the external 800K drive, I don't think there's a problem with the Bourns filter.
If I'm understanding correctly, you have one internal floppy mechanism that can't read nor eject disks, but other external disks work OK? Have you tried taking the floppy drive mechanism out of your external 800K drive, and putting it inside your Mac as a new internal drive?
If I'm understanding correctly, you have one internal floppy mechanism that can't read nor eject disks, but other external disks work OK? Have you tried taking the floppy drive mechanism out of your external 800K drive, and putting it inside your Mac as a new internal drive?
I'm sure I could try that, but then I'd be left with two dead 800K drives (the ones from my Plus and SE). I currently have no other drives to work with (aside from my external 800K drive).
Since my original questions were on how to diagnose and repair the drives, this is still my goal.
Both drives have been cleaned and lubed per this site's wiki, and all 4 gears in each of the drives are unbroken. The disk that boots fine in the external drive (Symantec emergency disk) does not work in my other drives. In the Plus' drive, I hear a repeated series of three quiet whirring sounds. In the SE's drive, all I hear is a humming noise. The disk had to be manually ejected from both drives.
Is it possible I have installed the eject motor incorrectly? Should I have tried to move the metal cog on the eject motor (the one that drives the smallest gear) to confirm that it hasn't seized?
I'm missing something, I just don't know what it is...
Thanks!
Since my original questions were on how to diagnose and repair the drives, this is still my goal.
Both drives have been cleaned and lubed per this site's wiki, and all 4 gears in each of the drives are unbroken. The disk that boots fine in the external drive (Symantec emergency disk) does not work in my other drives. In the Plus' drive, I hear a repeated series of three quiet whirring sounds. In the SE's drive, all I hear is a humming noise. The disk had to be manually ejected from both drives.
Is it possible I have installed the eject motor incorrectly? Should I have tried to move the metal cog on the eject motor (the one that drives the smallest gear) to confirm that it hasn't seized?
I'm missing something, I just don't know what it is...
Thanks!
Did both drives have the same problems before you serviced the eject mechanism and lubricated everything? Is it possible you reassembled them incorrectly somehow?
You might try operating one of the problem drives externally, but not in a drive enclosure. Just a bare drive mechanism sitting on a table. Then you can visually see what's happening when you insert a floppy, and when the Mac tries to read it. Does the mechanism pull the floppy shutter open when you insert the disk? Does the disk actually spin? Can you see the head moving? Try the same experiment with your good drive, so you can have a visual reference for what it's supposed to look like.
If the drive is already non-functional, I wouldn't be shy about getting in there with whatever tools seem necessary and pushing or bending anything that appears stuck. The worst that can happen is it still won't work.
You might try operating one of the problem drives externally, but not in a drive enclosure. Just a bare drive mechanism sitting on a table. Then you can visually see what's happening when you insert a floppy, and when the Mac tries to read it. Does the mechanism pull the floppy shutter open when you insert the disk? Does the disk actually spin? Can you see the head moving? Try the same experiment with your good drive, so you can have a visual reference for what it's supposed to look like.
If the drive is already non-functional, I wouldn't be shy about getting in there with whatever tools seem necessary and pushing or bending anything that appears stuck. The worst that can happen is it still won't work.
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I was just about to ask about the eject mechanism. If it ejects with a paper clip (triggering the eject mechanism, right? with the case on my PM 7100 removed I see a button, essentially). If the auto-eject is driven by a motor, then perhaps there is an issue with the motor.
When you boot from an external disk, what happens with the disk in the internal drive? Does an initialization pop-up come up? Does it not recognize it at all? I also forget if you said - does it sound like it's trying to eject or not at all? Because I suspect there are multiple possible problems if it is an issue with the motor.
And then with the eject issue I would probably check the motor - if that's all it is, since I think the eject mechanism itself works, just not the auto. I don't know if logic alone can solve that...
When you boot from an external disk, what happens with the disk in the internal drive? Does an initialization pop-up come up? Does it not recognize it at all? I also forget if you said - does it sound like it's trying to eject or not at all? Because I suspect there are multiple possible problems if it is an issue with the motor.
And then with the eject issue I would probably check the motor - if that's all it is, since I think the eject mechanism itself works, just not the auto. I don't know if logic alone can solve that...
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Good points. I'll take out the external floppy drive out of its case and compare to the other two. I'm traveling for a few weeks, but I'll report back my findings upon my return.
By sheer coincidence, I managed to produce a very similar floppy failure today while I was hacking up a custom floppy cable. The drive made a pathetic vibration sound, but wouldn't spin or eject. The problem was that the +12V line was not connected, only the +5V was. So maybe your +12V supply is bad?
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