----- Original Message ----- From: "Eric Rasmussen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Compact Macs" <compact.macs@mail.maclaunch.com> Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2005 4:30 AM Subject: Re: 800k vs. 400k floppy drives
> >> I have a Macintosh 512k with a dead floppy (400k) drive. > >> > >> I do not have access to a replacement 400k floppy. I do, however, > >> have a > >> closet full of working 800k floppy drives. Can I replace the > >> internal 400k > >> floppy drive on the 512k with an 800k drive and have the computer > >> just see > >> it and use it as a 400k drive? Does this work, or will an 800k > >> floppy not > >> function when treated as a 400k drive? > > > You may be able to resurrect your 400k drive. These things are built > > like tanks and usually just need a bit of cleaning and lubrication. ... > > > > ... use Q-tips dipped in alcohol then squeezed nearly dry to clean the > > hardened grease off the moving parts. I then use a tooth pick with just > > a touch of silicon grease to re-lubricate those moving parts. Manually > > move the parts a few times to make sure they are free. CAREFULLY wipe > > the inside of the drive to remove the dust bunnies, using the same type > > of Q-tips. Don't get fuzz from the Q-tips caught up in the works! > > I agree that cleaning the 400K drive usually works. The Mac Daniel > stuff is now at: > > http://chrislawson.net/writing/ > > Phil Beesley has a helpful how-to here: > > http://www.mandrake.demon.co.uk/Apple/400kflop.html > > Sometimes you have to remove the insert/eject mechanism and soak it in > WD-40 or some such to get it to unfreeze, but in most cases this is not > necessary. The one problem that is not possible to fix (without > building your own replacement part) is the absence of the "pressure > pad" (the little felt-tipped plastic piece that holds the disk to the > drive head from behind when it is engaged). It is a common > problem--maybe 30 or 40% of the drives I got had this problem when I > went on a little buying spree of non-working 128K and 512K stuff last > year on eBay. > > It is, however, also possible to install an 800K drive into a 128K or a > 512K machine without upgrading the logic board, if you use the later > version of the 800K drives. Larry Pina covers this in _Macintosh > Repair and Upgrade Secrets_, p. 192: > > "Older models of the 800K drive won't boot unless 128K ROMs are > installed. Newer models boot fine with any version of the ROMs. You can > even install an 800K drive (part # 661-0345) in a 128K Mac and it'll > work fine. You'll have twice as much MFS disk storage as before, ..." > > There are some problems with this--the main one being you can't use an > external 400K drive with it. See Pina for more details. He also shows > you how to adapt a 400K drive bracket so it will hold an 800K drive, > but if you have an old Mac Plus lying around, then you probably have an > 800K bracket you can use ... > > Regards, Eric > Thanks for the links. I actually figured out how to clean the drive just by playing with it the other day. Apparently, my 400k drive had a number of problems. The first was that little felt pad thing you mentioned. It was absent, but I was lucky enough to find it sitting on the bottom of the inside of the case. I put it back on and it seems to be held just fine. Second, the inject/eject mechanism was frozen in the "disk inserted" position. I studied the drive, and figured out what needed to be lubed. Disks now inject and eject with ease. My final problem is the one that is really keeping me from going anywhere with this. Upon inserting a known-good 400k floppy with a System Folder, the drive makes a noise then spits it back out and requests a new one. I have tried this with two seperate 400k floppies that will boot just fine from the Plus. Upon visual inspection of the drive when this happens, the disk spins up, but the head does not move. Perhaps this is normal, but I would think to successfully search for a System the head would need to move from it's "home" position. My first thought was maybe the head was stuck. So I moved it manually with my hand to it's farthest forward position. I then re-booted the Mac. The head slid back to the "home" position (as far rear as it will go) all by itself with seeming ease! So apparently it has no trouble moving. The only thought I am left with is that the head itself is somehow damaged and unrepairable. Any thoughts? As for using an 800k drive. I tried installing an 800k floppy drive from a dual-floppy Macintosh SE I have here. In fact, I tried both drives to the same result-- upon booting the 512k with the 800k drive, the drive goes into an endless cycle of trying to eject a disk when the drive is already in the "disk ejected" position. I was unable to get a floppy into the drive at all. It was mentioned I needed a "newer" 800k drive. If the 800k drives in an SE aren't the newest ones, what ones *are* and where would I find one? Thanks, NAt -- Compact Macs is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/>. Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> Compact Macs list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/compact.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:compact.macs@mail.maclaunch.com> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive:<http://www.mail-archive.com/compact.macs%40mail.maclaunch.com/> --------------------------------------------------------------- iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com ---------------------------------------------------------------
