TITLE
Disk Drive Preventive Maintenance 

Article ID: 1402
Created: 10/24/85
Modified: 11/7/88
 

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TOPIC 


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DISCUSSION 



PROTECT YOUR MEDIA
Sometimes "disk drive problems" are really media problems, caused by the
way the customer stores his disks. Make sure your customers know to keep
disks away from dust, heat, electromagnetic inducing devices such as power
supplies, CRTs, magnets, and the power/sweep PCB on the left side of a
Macintosh.


YOU WILL NEED
1. Q-tips
2. Solution of 80% denatured alcohol and 20% deionized or distilled water


INSTRUCTIONS
The following preventive maintenance procedures should be performed whenever
a repair or adjustment is done on a disk drive.


DISK II AND DISK III
1. Remove the cover and clean the guide rails (the metal shafts that the
head slides on) with the alcohol/water solution. Do not use grease.

2. Inspect the head for worn or dull spots in the ceramic. If you find
any, replace the assembly containing the head.

3. Clean the head with the alcohol/water solution.

4. Remove the bottom of the drive and inspect the disk drive belt for
cracks, slippage, and elasticity (should not be dry and cracked).
Replace if necessary.

5. Move the head assembly back and forth along its full length of travel.
Check for blockage and smooth easy movement.


DUODISK AND UNIDISK
1. Remove the cover, the shield(s) and the analog PCB. Then perform
steps 1 through 5 as explained in DISK II AND DISK III above.

2. Locate the spring connected to the head drive band. Make sure that it
is holding the band reasonably taut.


APPLE IIc DISK DRIVE
1. Remove the disk drive from the Apple IIc and remove the mechanical
assembly from the disk drive. Then perform steps 1 through 5 as
explained in "DISK II AND DISK III", above.

2. Locate the spring connected to the head drive band. Make sure that it
is holding the band reasonably taut.


MAC EXTERNAL DRIVE
No preventive maintenance is required on this drive. However, it is
recommended that it be used only on the right hand side of the Macintosh.
This helps keep any electro-magnetic interference from the power/sweep PCB
from affecting disk drive operation.