🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <16718@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> todd@SEAS.UCLA.EDU (Todd Booth) writes:

>My 512K Mac internal and external drive eats floppies (won't eject
>them) and I need pliers to get them out.  The same thing has happened
>to another one of our disk drives on a different MACs.  Does anyone
>know how to fix this hw problem myself?

This recently happened to me.  I will tell you what I did to fix it, but there
are no guarantees that this will work for you.:

The floppy mechanism has a little motor that locks down and ejects the disk.
If you look at a naked mechanism from the front, the motor is at the right
rear of the unit (you can see one of the nylon gears when you look down on it).
Just in front of the motor is a molded plastic well with a snap-on lid and
some wires going into it.  This is a switch that is actuated by a cam driven
by the motor.  In my case, the switch contacts were dirty.  To get to the
switch, CAREFULLY release the plastic retaining tabs (2) holding the top of
the switch, and pull up.  You will notice that you have the phosphor bronze
switch leaves in your hand.  Clean the contact area with a little tape-head
cleaner and/or a burnishing tool.  Now try to re-insert the switch.  Notice
that the lower body has slots to hold the contacts.  If you are successful,
your unit may work again.

Good luck.

Marc Kaufman (kaufman@polya.stanford.edu)

PS: Don't blame me if it doesn't!