Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!ucsd!ucbvax!PAN.SSEC.HONEYWELL.COM!thompson
From: thompson@PAN.SSEC.HONEYWELL.COM (John Thompson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo
Subject: re: Disk drive repair
Message-ID: <9010122233.AA09518@pan.ssec.honeywell.com>
Date: 12 Oct 90 22:33:38 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 31


Tom von Alten write...
> So this thing really has a _mechanical_ brake?  Interesting...
I'm not aware of any drives _without_ mechanical brakes.  Of course,
I try to avoid looking at hardware too closely.  The universe makes
much more sense when a computer is a black_box with a keyboard
and display attached.    :-)

> I'd try to get at the rotor (possible?) and push start it before I'd
> be whacking it.  Or, I'd take the brake off, and not power cycle it
> any more than necessary.
I would definitely avoid "whacking" a disk drive.  Some eons ago, 
when the 16MB hard drive (PC) I worked on was considered big, I 
needed to take the brake off.  The company sent out the brake, which
was just a bent metal tab, and walked me through it (ground yourself;
take off the logic board; unscrew the old brake; screw on the new; ....)
At that time, he also mentioned that the brake was needed _at_ _all_
_times_ to keep the disk from spinning freely.  If this is the case
with Maxtor drives (and on general principles IMHO) you should
definitely _avoid_ removing the brake.

> (speaking from principle, not Maxtor experience)
ditto.

John Thompson (jt)
Honeywell, SSEC
Plymouth, MN  55441
thompson@pan.ssec.honeywell.com

As ever, my opinions do not necessarily agree with Honeywell's or reality's.
(Honeywell's do not necessarily agree with mine or reality's, either)