Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hpfcdc!hpislx!hplvli!boyne
From: boyne@hplvli.HP.COM (Art Boyne)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: about Seagates...
Message-ID: <360008@hplvli.HP.COM>
Date: 10 Feb 89 16:16:50 GMT
References: <6135@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Organization: Loveland Inst. Div
Lines: 28

samc@hpccc.HP.COM (Samuel Chau) writes:

>Watch out for some of the older full-height Seagates, though.  I've seen
>several ST-4051 units that refused to spin up when power is applied, unless
>they are given some quick jerks to move the platters off their "dead-spot".
>And who knows what kind of damage the surfaces might sustain with this kind
>of "abuse"!

carl@hp-pcd.HP.COM (Carl Thomsen) adds:
>I've seen this same problem with nearly every ST-4051 we have in this area.

Having talked with the disk gurus at HP Greeley Division who know all about
this "stickion" problem (as they call it) with the ST-4051, here's the scoop:
for several months in early 1985 (when HP was using this drive in its products)
Seagate had a production problem which affected all units.  The spindle motor
would out-gas a sticky substance onto the inner tracks of the platters.  Since
power-off parks the heads on the innermost track, the heads come in contact
with this goo.  Eventually, the heads stick to the media, and the drive doesn't
spin up.  The trick of jerking the drive or manually turning the spindle motor
will usually free the heads, but there is a danger of ripping the heads off
the actuator.  Our maintenance group here in Loveland summarily replaced all
4051 drives they could find with newer units.  Later in 1985, the production
problem was fixed.

BTW: I'm using one of the (eventually-to-go-bad) ST-4051's in my home system
right now: got it REAL cheap at a scrap auction.  But I keep backups!

Art Boyne, boyne@hplvla.HP.COM