Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!motcid!derosa
From: derosa@cell.mot.COM (John DeRosa)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: hard disk lubrication
Keywords: disk maintenance
Message-ID: <1590@diamond2.UUCP>
Date: 12 Mar 90 16:42:59 GMT
References: <4796@paperboy.OSF.ORG>
Distribution: comp
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Div., Arlington Heights, IL
Lines: 42

hankin@sauron.osf.org (Scott Hankin) writes:


>    Howdy -

>    I have a problem with my hard disk sticking.  On power up, after a brief
>    delay, the disk hardware does a rapid series of seeks  (it's always done
>    so), presumably to generate enough vibration to  start the disk spinning
>    if it  hasn't done so already.   Well, my disk  is old, the manufacturer
>    has gone belly up, and the  disk has begun  sticking so regularly that I
>    no longer have the screws in my Mac case, so I can remove the  cover and
>    jar the disk when this problem occurs.

>    I would like  to disassemble the drive (to  minimum degree possible) and
>    lubricate the  spindle, but my natural  caution  tells me that there are
>    many ways  of doing this,  but only  a subset are  correct.  Does anyone
>    have knowledge in this area they can share?  My gut impulse is to drop a
>    few drops of  3-in-1 oil where it seems  best, but my  gut impulses have
>    gotten me into  trouble  on  more  than  one occasion.    Any  thoughts?
>    Thanks.

Your natural caution is well founded.  The only place that a hard disk
should be disassembled is a clean room, as in the type of room the
put space sattelites together in, these are very very clean.  Also
the lubricant is very special, definately not 3-in-1 type stuff.

My suggestion: back up the disk on floppies ASAP and get rid of the
drive.  There are places that can repair drives but they are expensive
and only have 90 day warranties.  A new drive is really the only 
option open.  AFTER you get a new drive, and have backed up the old
one, then you could play with the old drive.  I know that I would
love to play around and see the inner workings.  Come to think of it
I think that I will pick up an old $5 drive at my next ham-fest.

Good luck.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
=    John DeRosa, Motorola, Inc, Cellular Infrastructure Division           =
=                   e-mail: ...uunet!motcid!derosaj                         =
= I do not hold by employer responsible for any information in this message =
=      nor am I responsible for anything my employer may do or say.         =
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