Another Tandon TM100-2A Issue

[Tincanalley]

Good work! I did something similar trying to allign a teac 55gfr a few nights ago. You live and you learn. Upside at least you learned something new.

Definitely a new skill. I think I need to apply it to a PS/2 drive. It is from a model 50Z I've had since new in '88. It stopped reading and writing properly. I started by cleaning the heads, but that didn't help. I then read about the capacitors needing to be replaced. I did that, but not with surface mounts. My skill in soldering is decent, but not for SMD. So I went about finding the smallest radial caps and using those. All went well, but the drive still has the same problem. I figured that if I messed up replacing one or more of the caps, I'd have a worse problem. So it has to be an alignment or head problem. With the track pitch so much tighter than the Tandon, I'm not sure if IMD will be of much help.

 

[alank2]

There is a video where a guy shows removing SMD caps by twisting them as I recall. His technique was pretty cool.

 

[Tincanalley]

There is a video where a guy shows removing SMD caps by twisting them as I recall. His technique was pretty cool.

Yeah, I got that far, but it was the installation of the new SMDs that I wasn't comfortable with, so I went the radials with leads route. The are so small they didn't interfere with reassembly or an danger of snagging on anything. Still doesn't work, so that was a bust. If I can't make it work, then maybe I'll use it to practice soldering new SMDs.

 

[alank2]

I got you; I misunderstood; I thought you changed some caps, but weren't able to change the SMD ones!

 

[twolazy]

There is a video where a guy shows removing SMD caps by twisting them as I recall. His technique was pretty cool.

That would be Adrian from Adrians digital basement. I watch him alot actually. Gets me insipired to fix stuff I would have normally just recycled for parts.


For aligning most drives, at least on pc, I use Checkit. It has a great floppy tester that tells you want head/track the drive is on. You want a super high pitched beep. Track 0 is the hardest. After you get track 30 to say something like 0,30,0... press the 8 key to goto track 80 and make sure that reads right. If both read right, tighten down the screws, and press 0 again to dbl check track 0. Its been working great for me so far. But it will only work on drives that work on pc.

For some drives that the servo motor is a little crusty, Ill detach the screw on the metal sled spring? and give it a drop or 2 of oil and just run it back and forth on checkit a few dozen times then rettach the spring. That usually does the trick in freeing them up. So far have 8 drives running perfect with 6 more to go.

Make sure to format a diskette after and try it in a known working drive to make sure everything is good.

 

[twolazy]

Now here's a good question for everyone, what lube do you use? Atm Im using a really old tube of Super Lube synthetic lube I got back in the 90s, but the tube is getting pretty empty lately...

After a check, seems its still available, nice! On motors ive been using 3n1 since its what I have lying around. On the upper hub I use a tiny amount of Zoom turbine oil on a Q tip, since its paraffin wax based and wont drip down.

 

[Tincanalley]

Now here's a good question for everyone, what lube do you use? Atm Im using a really old tube of Super Lube synthetic lube I got back in the 90s, but the tube is getting pretty empty lately...

After a check, seems its still available, nice! On motors ive been using 3n1 since its what I have lying around. On the upper hub I use a tiny amount of Zoom turbine oil on a Q tip, since its paraffin wax based and wont drip down.

I'm using Deoxit X10S oil from Caig. It is silicone and works on just about anything. I used it in all the drives I've serviced. It doesn't attract dust and such.