Based on what I have seen, I'm guessing you have a broken component on one of the logic boards. Something cracked or loose that sometimes works. Push on something just right and it happens to work for a minute. It won't be obvious and probably inside a component where it is not visible.
Looking closely at your photos, the drive looks rather corroded and poorly stored. I think it is time to move on to another drive, although don't toss the drive, as someone else might be able to fix or use parts in the future.