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Info on cleaning an Epson SD-521 FDD..

k6whp

Experienced Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Messages
71
Just an adjunct query re this FDD to add to what has been answered before. I have been provided with documentation on this drive type including the Epson manual that includes disassembly and maintenance instructions. Sadly, I am too incompetent to completely understand all of this and ask if I can get a bootstrap into the process of cleaning the heads.

I have four of these units -- some being made spare by my installing GoTek emulators -- but I cannot seem to get an overview of the problem. I have cleaned these with the old 3M disk cleaning heads (NOS from eBay) and, to some degree, that has worked. However, I wanted to get access to the drive heads to properly remove any and all crud. The instructions are wonderfully detailed would like to ask if anyone can -- literally -- give me general directions on how to get to the heads and how thoroughly they should be cleaned. Actually, belay that second request. I assume that examining the head surfaces or residue on the Q-Tips should tell the tale.

For reference, here are pictures.

Thanks in advance for alleviating any ignorance.

Epson SD 521 hh fdd vintage drive 4.jpg





Epson SD 521 hh fdd vintage drive 5.jpg


Epson SD 521 hh fdd vintage drive 7.jpg


Epson SD 521 hh fdd vintage drive 8.jpg

Epson SD 521 hh fdd vintage drive 9.jpg
 
I've got two of these in my TF-20 unit. They seem to be working, but need some attention.

Your's look very clean - are you sure the heads need attention? If I was trying to do something like that, I'd expect that the cotton buds on long sticks (about 6" long) would do the job OK?

The problem with my drives may be more to do with lubrication. Firstly, it's not always possible to get a disk in because a latch isn't releasing. Secondly, the disk may not lock correctly due to another latch? What do your instructions say about these sort of things?

Geoff
 
Geoff,

These came out of a pair of 2X units I have and the symptoms were unable to boot for an A: drive and unable to read for a B: drive. The drives' eject buttons were sticky and were cleaned and "oiled" per recommendations. The buttons now work flawlessly. I just want to go through and visibly clean the heads a little more thoroughly than the 3M diskette head cleaners do. Like these fellas:


3M drive cleaners.jpg

You know, visibly get the gunk and residue off the heads.
 
I have not..and I have not. I'd be obliged for an explanation.
 
It doesn't take much to gunk up the rails so that the carriage doesn't move smoothly and
IMD has a function that reads IDs from a formatted disk continuously just to let you know what the head is seeing.
Bonus: I use a flat foam swab. 99% IPA generally gets most of the head dirt.
 
Thank you for the info. I hit this on IMD:


The SD-521 is out of a Kaypro running CP/M so I don't get the connection as to how Keir's stuff cited above would help. That said, would one of those old felt cleaner diskettes work?

Also, do you have any suggest as to how much disassembly would be be required to reach the heads? Top and/or bottom PCBs? Could they be reached using the flat
 
[Quick trigger finger..]

..foam swab with the alcohol from the front disk slot?

Thanks again!
 
Yes. The "felt" isn't really felt--it's a fused fabric. You often see this type used as interfacing in the clothing trade. Don't know where you get the cleaning stuff today. Yes, IMD runs under MSDOS on a PC.
 
Chuck is right, good luck finding dichlorodifluoromethane nowadays. What we used to use for the cleaning solution for floppies as well as vcrs and tape based stuff, was dichlorodifluoromethane, and think methanol? Works way better then alcohol. Always hope some comes up on ebay.

Still cant believe people would huff that crap. 🤷
 
Carbon tetrachloride was always a standby. Nowadays, if I've got tough deposits, I'll use perchloroethylene. More aggressive than IPA and slightly active on plastics, but better than nothing. Perc is used in dry cleaning. For tape heads, I use heptane.
 
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Can you put carbon yet on the floppy cleaner disks and are they the best method for cleaning these FDDs? I

am all at sea as to how to disassemble the driver to get at the heads and cannot get the long swabs through the disk slit at all.

Appreciate the help!
 
Thanks! Have been using 90% isopropyl alcohol but scored a bottle of 99% off Amazon. While I don't use IMD, I just spin the drive with the cleaner disk for 30 seconds and that seems to work.

However, on occasion after the first of cleaning, the disk problems ("I cannot read..") reoccur. Have cleaned and oiled the rails and unstuck the disk register button on the SD-521.

I guess after 30 years, it's going to require a few more cleanings to restore it to the old "normal" right?
 
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