31-10-2013, 02:13 PM
The Panasonic / Matsushita model FD1 3" floppy disk, aka "Stiffy", was favoured by companies such as Amstrad in the mid to late 80s and found their way into 8 bit computers such as the Spectrum +3 and Amstrad 6128 computers. These computers can be often found at boot sales etc. and usually have the same description of "mostly in working order but the floppy drive defective".
Unlike later designs these FDDs use a flat belt to transfer the drive from the motor to the FDD drive section and like most rubber flat belts they rot with age. To fix a replacement belt is needed and these usually retail for around £2 to £3 on Ebay. The same belt fits the version fitted to the Spectrum +3 so you may be able to get cheaper just on description.
After removing the drive from the computer, turn it over to expose the circuit board side. Carefully unplug the two molex connectors, there is a third one buried inside that needs unplugging once the circuit board is free. Now remove any holding screws, again this may vary on batch, and then gently wiggle the board a few mm to release the drive active LED at the front. Gently skew the board to reveal the remains of the belt which if lucky will reveal the majority stuck around the motor capstan as a sticky mess. Use tweezers to remove all of the belt around both drive surfaces and then clean every last scrap of black goo off the capstan with a Q tip soaked in a solvent like VCR head cleaner.
Tip the drive on its side, gently lift the main cable loom side of the pcb and unclip the loom from its two holding wires, then unplug the last molex connector. Now the fun, much swearing as you thread the new belt into place. Replace the connectors and loom clips in the opposite order of disassembly.
The first part of the overhaul now complete, turn the drive over and clean the head worm drive off of congealed grease with a Q tip. Re-grease with a synthetic grease such as ZX1, using a small flat bladed screwdriver to wind the stepper motor as required. Clean the read/write head with a Q tip and head cleaning fluid. The drive is now ready for installation.
Sometimes the drive is out of alignment and has trouble reading disks, this goes for all models either refurbished or not, and there is an adjustment screw besides the worm drive that allows some tweaking to improve performance. A link to the procedure is included here; http://www.dataserve-retro.co.uk/content...k/d91.html
Pictures 1 to 3 show disassembly, 4 shows the new belt, 5 shows the FDD head alignment screw point.
Unlike later designs these FDDs use a flat belt to transfer the drive from the motor to the FDD drive section and like most rubber flat belts they rot with age. To fix a replacement belt is needed and these usually retail for around £2 to £3 on Ebay. The same belt fits the version fitted to the Spectrum +3 so you may be able to get cheaper just on description.
After removing the drive from the computer, turn it over to expose the circuit board side. Carefully unplug the two molex connectors, there is a third one buried inside that needs unplugging once the circuit board is free. Now remove any holding screws, again this may vary on batch, and then gently wiggle the board a few mm to release the drive active LED at the front. Gently skew the board to reveal the remains of the belt which if lucky will reveal the majority stuck around the motor capstan as a sticky mess. Use tweezers to remove all of the belt around both drive surfaces and then clean every last scrap of black goo off the capstan with a Q tip soaked in a solvent like VCR head cleaner.
Tip the drive on its side, gently lift the main cable loom side of the pcb and unclip the loom from its two holding wires, then unplug the last molex connector. Now the fun, much swearing as you thread the new belt into place. Replace the connectors and loom clips in the opposite order of disassembly.
The first part of the overhaul now complete, turn the drive over and clean the head worm drive off of congealed grease with a Q tip. Re-grease with a synthetic grease such as ZX1, using a small flat bladed screwdriver to wind the stepper motor as required. Clean the read/write head with a Q tip and head cleaning fluid. The drive is now ready for installation.
Sometimes the drive is out of alignment and has trouble reading disks, this goes for all models either refurbished or not, and there is an adjustment screw besides the worm drive that allows some tweaking to improve performance. A link to the procedure is included here; http://www.dataserve-retro.co.uk/content...k/d91.html
Pictures 1 to 3 show disassembly, 4 shows the new belt, 5 shows the FDD head alignment screw point.
