I joined you folks as Amstrad owner, twenty years after giving mine to someone.
I had an opportunity to get a 6128 with screen and MP-3 tuner for fifty euros.
Of course, it seems to have the drive belt syndrom (at least i hope it's that. I have ordered a replacement for the belt which was effectively broken).
While i dismantled it, i looked for the CRTC type, here it is :
(http://i.imgur.com/n8VKbcBs.jpg) (http://imgur.com/n8VKbcB)
It is CRTC 4, right? The costdown version of the CPC.
I have a Hxc on the way, and a tape cable for full experience :)
they ship those into Antartica ?
Quote from: MacDeath on 22:31, 04 June 14
they ship those into Antartica ?
Well, i'm the very north of Antartica :P
Yes, that's the cost down ASIC.
Bryce.
Argggg.... I'm going crazy. I received my drive belt today so i tried to change it.
Normally i have removed the very most part of the rubber from the former belt, so i put the belt in place, i put everything back in place and... the disk drive kinda works but makes a horrible sound and does not read any disk.
In fact, everytime i turn the drive back to his initial position, the belt start to get off the gear and then the sound start (a sound like a very old rusty motor).
Sometimes, if i plug the drive and let it upside down, the belt stay in place and the drive make a normal sound (but can't read any disk), but as soon as i turn it to the normal positin, the belt goes off.
I even tried an arnoldemu suggestion from an other topic where he said that belt as two sides and one side is more slippery than the other, and i think that's right but changing side doesn't fix the problem even though it's better than on the wrong side (where the belt goes off immedialty, even when upside down).
By the way, after pluging and unplugging the wires many times, i've unsoldered the small 12v connector, eventhough i stay quite solidly in place thanks to the stain remaining, but i feel i'm gonna break something hard to repair if i continue to try and retry...
Anyone has an idea? (Even better, if someone would like to have a look, i would pay postage fares. I'm gonna get a Hxc soon so i'm not in a hurry to have a functioning drive. If he has soldering skill that would be even better as i'd like to have the connector soldered back and it's to precise to do it by myself)
Quote from: remax on 21:09, 06 June 14
In fact, everytime i turn the drive back to his initial position, the belt start to get off the gear and then the sound start (a sound like a very old rusty motor).
Sometimes, if i plug the drive and let it upside down, the belt stay in place and the drive make a normal sound (but can't read any disk), but as soon as i turn it to the normal positin, the belt goes off.
Can you confirm the drive model ? With a cost down I would expect a EME156V.
Quote from: remax on 21:09, 06 June 14
Anyone has an idea?
The pulley(white)/drive(black on the other side) assembly may have moved so there is a gap that make the big pulley going off plane of the motor, making the belt to get off.
As a side effect, if the shift is big :
1. the pulley may contact the PCB
2. the coupling mechanism with the floppy axis will not work anymore (the metal axis should get out of the black piece about 3 mm).
Look at http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:EME-156V_BackLeftTop.jpg (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:EME-156V_BackLeftTop.jpg) and http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:EME-156V_BackRightBottom.jpg (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:EME-156V_BackRightBottom.jpg) for proper position.
Quote from: gerald on 22:12, 06 June 14
Can you confirm the drive model ? With a cost down I would expect a EME156V.
Yes, it's this one
Quote from: gerald on 22:12, 06 June 14The pulley(white)/drive(black on the other side) assembly may have moved so there is a gap that make the big pulley going off plane of the motor, making the belt to get off. As a side effect, if the shift is big : 1. the pulley may contact the PCB 2. the coupling mechanism with the floppy axis will not work anymore (the metal axis should get out of the black piece about 3 mm). Look at http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:EME-156V_BackLeftTop.jpg (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:EME-156V_BackLeftTop.jpg) and http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:EME-156V_BackRightBottom.jpg (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:EME-156V_BackRightBottom.jpg) for proper position.
That might be something around this. Perhaps the pulley goes down a little when it's head down.... I don't know how i could avoid this...
I have no evidence that it's the problem, only the scenario seems to be plausible.EDIT : Well, the pulley seems quite well fixed, even if it doesn't turn perfectly round... but i'm sure i'm on the good way fiding the problem.It's the belt or the motor that touch the PCB as the noise stop as soon as i lift a little the PCB
Is there a way to adjust the metal axis? From the pictures, it seems to me that it should get out a little bit more on the pulley side an a little less more on the motor side (approx half a milimeter)
Quote from: remax on 22:17, 06 June 14
That might be something around this. Perhaps the pulley goes down a little when it's head down.... I don't know how i could avoid this...
The adjustement should be about a 10th of mm. If you get more, there is a problem.
Quote from: remax on 22:17, 06 June 14I have no evidence that it's the problem, only the scenario seems to be plausible.
EDIT : Well, the pulley seems quite well fixed, even if it doesn't turn perfectly round... but i'm sure i'm on the good way fiding the problem.
It's the belt or the motor that touch the PCB as the noise stop as soon as i lift a little the PCB
It can also be the pulley touching C6 on the PCB, which is quite close.
Can you take a picture of both side of the drive mechanism ?
Quote from: remax on 22:55, 06 June 14
Is there a way to adjust the metal axis? From the pictures, it seems to me that it should get out a little bit more on the pulley side an a little less more on the motor side (approx half a milimeter)
The axis can be adjusted, but you have to 'force' a bit. That lead to the question : how can this get wrong with time >:( .
I've fixed two drive with this problem :
one EME150A, which is working fine now.
one EME156V, which still does not work, but this is linked to the floppy carriage mechanism that has been abused by its previous owner. The floppy does not touch the head !
A few years ago I replaced a drive belt. But found it to be very noisy when i put it all back together. like a rubbing noise.
I thought I had cleaned up the pulley spindles from all the old perished rubber that had gone soft like tar/glue.
When I pulled it apart again I noticed the new belt had shifted almost off the pulley.
I re-checked the spindle and noticed I had not quite removed all the old rubber, causing the new belt to 'ride' up the spindle
and rub on the board.
Once I had thoroughly cleaned the spindle, the drive was quiet and it all worked fine.
It may be worth giving it another check to make sure all the old rubber is cleaned off the spindles as it does not take much
to make the new belt 'ride' off.
Cheers,
Shane
Quote from: gerald on 06:48, 07 June 14
It can also be the pulley touching C6 on the PCB, which is quite close.
Can you take a picture of both side of the drive mechanism ?The axis can be adjusted, but you have to 'force' a bit. That lead to the question : how can this get wrong with time >:( .
It seems to me, according to the only photo you linked me that the axis should be a little higher on the white pulley side and a little lower on the black motor side, but it's not a huge gap
(http://i.imgur.com/19cvdwys.jpg) (http://imgur.com/19cvdwy) (http://i.imgur.com/QL5JqC8s.jpg) (http://imgur.com/QL5JqC8)
I've loosen up a little bit one of the screw of the pcb and put paper under the metallic structure of the drive so that the plastic doesn't push the PCB against the belt and now it works without any sound and the belt stay well in the white pulley (but still goes up a little in the golden motor).
But it still doesn't read any disk. (Read fail, the head goes immedialty down)... Is there an another problem with this drive too? (or it might be related withe pulley/motor problem).
When i'll get my hxc, i'll try the spin diagnostic disk to see at which rate it turns...
Quote from: 00WReX on 09:37, 07 June 14
A few years ago I replaced a drive belt. But found it to be very noisy when i put it all back together. like a rubbing noise.
I thought I had cleaned up the pulley spindles from all the old perished rubber that had gone soft like tar/glue.
When I pulled it apart again I noticed the new belt had shifted almost off the pulley.
I re-checked the spindle and noticed I had not quite removed all the old rubber, causing the new belt to 'ride' up the spindle
and rub on the board.
Once I had thoroughly cleaned the spindle, the drive was quiet and it all worked fine.
It may be worth giving it another check to make sure all the old rubber is cleaned off the spindles as it does not take much
to make the new belt 'ride' off.
Cheers,
Shane
Thanks, i'll give it another go. The white pulley is perfectly clean, the golden motor is quite good, i'm not sure i have enough rubber remaining so that it does get off so fast... but i have to tempt everything.
Quote from: remax on 10:36, 07 June 14
It seems to me, according to the only photo you linked me that the axis should be a little higher on the white pulley side and a little lower on the black motor side, but it's not a huge gap
Looks good to me. Full picture set for other drives are here : Amstrad FDD part - CPCWiki (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_FDD_part)
Quote from: remax on 10:36, 07 June 14
I've loosen up a little bit one of the screw of the pcb and put paper under the metallic structure of the drive so that the plastic doesn't push the PCB against the belt and now it works without any sound and the belt stay well in the white pulley (but still goes up a little in the golden motor).
Did you check if where the belt (or the pulley) is touching ?. Possible component could C6 (Pulley) and L1/L2 (belt)
Quote from: remax on 10:36, 07 June 14
But it still doesn't read any disk. (Read fail, the head goes immedialty down)... Is there an another problem with this drive too? (or it might be related withe pulley/motor problem).
When i'll get my hxc, i'll try the spin diagnostic disk to see at which rate it turns...
I was about to suggest you to check the speed ;D , but if you do not have a working drive at all, you may try the tool using the tape port ?
As a side note : did you check you still have the write protection pin ?
Quote from: gerald on 11:11, 07 June 14
Looks good to me. Full picture set for other drives are here : Amstrad FDD part - CPCWiki (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Amstrad_FDD_part)
Ok so this one is forgotten
QuoteDid you check if where the belt (or the pulley) is touching ?. Possible component could C6 (Pulley) and L1/L2 (belt)
I gonna try again, but that's the thing i have difficulty to do...
QuoteI was about to suggest you to check the speed ;D , but if you do not have a working drive at all, you may try the tool using the tape port ?
I wait for my tape cable too :D. I'll have one or the other next week.
QuoteAs a side note : did you check you still have the write protection pin ?
Yeah, i keep an eye on it like my precious :D
This has nothing to do with the positions of the pulleys. If you leave even the tiniest bit of old rubber on one of them the belt comes off. Check both pulleys again, especially the small white one, if there's any gunk left in the corners of the ridge it will cause this.
Bryce.
Quote from: Bryce on 22:39, 14 June 14
This has nothing to do with the positions of the pulleys. If you leave even the tiniest bit of old rubber on one of them the belt comes off. Check both pulleys again, especially the small white one, if there's any gunk left in the corners of the ridge it will cause this.
Bryce.
I quite fixed it by loosening the screw that keep the pcb in place. It didn't really fixed the real problem, but at least fixed the symptoms : the belt stays in place (that's a proof that the problem has nothing to do with my pulleys being dirty).
I still have a read fail problem, but the drive now successfully read a disk about 30% of the time (in the missed episodes of my story, it was a read fail for every and each time i tryied). It seems not to come from drive rotation speed (i have a near perfect 300), so i have narrowed it to the 00 track finder that might be a bit off.
I'm in relation with gerald that has what is needed to do that if i don't succeed to make it run perfect.
Quote from: remax on 00:01, 15 June 14
I quite fixed it by loosening the screw that keep the pcb in place. It didn't really fixed the real problem, but at least fixed the symptoms : the belt stays in place (that's a proof that the problem has nothing to do with my pulleys being dirty).
That doesn't prove that it's not a dirt problem, in fact it confirms the dirt problem. The drives I've observed had the following failure mode: The dirt makes the belt move to one side of the pulley wheel, the belt then catches in the PCB which pulls it off completely. With the PCB removed/lifted the problem doesn't happen, but with the pulley properly cleaned, the PCB can be fully screwed in place.
Bryce.
Ok, well, i'll give it a tenth or so cleaning...
Thanks
He who does not listen to Master Bryce, will suffer the consequences.
Quote from: mr_lou on 16:17, 18 June 14
He who does not listen to Master Bryce, will suffer the consequences.
I wouldn't go that far. But they might end up still having a broken drive. :)
Bryce.
Quote from: Bryce on 20:25, 20 June 14
I wouldn't go that far. But they might end up still having a broken drive. :)
.... and that's the consequence..... ;)