drive repair tips?

[der Mouse]

>> [..."repairing" a disk drive whose bearings may be shot...]
> Don't expect to get good results but consider it as an experiment in
> how to analyze a drive failure.

Exactly.

> One last thing is that you may need to make some special spanners to
> undo some of the fasteners.

I've taken apart a couple of drives that were sufficiently dead I
didn't care about them, and I didn't need anything but a set of torxes.
I suppose this drive may be different, but certainly all the things I
can _see_ are simple torxes....

> Remember, you can't rotate the disk while the heads are on the
> surface.  You'll need to make a comb like tool to lift them off while
> banging and digging on things.

Actually, in the two drives I took apart, when powered down the heads
swung completely clear of the platters.  I suppose when I take this one
apart I'll find out whether it's similar.

> Hope this doesn't scare you.  I do wish to hear what results you
> have.  Also any observations you have while disassembling.

Oh, never fear, I'll report here, even if it's only "sorry, I dropped
the screwdriver on the platter, so it can't possibly work right even if
I did get the bearing fixed" :-/

> The brand and type of drive are also of interest here.

Seagate ST51080N, OEMed thorugh SGI.

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