ACT/Apricot
Apricot repairs
Freeing a sticky floppy drive
This one's quite easy as long as you are happy about taking your Apricot apart. These instructions are for an Apricot PC. You will need some three-in-one oil with dropper or similar and a spare floppy disk.
Step by step:-
- Take case off (three screws in the back of the case, the back falls off and the top cover can be lifted off).
- Remove the drive cables (one power and one ribbon cable each). Watch the power cables - they're stubborn.
- Remove four screws that hold the drive cage down onto the metal plate underneath. There are two vertial screws on each side.
- Turn the drive cage over on it's top and remove the offending drive by undoing the pair of screws on each side. Watch out for the loose floppy drive eject button and the loose spring behind it (ie don't loose them).
- Remove the metal cover on the drive (one screw at back). The mechanics that need attention are on the right hand side of the drive.
- Insert the floppy and watch the mechanics near the back of the drive. There are two bars that slide back and forth. The lower one goes almost the full length of the drive and is pushed by the eject button. The upper one is shorter and is near the back. A small arm pivots right at the back of the mechanics. At the front of the arm, there is a small stud which is meant to flick between notches in the top and bottom arms. When the drive is sticking, it has to be persuaded.
- Use the oil sparingly and make sure it only goes on the
mechanics on the side of the drive.
Oil the sliding bars where they are fastened to the drive cage (two round fasteners through a hole in each bar).
Oil the small pivoting arm. Oil it around it's edge at the pivot end. Oil it on it's surface where you can see it on the side of the drive. Put a very small amount of oil around the stud. - Insert and remove the floppy a number of times. Move the stud manually at first to ensure you get the full drive motion.
- Re-oil any of the parts which have since got dry because the oil has moved out of sight to where it is needed. Still use it very sparingly.
- Exercise the drive again a few times. It should be starting to free up now. Don't expect it to be perfect - this should come through normal use.
- Replace the drive cover (screw at back).
- Pop the drive eject button back in the facia and insert the spring in the button.
- Hold the drive cage upright on it's front and lower the drive into it. Tweak the LED with a screwdriver if necessary to make sure it slots back into the entry point in the facia. When in position, screw the drive into the cage.
- The rest should be easy - just a matter of reversing the dismantling process.
The best way to clean your green screen.
Thanks to Bill Appleton for the information:
- Dismantle the monitor case and remove the electronics.
- Un-bolt the tube from the frame and the mesh will also come away with it. The mesh is seperate from the tube and is only made of plastic. Wash it out and dry with a hair dryer.
- Clean the face of the tube with glass polish and re-assemble the electronics and case.
"I have done this to several Sirius screens and the differance is astounding. There is no other way to do this. Bill"
