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On Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:23:04 +1000, Jimmy Dean wrote:

> Press load/eject button on drive, tray ejects maybe a mm or 2 before
> retracting back into the drive.. makes "clunk.. clunk" sound
>
> Standard way to open is to use a paper-clip in the eject hole - that
> works fine...
>
> But is there anyway to FIX the drive so it will eject normally when the
> button is pressed?
>
> Have opened said drive but can't see what is the problem..
>
> TIA
>
> jd

Usually a little belt up front. Clean it with alcohol. If this is the
problem the drive may eject properly with a disc in it.



--
Live Fast, Die Young and Leave a Pretty Corpse

Meat Plow wrote:

> Usually a little belt up front. Clean it with alcohol. If this is the
> problem the drive may eject properly with a disc in it.

Mine has a bit of age and a ton o' use on it. It's almost impossible
to get open empty, but works every time if I leave a disc in it.
Certainly worth a try for the OP.

On Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:42:55 -0400, 83LowRider wrote:

> Meat Plow wrote:
>
>> Usually a little belt up front. Clean it with alcohol. If this is the
>> problem the drive may eject properly with a disc in it.
>
> Mine has a bit of age and a ton o' use on it. It's almost impossible to
> get open empty, but works every time if I leave a disc in it. Certainly
> worth a try for the OP.

Yeah it's the belt. When you insert a disc it keeps the magnet that holds
the upper/lower spindles together, farther apart. The load/unload
mechanism needs less force to pull those spindles apart with a disc in
between them. Belt is visible with the tray open. LiteOn drives were
horrible with belts. You didn't even have to use the drive, just the fact
that air is sucked in through the spaces between the tray and the drive's
facade (right over the belt) caused the belt to malfunction. A little
alcohol on a q-tip usually extended the belt life for a few months.



--
Live Fast, Die Young and Leave a Pretty Corpse

On Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:04:03 +1000, Jimmy Dean wrote:

> On Wed, 8 Sep 2010 04:22:43 +0000 (UTC), Meat Plow <>
> wrote:
>
>>On Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:23:04 +1000, Jimmy Dean wrote:
>>
>>> Press load/eject button on drive, tray ejects maybe a mm or 2 before
>>> retracting back into the drive.. makes "clunk.. clunk" sound
>>>
>>> Standard way to open is to use a paper-clip in the eject hole - that
>>> works fine...
>>>
>>> But is there anyway to FIX the drive so it will eject normally when
>>> the button is pressed?
>>>
>>> Have opened said drive but can't see what is the problem..
>>>
>>> TIA
>>>
>>> jd
>>
>>Usually a little belt up front. Clean it with alcohol. If this is the
>>problem the drive may eject properly with a disc in it.
>
> Saw elsewhere where someone recommended "belt-grip" on the belt, or
> simply replacing the belt. Also someone else in this thread replied
> suggesting the belt as the prob.
>
> Looks like the belt might be the key to a solution...
>
> When I check the last drive which had this prob (which I still have
> fortunately, but when I think of all the drives I've discarded..), I
> see the little belt through the cutout in the tray. Looks easy to access
> and replace (if one can find a replacement).
>
> I'll try it and get back..
>
> jd

Yeah the problem is buying 1 belt of the right size. I have a place
nearby that sells electronics stuff and has a good selection of drive
belts for VCR's and other stuff. I've not needed to replace one of these
tray drive belts but they look like they are a common size. Try removing
it and dipping it in rubbing alcohol and then pull it through a paper
towel.

I'd bet it fixes your problem for a few months anyway. Like I mentioned
earlier I've done it on two LiteOn and one LG drive. One LiteOn was from
2006 and eventually failed to read discs but it still ejected The
other is still in use. The LG Multi was cleaned a couple months ago and
still works fine. It's very uncommon to find a stretched or cracked belt
however I recall a few years ago finding one that was broken. Let us know.



--
Live Fast, Die Young and Leave a Pretty Corpse