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WTB: 1.44MB floppy drive for IBM P70 (FRU 38F5936 or 64F0162)

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Arf the Lab
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Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:10 pm
Location: USA

WTB: 1.44MB floppy drive for IBM P70 (FRU 38F5936 or 64F0162)

#1 Post by Arf the Lab » Thu Nov 30, 2017 9:41 pm

Hello, all.

I've recently acquired an IBM P70 portable PS/2 machine, but its 1.44mb floppy drive is kaput. (As is to be expected with these machines, sadly.)
I'm looking for a tested and working replacement: either FRU 38F5936 or 64F0162, or a standard drive that has been successfully modified to work with the P70.

Please let me know if you have one available, thanks.

thinkpadcollection
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Re: WTB: 1.44MB floppy drive for IBM P70 (FRU 38F5936 or 64F0162)

#2 Post by thinkpadcollection » Thu Nov 30, 2017 11:16 pm

Can you hear the floppy head seeking during POST nicely at boot up? If not, that's your problem, old grease in these tend to thicken up so much that is now practically glue, that will not allow the lead screw stepper unable to turn the lead screw. See if can clean old grease off the head screw that head rides on back and forth, also the bearings at both ends of the screw (one on the pillar, one for the stepper motor, you can unclip the stepper's motor cover and withdraw the screw with it's rotor, clean everything better this way) and rails clean then fresh lube? Also make sure the heads is clean too. This will not upset the adjustment.

I fixed one for model 70 years ago.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection

Arf the Lab
Posts: 48
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:10 pm
Location: USA

Re: WTB: 1.44MB floppy drive for IBM P70 (FRU 38F5936 or 64F0162)

#3 Post by Arf the Lab » Thu Nov 30, 2017 11:46 pm

I have since discarded the original drive.
Looking for a working replacement.
However thanks for the repair tips.

RealBlackStuff
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Re: WTB: 1.44MB floppy drive for IBM P70 (FRU 38F5936 or 64F0162)

#4 Post by RealBlackStuff » Fri Dec 01, 2017 5:23 am

That's the worst thing you could have done!
You don't throw such a rare item away, just because it doesn't work (yet)...

Anyway, have a look here:
https://abitoutofplace.wordpress.com/20 ... ve-repair/
http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.p ... 2%29/page2
http://www.tavi.co.uk/ps2pages/ohland/floppy.html

And a possible brand new drive: https://www.ebay.com/itm/131829935252
Lovely day for a Guinness! (The Real Black Stuff)
Lenovo: X240, X250, T440p, T480, M900 Tiny.

PS: the old Boardroom website is still available on the Wayback Machine
.

SteveCoops
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2017 6:03 am
Location: Essex, UK

Re: WTB: 1.44MB floppy drive for IBM P70 (FRU 38F5936 or 64F0162)

#5 Post by SteveCoops » Wed Dec 13, 2017 1:00 pm

I picked up a P70 a few months back and the floppy drive didn't work on it either. I tried every repair going but no good. Ended up modding a standard cable for a standard drive and it works perfectly. Only problem is the blue eject button doesn't fit properly, but I'm loathed to cut and glue the button cos there's no way back from that! It's an easy fix.

Cheers,
Steve

thinkpadcollection
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Re: WTB: 1.44MB floppy drive for IBM P70 (FRU 38F5936 or 64F0162)

#6 Post by thinkpadcollection » Wed Dec 13, 2017 8:55 pm

In PS/2 (1987 thru 1992ish) era floppy drives reason for the failure of floppy test during POST boot up is heads did not cycle back and forth properly due to optical gate that interrupts the optical slit beam of IR signal is not cycled. This is also the track zero signal too.

Reason for the leader screw is not spinning is a difference between generic floppy's lead screw end is a ball point spinning on ring of balls in a cup vs PS/2 plain sleeve bearing to support far end lead screw. This is where original lube transformed into glue. This is why I said take a look. The end play is kept in place by the snap on cover over the stepper's housing. I just take this cover off and unscrew and withdraw the lead screw with it's magnet rotor, clean off old lube on all both sleeve bearings and lead screw. Reinstall lead screw, reinstall snap on cover, lube sleeve bearings with car motor oil and one line of grease on the lead screw and try again.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection

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