How To: Budget DVD Writer

[RWDPLZ]

Since I don't want to spend $100 + shipping on a DVD writer for my Thinkpads, I decided to try something a little different. This may be common knowledge, but I thought I'd post it anyway.

Parts needed:

1 x 27L4351 DVD-ROM drive
1 x UJ-820B DVD Super Multi Drive
1 x extra-tiny phillips screwdriver

This will probably also work with many other M a t s u s h i t a drives, but I'm providing these specific part numbers because they are what I've confimed work. The main thing is that the Eject button and the paperclip eject hole are in the same position on both drives. Both of these drives have them on the far right, with the pinhole just left of the eject button. Buying a non-functional DVD-ROM would be cheaper, but I was unable to find one.

Basically what you do is transfer the black plastic IBM adapter pieces over to the UJ-820B. My UJ came from a Toshiba so I had to remove that original faceplate and the back adapter first.

The back piece is held on by two screws on the outside, not the two by the brown connector. Plug it into the UJ and replace the screws.

The side rails are held in by two screws each, and the one side has a metal spring, which just floats in the hole.

The faceplate: insert a paperclip into the eject hole to eject the tray, and push the white lever on the UJ to open each drive. The faceplate is held on by 3 screws, one at both sides and another in the middle.

Once it's done, plug the drive in the laptop, and boot up. Windows should recognize the new drive right away.

[rkawakami]

I have gone the other, harder-to-find-at-a-cheap-price, route. I found a seller on eBay with a "conversion kit" for Ultrabay 2000 drives. It's basically just the IDE connector, two side rails, spring and screws, which takes the bare drive and converts it for use in the Ultrabay. As you have found, the front bezel is the trickiest part to find/adapt. In this case I choose to take a Dremel to the existing faceplate and cut off the "notch" on the right side:

http://www.rkawakami.net/ibm_t2x/u2k_bezel_mod.jpg

I've installed a couple of UJ-820 and UJ-840 drives, along with Dell/HP/Toshiba versions of a GCC-4240N CDRW/DVD combo drive into the T23s using this technique. This way I don't have to research/find/buy a second drive to match the bezels, however it does give the system a "hacked" appearance . But for the price I got the kits, I can overlook that detail .