Hitachi Travelstar head stack matching

[Incubatorjones]

Hello all,
Long time listener - first time caller.
I need to replace a head stack for a Hitachi Travelstar 2.5" drive but cannot seem to find any info about what to look for. I have seen the charts by Scott others but I can't find exactly what to look for in order to successfully find a doner drive.
Any ideas?
Much thanks in advance...

[CK]

With all due respect, if you don't know what parts to match, then your chances of successfully attempting a head swap is zero. Matching parts is easy, performing the headswap is another matter.

[HDD Spaz]

This is not a job for a novice. Anyone else hate those bottom Magnets? Shame they are not screwed in.

[CK]

....not as much as I hate the glue/resin that they use on the top magnet in the small holes.

Hmm, you have me thinking now.........wouldn't the manufacturing process have been much easier if they screwed the bottom magnet to the casing?

[jono-ats]

This is not a job for a novice. Anyone else hate those bottom Magnets? Shame they are not screwed in.

What, you don't like the magnets chasing each other around? When you finally do get them oriented, it's a snap . . .

[msurgeon]

Never had a problem removing the heads/magnets as a single unit. Beats re-positioning magnets separately.

[HDD Spaz]

how do you remove head stack without removing top magnet?

[pcrecovery]

I recently bought 3 "NEW" Hitachi in which bags were opened (first bad sign). After several failed head swaps, I returned the heads to the donors, and they work fine!
I now suspect that the drives are in fact refurbished ones. Despite matching criteria of heads swap, they don't work in my patient. So, today I will try a used drive that I know is NOT refurbished. I am going to send the others back for refund.

PS: ANother sign was the ink marks on the head stack.

[lcoughey]

I agree...that stupid bottom magnet is the most annoying part of their design. I've never explored removing the magnets as a unit in these drives...didn't think it could be done without removing the heads first...which requires the removal of the top magnet first. I'm going to have to look into this further to be sure that it isn't an option...'cause, if it is, that is what I should be doing.

[pcimage]

I remove the magnets as a pair with the heads as one unit, much more reliable!

Sean

[HDD Spaz]

so you don't remove the heads from the parking stand? Be interested to know how you do that. I'm quite happy with my conventional method, seems to work 9 times out of 10.

[msurgeon]

so you don't remove the heads from the parking stand? Be interested to know how you do that. I'm quite happy with my conventional method, seems to work 9 times out of 10.

Heads are backed off ramp after removing plastic stopper in upper magnest. Then lift whole head/magnet assembly up and out- carefully, of course. Frankly, I thought this was the method everyone used. Can't understand why you'd do it the hard way.

[HDD Spaz]

me neither, but it works for me.

[Incubatorjones]

So, apparently no one knows the answer to my question.
Headstack replacement and how to match a doner drive
Western Digital: In the DCM code the 5th and 6th characters designate the head stack
Fujitsu: First character in the firmware revision
Maxtor: Looking at the 4 character, comma seperated code, the 3rd character has to match
IBM: MLC code designates the head stack

So what is it for Hitachi Travelstar?

[HDD Spaz]

I have success in matching just model. I suppose Date is the best param.

[CK]

Try to match MLC code also.

[HDD Spaz]

in my experience this is not really required. Trying to match MLC seems in to increase the price of donor's

[CK]

in my experience this is not really required. Trying to match MLC seems in to increase the price of donor's

Absolutely true! However, I'd rather pay a premium for an exact match rather than get a drive and find it's got a different headstack......then have to buy another. I've had a number of donors in where I've matched based on model number and manufacture date only to find different heads.

Better safe than sorry (and further out of pocket!)

[HDD Spaz]

but if you match mlc not gaurateed to get matching head map. I have found this out at great cost!

[pcimage]

but if you match mlc not gaurateed to get matching head map. I have found this out at great cost!

Me too. Waiting a week or so and paying premium price for rare parts to come across the pond, only to find the head layout is different.