Western digital head swap question

[kostasm]

Hello forum..

Yesterday my most important hard disk drive fell off my hands on the floor and my heart stopped for a few seconds
When i put it back on-line i heard clicking noise from the heads. I open it carefully and I saw that one head has broken.

The hard disk is a Western digital
MDL : WD3200KS-00PFB0
LBA 625142448
DCM HHBACAJAH

So decided to swap heads watching some videos on you tube and reading some articles, but i need to find the compatible heads.
So my question is :
Do you know for sure what letters from DCM should be the same to find the same heads ?

Thank you very match.
Kostas

Attachments

My hard disk

[pcimage]

The DCM is the least of your issues, these drives have hideous inter-head alignment issues which prove very tricky, even for a lot of pros.

So with respect, I give you 0.1% chance of succeeding

If you need the data then send it to a DECENT pro, with specific experience with this model.

[kostasm]

i will take my chances..

But can you answer to my question ? what about the DCM letters ?

[pcimage]

There is conflicting information about DCM and what characters are necessary to match. Some people say 4&5 and some say 5&6

But to me personally, DCM is mostly irrelevant and have had success with using heads from drives with totally different DCM, and even model.

But in 99.9% of cases the drive DOES NOT spin up and work right off on its own, as you're expecting it to. I can virtually guarantee that.

Sorry it's not what you wanted to hear

[jono-ats]

Positions 5 & 6 for this model.

This is a drive with 6 heads, and a lid / bearing cap alignment issue. You've already buggered up the head alignment by opening the drive. The fact that this drive doesn't have a parking ramp, but parks heads on the platters, and one head is broken, means that there is media damage.

You'd be better off spending your time and money with a bottle of Tsipuro, vrai.

Yiassou (kai kali tehee),

Yiannis

[kostasm]

ok guys.. i think you are right but i will try to do it. 0.1% is enough for me
Yasoo Yanni!!!

[kostasm]

What do you think about this ?
mine is HHBACAJAH
new is DSCACAJCA
4,5 & 6 are the same.
do you think its combatible ?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Western-Digital ... 20dbd638c7

[Moteb]

an advice : don't try to swap head
A professionel wil recover a big part of the data with the preserved heads ( he can control each head and image data with each one ).

[labtech]

That's pretty good match or even closer:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Western-Digital ... 2ecb811599

or

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Western-Digital ... 53feb9f93d

[pcimage]

an advice : don't try to swap head
A professionel wil recover a big part of the data with the preserved heads ( he can control each head and image data with each one ).

Too late, he's already replaced them once

[HaQue]

Please post the outcome for all to see the result of DIY "Headswap after watching some videos on it". I think it will be a valuable piece of data for anyone else contemplating it.

[kostasm]

First of all thank you for your intrest and your answers to my problem.

I didnt replace them yet, i just open it and saw that one of the heads is broken.

is anyone here tried to swap heads like me and succeeded ?
if the heads are combatible and put them carefully to the platter without touch the heads each other and park them on the platter next to the ring like the old ones, do i have to do something else ?

[mr_spokk]

I didnt replace them yet, i just open it and saw that one of the heads is broken.

Then I must ask HOW did you see that it was broken? Is it the top platters head or other?

Bosse

Last edited by mr_spokk on December 19th, 2013, 11:29, edited 1 time in total.

[pcimage]

an advice : don't try to swap head
A professionel wil recover a big part of the data with the preserved heads ( he can control each head and image data with each one ).

Too late, he's already replaced them once

Sorry, I didn't read your first message properly.

I just saw "So decided to swap heads watching some videos on you tube and reading some articles," and assumed incorrectly you'd already done it!

Still won't change my advice though...

DON'T!!!!!!!!!

[kostasm]

I didnt replace them yet, i just open it and saw that one of the heads is broken.

Then I must ask HOW did you see that it was broken? Is it the top platters head or other?

Bosse

No its one head inside the platers. I did take out the heads carefully to see the damaged head.

[ShaneWard]

First of all thank you for your intrest and your answers to my problem.

I didnt replace them yet, i just open it and saw that one of the heads is broken.

is anyone here tried to swap heads like me and succeeded ?
if the heads are combatible and put them carefully to the platter without touch the heads each other and park them on the platter next to the ring like the old ones, do i have to do something else ?

Did you say RING... There should be no rings on the platters. It should be crystal clear... If there is a ring, then you have a big problem.

Shane

[kostasm]

First of all thank you for your intrest and your answers to my problem.

I didnt replace them yet, i just open it and saw that one of the heads is broken.

is anyone here tried to swap heads like me and succeeded ?
if the heads are combatible and put them carefully to the platter without touch the heads each other and park them on the platter next to the ring like the old ones, do i have to do something else ?

Did you say RING... There should be no rings on the platters. It should be crystal clear... If there is a ring, then you have a big problem.

Shane

i ment the center of the platter, the ring that has some screws

[HaQue]

I feel like nick Cage in "Knowing"

[Moteb]

I feel like nick Cage in "Knowing"

[Matiw]

Did you open it in a clean room ?