Head Swap on a st3000dm001w/o tools

[D_R]

Hi,

currently I'm trying to understand, what went wrong on my tests with a st3000dm001 drive, where I tried to replace the heads.

First of all, the drives I'm playing with, are dead, so there is no data I worry about.

On my first test, I used spacers to prevent the heads touching each other. The heads were on the parking ramp. Then I removed it. I did the same with the donor.

Then I placed the heads on the patient drive and screw them at the bottom. Then I moved the heads to the parking ramp. Without force, they went onto the ramp. Then I removed the spacers. And placed the magnet back in place. Then I tried to move the heads onto the Platter surface. But the heads got stucked on the surface of the platter and didn't move. So I tried to move the platter a little bit, I heard a snapping sound and saw, that my sliders were gone. I did the same two times. Both times I tried place the heads on the parking ramp and then to move them to the platter surface. It didn't work for me.

Then I had enough, I removed the parking ramp and put the heads right onto the platter surface. Then I placed the parking ramp back into it's place. That worked for me. But I don't understand, what went wrong with the first two sets of heads?

[lcoughey]

Why would you move the heads off the "parking" ramp onto the platters?

[F_ARG]

Then I tried to move the heads onto the Platter surface. But the heads got stucked on the surface of the platter and didn't move. So I tried to move the platter a little bit, I heard a snapping sound and saw, that my sliders were gone. I did the same two times. Both times I tried place the heads on the parking ramp and then to move them to the platter surface. It didn't work for me.

I don t understand why did you do that. The head change should be ended when you did this:

Then I moved the heads to the parking ramp. Without force, they went onto the ramp

Best!

F

[D_R]

Why would you move the heads off the "parking" ramp onto the platters?

To test the mechanical part of the head, if everything is ok. To prevent that the head get damaged when it jumps from the parking ramp on to the platter. Nothing is worse, than a damaged head scratching on a spinning platter. Or what's wrong?

When I placed the third (patients head) back onto the platter and then onto the parking ramp, I was able to move the head back and forth from the ramp onto the platter without a problem.

That's why I don't understand, what went wrong, when I placed the heads onto the parking ramp.

[F_ARG]

Hi D_R

Nothing is worse, than a damaged head scratching on a spinning platter

Maybe, but IMHO when you do a head swap you want to preserve new heads all you can so i wouldn t place them into platter surface. When you place the heads on HDD platter you are putting them into an unnecesary risk (they can stuck as you saw).

Best!

F

[hdd_sand]

Hi,

currently I'm trying to understand?
"Then I tried to move the heads onto the Platter surface"

This post most be a joke right, he's not seriously asking the question right??

[D_R]

This post most be a joke right, he's not seriously asking the question right??

Why? What is the problem with it?

[hdd_sand]

This post most be a joke right, he's not seriously asking the question right??

Why? What is the problem with it?

Watch this, it may help you understand...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuue2Rn ... u.be&t=137

to minute 3:15, heads never pushed onto the platters.

[rogfanther]

Because you moved the heads without the platters spinning at the correct speed, so that the heads would float over them. The way you moved them, the heads would land over the platters and either scratch them if the disk was powered, or adhere to them blocking the motor to spin. Either way, damaging the heads.

[D_R]

Yes, in this video, he had the HDD Surgery tools to hold the heads in place. My problem was that I didn't know if the heads went the parking ramp the right way up.

Because you moved the heads without the platters spinning at the correct speed, so that the heads would float over them. The way you moved them, the heads would land over the platters and either scratch them if the disk was powered, or adhere to them blocking the motor to spin. Either way, damaging the heads.

Hm.. On older 3.5" drives there were no parking ramps. The heads were lying near the inner ring. So why it's a problem to put the heads to the surface area?

And up to that point I hadn't see stucked heads on a 3.5" drive. Stucked so much that moving the platters ripped the slider away.

And where is the difference between the original heads of the drive, that I can move onto the surface and back to the ramp without a problem, and the new heads?

[hdd_sand]

on the old drives you will spin the platters while moving the heads to the landing zone or make some long spacer that you can slide the heads without touching the platter

[hdd_sand]

HDD Surgery tools are no necessary if you have the know how...

[D_R]

HDD Surgery tools are no necessary if you have the know how...

And that's why I'm playing with some dead drives (and ask questions here on the board) to get the know how.

[hdd_sand]

Part of my head swap tools....

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