I'm interested to know what process you guys use when you place a replacement head stack onto the platters.

Yesterday I did a swap on a ST3250410AS, 1 platter, 2 heads. The original heads were both dead, preamp gone. I got a matching donor drive and removed the head stack from it, keeping heads apart. I removed the faulty head stack from patient drive and transplanted the working donor head stack into the patient HDA. At this point I have the HSA screwed in and the heads held apart with a piece of plastic film cut into a V shape, so that it can slide back onto the platter along with the heads. I can get the heads back onto the platter without a problem. At this point, with the heads on the outside of the platter, what process do you guys use to return the heads to the inside of the platter, to the parking place?

I find that spinning the platter from the mounting, in it's usual direction, whilst moving the heads back to the parking space works ok, but it's hard to get the platter moving initally, almost like stiction. Once it's going the heads move about easily, but that first bit - I'm worried about damaging the sliders or the platter. Or should the drive just be re-assembled and powered on, at which point the heads will return to their place by themselves?

I'm working in a laminar flow bench so contamiation isn't a problem.

Thanks

_________________
Death is nothing, but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily.
Data Recovery Cape Town

with your tools I would say turning the platter is your best option. Other professional tools will move heads to the inside without them making contact with the platter. Just make sure you turn it the correct direction.

Yes, turning the platter is really your only option, and try to make sure you do it without stopping. When I used to do head swaps like this, I always made sure I turned my hand enough that I could slowly get the heads to the parking area and keep the platters turning all in one move. If you stop turning them, they will tend to bond with the platter, and you run the risk of damaging the head and the platter.