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From: john@bby-bc.UUCP (john)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Busted Harddisk
Message-ID: <143@bby-bc.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 17-Jul-87 16:03:37 EDT
Article-I.D.: bby-bc.143
Posted: Fri Jul 17 16:03:37 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 18-Jul-87 18:43:56 EDT
References: <627@homxc.UUCP> <11250002@hpldoma.HP.COM>
Organization: Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Lines: 20
Summary: could be brake

> I have had a similar problem with a Seagate drive and it DOES seem to be
> that the motor stops in an odd position.  I have picked up the computer
> box and shaken it side to side (on the advice of our in-house repair
> shop) and lo-and-behold the drive works!!!!
> 
> Upon talking to the service dep't (here) the drive seems to stop
> out-of-phase with the motor and will not be able to spin.
> 
> Shaking the box (POWER OFF OF COURSE !!  :-)) seems to jar the spindle
> just enough that it will now begin turning.

It could also be the brake.  I had the same symptoms on my drive (nota
seagate) and when I took it apart I could see that the brake shoe (just
a little cork pad) was worn asymmetrically.  When the drive stopped there
was enough play that the brake would become skewed and sort of wedge the
motor in place.  I just took the solenoid out and trimmed the cork with
a razor blade so that the face was properly at right angles to the body
and everything worked fine after that.

john