[Info-vax] Suggestions for Toshiba CD-ROM drive problem

[Steven Schweda]

> [...] It slipped right on and seemed to work. [...]

   Until it slips right off?  Or just slips?  In my (limited)
experience, it's not unusual for an old/embrittled press-fit plastic
gear to crack (radially) from its long, stressful life.  If it's not an
idler, and it's loose on its shaft (because it's cracked), then you
might try a micro-drop of super glue on the shaft (not on the gear
teeth), to get it re-attached (for a few minutes, perhaps?).  if a gear
has a (radial) crack which extends all the way from its shaft hole to
its teeth, then the resulting increase in tooth spacing at that one
point can cause it to jam when that spot tries to mesh with its mate. 
(Making a simple glue repair impossible.)

   I wouldn't bet much on success if I were attempting this kind of
repair.  On the other hand, it's already defective, so there may not be
much to lose by trying.

> [...] copying some SPL disks to my MicroVAX 3100 [...]

   Read the disks on a different system with a working drive, and move
the contents to the old system?

> [...]  Literally less than a minute in between success and failure.
> [...]

   Many things which are not broken can become broken quickly.  (When
they break.)

> [...] possible replacements coming from Ebay [...]

   My dim recollection is that almost anything works on an Alpha, but an
old VAX might need a block-size jumper set to 512.

> [...] I don't want to think it's toast.

   In the words of the philosopher, Jagger (or was it the philosopher,
Richards?), "You can't always get what you want."