Turbo-R Panasonic floppy drives

Master (140)

18-12-2017, 07:16

I have a turbo-R ST and a GT bought recently. In both the disk drivers had issues with the belt that I replaced with new ones that I believe were the correct part number.

The original ones were so bad that the rubber melted in place and was sticking to everything. I cleaned it the best I could before replacing for the new belts.

After the replacement the drivers spin when a disk is inserted. The heads move and search for track 0 as expected. But the sound they make while spinning does not sound right. And when I try to list the files from basic I get "disc offline" messages in both cases.

Besides replacing them with PC floppy drives, any idea on what I could try to make them work?

Thanks!

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By gdx

Enlighted (4186)

18-12-2017, 08:17

Edevaldo wrote:

Since I replaced the belt I have the same problem and also when I do not use the floppy drive for a long time but the drive work again immediately just after I use a floppy drive head cleaner (without using the fluid because the bottle is empty).

By Grauw

Ascended (9683)

18-12-2017, 12:43

Try different belts? I had to try a couple before I got the right fit.

By Manuel

Ascended (17691)

18-12-2017, 23:54

It worked for me, but the belts only last for about 10 years... so it's currently dead again. Long live the Nowind!

By Colemu

Hero (535)

19-12-2017, 21:22

Manuel wrote:

It worked for me, but the belts only last for about 10 years... so it's currently dead again. Long live the Nowind!

You're luck Manuel, mine lasted 5 years.
And the replacement belts are getting hard to find!

By Meits

Scribe (6334)

19-12-2017, 21:57

I'm damn happy with no belted drives anymore in any of my panasonic machines... Nothing but misery, those belts...
Oh, and hail to mfrscc+sd2 as well... I remember my drives worked when i placed them

By Edevaldo

Master (140)

28-12-2017, 17:15

I stepped up the cleaning of the drive. Used isopropilic alcohol and cotton swabs to clean the the wheels. There were lots of residue in them. The first swabs came out completely black and it took 3 or 4 to get them completely clean. I also cleaned the first belt I used, just in case. The noise coming out of the drive improved significantly but I still got disk offline errors.

I tried a couple other original belts with the same results. And I also found on amazon a belt kit for cassete tape drives. It came with all sorts of belts of different lengths and thicknesses but I had no success with them either.

Next I'll try to get an empty floppy to see if the drive can format it and read it back.

Thanks for the hints so far. It something else comes to ming please let me know.

By Josevil

Master (194)

04-01-2018, 20:27

Edevaldo wrote:

I stepped up the cleaning of the drive. Used isopropilic alcohol and cotton swabs to clean the the wheels. There were lots of residue in them. The first swabs came out completely black and it took 3 or 4 to get them completely clean. I also cleaned the first belt I used, just in case. The noise coming out of the drive improved significantly but I still got disk offline errors.
I tried a couple other original belts with the same results. And I also found on amazon a belt kit for cassete tape drives. It came with all sorts of belts of different lengths and thicknesses but I had no success with them either.

Next I'll try to get an empty floppy to see if the drive can format it and read it back.

Here he thinks that for the gt and st, it is better to use the original for his experience

http://hanihanisayoko.seesaa.net/article/428731362.html?sees...

By Moniz

Champion (359)

27-03-2018, 23:28

have you solved the problem?
My GT arrived my mail today nad had a non-working drive as well.
I got a neew belt from Bas and tried it, but it didn't work (disk offline), and also tried a spare drive I still had... but same problem..
Im just wondering if im forgetting something or that the problem could be with something else...

By Grauw

Ascended (9683)

28-03-2018, 00:12

Does the drive spin or slip? I had to try a couple of belts I’d gotten from different places with my turboR before I found one that worked, others were too narrow and wouldn’t stay on the wheel, or not tight enough.

By Moniz

Champion (359)

28-03-2018, 08:46

it seems like both drives spin nicely, start up straight away and the sound they make seem normal.
One of the drives needed some more cleaning, the belt was going off after a couple of spins, but there was some old rubber left ot the weel, cleaning that solved it.
I only have one belt here so I can't really try something different, and I got it from Bas, so it should be alright
Hopefully its not something on the computerside....