Taking Apart a Floppy Disk Drive

Remember those old floppy drives? They are so outdated now, but they have many cool parts inside. Here is how to get at them, plus see what a floppy disk drive looks like inside.

Step 1: You Will Need:

- a small slot screwdriver

- a floppy disk drive (make sure that your parents are okay with this to those who use their parent's drive)

- a workspace

- effort

-and time

Step 2: Unplug

Take out all the wires from the back.

Step 3: 1st Unscrew

Unscrew the screw at the back with a small flat screwdriver.

Step 4: Take It From the Top

Use your fingernail or a flat screwdriver to pry off the top.

Step 5: Pause, Examine...

Cool huh?

Step 6: Flip, Unscrew

Flip it over and then unscrew the three screws.

Step 7: Heave Ho

Take off the front panel. Push on the little tabs with the small screwdriver.

Step 8: 2 Screws

Unscrew the two screws shown in the picture.

Step 9: Circuit Boards

Unscrew the three screws shown in the pictures.

Step 10: Circuit Boards 2

Flip it over and unpug the wires shown in the picture. Then flip it over again and take the circuits and motor off. There are quite a few tabs to take it out from underneath.

Step 11: Disassemble

Flip it over again. Unscrew the 2 screws shown. Take out the loosened pieces. I think the larger one is part of the disk reader.

Step 12: Disassemble 2

Unscrew the screws beside the motor still attached to the floppy disk drive's case. It will loosen up the stepper motor assembly.

Step 13: No More Undercover

First, take out pin shown in picture one. Second, unscrew the screw shown in the second picture. Third take out the metal spring pin assembly. (The third picture shows where it is and the pin is beside the case.) Finally, grip the groove of the cover and force the cover off, away from the motor assembly.

Step 14: Take Apart Motor Assembly

Disconnect the motor from the slider piece and pull out of the hole it's in.

Step 15: Finishing

Take out the rest of the circuitry. The picture shows which screw.

Step 16: Finished

From here you can do what you like. There are a few exposed springs you might want. There is also the rest of the stepper motor slider. I wanted to carefully take out the slider to possibly reuse. Please enjoy your newfound motors and other electronic circuitry!
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Comments

[UnclTodd]

Your post flashed me back to my 40th birthday present to myself... One of those trick new single-speed parallel-port Backpack CD-ROM drives for my new 386-16 desktop! First on the block with a computer CD drive... $347 from a supplier in Computer Shopper magazine. Hey, it was 1991! LOL

[Marcelotom]

Parabéns FrenchTost!! Muito bom o post. Tenho vários drives de diskete inclusive de 5.1/4" (!!!!!) Vou aproveitar em algum experimento. Um grande abraço.

Marcelo

[Gelfling6]

One thing I've done, especially when working with scavenged electronics, Breadboards, and most recent, converting an ATX power supply into a multi-voltage bench supply, was to remove the 1/4-turn mounted power connector from an old floppy drive, and use it to carry +5V, 2X GND, & +12V to the breadboard, and simply leaving one (the one with the mini & 2x Molex power connectors) cable connected inside. Instant power connection!

[Gelfling6]

Once you unsolder the connector, remove (clip off) the 'Wings" that stabilize it on the solder side ( /_] & [_\ ) then, carefully un-bend the wires from 90 degree to flat 180.. clean off any excess solder from the end.. and simply plug the solder end into 4 adjacent holes on a breadboard. Simply add the power connector from the supply (can also clip them, and connect other voltages, I've even added +3.3V to projects) and plug it onto the connector.

[DeamonS]

Great ideas. I'm adding that to my list of projects. I have several old computer power supplies.

[DeamonS]

Great ideas. I'm adding that to my list of projects. I have several old computer power supplies.