Term for dust mechanism in optical drive slot?

[Trekker2014]

I have an old 2006 A1181 Macbook and I'm having a problem putting a disc through the plastic slot into the optical drive. What is the technical term for it? My guess is some soft of dust proof mechanism. Anyway, it doesn't want to let me smoothly insert a disc into the optical drive. Once I place a disc into the opening, its very stiff. I can go ahead and apply a little force and it does slide in but not in the normal way. I took the optical drive out and it slides in normally. It also doesn't eject all the way out. Is it okay if the dust proof material is taken out? Is there any easy way to get it out?

Thanks.

 

[Gav2k]

I wouldn't recommend removing it as you'll change the airflow inside the MacBook. Have you tried cleaning it?

 

[Trekker2014]

I wouldn't recommend removing it as you'll change the airflow inside the MacBook. Have you tried cleaning it?

Yes, I've tried cleaning it but the problem remains. Once I take the optical drive out and power it up, it loads a disc with no problems. But once I put it back in place and try and insert a disc, its very stiff and requires more than a little force. And by the way, this drive is a replacement for the older one and was working fine only weeks ago.

 

[JackieInCo]

I have an old 2006 A1181 Macbook and I'm having a problem putting a disc through the plastic slot into the optical drive. What is the technical term for it? My guess is some soft of dust proof mechanism. Anyway, it doesn't want to let me smoothly insert a disc into the optical drive. Once I place a disc into the opening, its very stiff. I can go ahead and apply a little force and it does slide in but not in the normal way. I took the optical drive out and it slides in normally. It also doesn't eject all the way out. Is it okay if the dust proof material is taken out? Is there any easy way to get it out?

Thanks.

I had an old MB that the very same thing would happen to. That is more a less two soft rubber strips that a disc slides in between. Sometimes the disc wouldn't go in and I noticed that rubber strip was starting to come off. It would get stuck to the CD and the CD would try and pull it into the drive with it. I eventually just pulled it off and the drive worked perfectly every time after that. I used the MB for a few years more.

 

[Dayv]

It sounds to me like the drive might not be aligned perfectly in the case.

 

[DeltaMac]

I have seen this same issue multiple times in a service shop on those older Macbooks.
I have one that I use most every day, and the slot is terrible. It was very difficult to insert a disk, and ejecting was just a mystery that meant waiting for the disk to slightly eject enough to grab with my fingers, then persuade the disk to eject completely. Most often, it just would hang, then the drive would pull it back in.

It's about 9 years old - I think if you simply want to have a more usable optical drive, then a slight change to the airflow (if that affects airflow at all) inside the Macbook is likely the least of your concerns.
I used some tiny scissors that I have had for years. Straight cut for nails/cuticles, or maybe even some obscure medical use (bought at a flea market, I think, from a tool vendor), but very sharp. I slightly trimmed along the line of the slot, so the slot is just a bit more open. I experimented a little so a disk would just insert/eject OK without jamming in the slot. It only took a little trimming, the slot is still partly closed, but a disk will now insert/eject

 

[Trekker2014]

I have seen this same issue multiple times in a service shop on those older Macbooks.
I have one that I use most every day, and the slot is terrible. It was very difficult to insert a disk, and ejecting was just a mystery that meant waiting for the disk to slightly eject enough to grab with my fingers, then persuade the disk to eject completely. Most often, it just would hang, then the drive would pull it back in.

It's about 9 years old - I think if you simply want to have a more usable optical drive, then a slight change to the airflow (if that affects airflow at all) inside the Macbook is likely the least of your concerns.
I used some tiny scissors that I have had for years. Straight cut for nails/cuticles, or maybe even some obscure medical use (bought at a flea market, I think, from a tool vendor), but very sharp. I slightly trimmed along the line of the slot, so the slot is just a bit more open. I experimented a little so a disk would just insert/eject OK without jamming in the slot. It only took a little trimming, the slot is still partly closed, but a disk will now insert/eject

This is what I was thinking of doing, if not cutting the entire strip of rubber out. It seems to cause more problems than not.