G4 Cube Optical Drive (possible) Fix

[CooperBox]

I recently rescued two G3 iMacs which otherwise would have gone to the dumpster.
The temptation with these was to see if the optical drives were serviceable.
With two of my G4 Cubes, one optical drive just wouldn't function despite many hours attempting a fix. One of the iMac's drives was installed and worked a treat as follows:

Here's the drive being removed from the iMac.


Drive removed from the Cube ............and with adapter removed


Cube adapter cleaned up ready for re-fitment to iMac drive.


Unserviceable Cube drive SR-8186 (left), iMac G3 drive CW7121 model (right) with their respective adapters.


The drive from the 2nd iMac was installed the same way in Cube #2, but was found to be a poor ejector like the Cube's original drive.
The same day after a comprehensive Google search, I found a possible way to resurrect a drive belt suspected of stretch due to age/normal use.
Here's the iMac's drive showing the drive belt prior to removal:-


When removed I measured the length of the belt for reference purposes. This wasn't particularly easy, so I took 4 readings and averaged the result at 96mm. This procedure explained that it was sometimes possible to restore a stretched belt by placing it in a cup and boiling in water for 15mins. I was sceptical to say the least, but thought it was worth a try. Measurement of the drive belt after the procedue showed an average length of 94mm (again after 4 readings).
The belt was refitted, and drive reinstalled to the Cube. The insertion of a CD - and especially the CD ejection worked a treat, which would seem to imply that the tighter belt was giving more positive drive to the rollers through it's cycles. This may only be a temporary fix, time will tell.
A similar procedure was performed on one of the Cubes original defective optical drives. Similarly, belt length was reduced by approx 2mm, but when reinstalled the drive would not eject the CD. So attempts to rectify a drive by this method may or may not be effective.
At least it wasn't a total waste of time as these 2 iMac drives helped me to keep the Cubes functioning correctly for a little longer.

 

[ctmpkmlec4]

I once worked for an office supply store's service department. One of our biggest tasks was repairing and servicing copiers. Most service calls were for paper jams, especially at the paper pickup area of the copier. The most effective solution was to clean the paper pickup rollers with a chemical we called "belt cleaner." I'm not sure of a brand name, but this belt cleaner had a strong smell and left no residue. The closest thing I can find online is a cleaning/rejuvenating spray for rubber rollers. I wonder if using a similar chemical would restore the traction of the eject roller on these old optical drives? That might help your non-servicable Cube drive.

 

[Intell]

G4 Cubes and G3 iMacs are the only two Mac models that use that kind of optical drive. I am not away of any non-Apple machine using them either.

 

[CooperBox]

I once worked for an office supply store's service department. One of our biggest tasks was repairing and servicing copiers. Most service calls were for paper jams, especially at the paper pickup area of the copier. The most effective solution was to clean the paper pickup rollers with a chemical we called "belt cleaner." I'm not sure of a brand name, but this belt cleaner had a strong smell and left no residue. The closest thing I can find online is a cleaning/rejuvenating spray for rubber rollers. I wonder if using a similar chemical would restore the traction of the eject roller on these old optical drives? That might help your non-servicable Cube drive.

In my post #1 above, I gave a link to a previous post where according to the very active Cubeowner.com site at the time, they thought the main cause for poor ejection was the rubber rollers spinning on their inner guide rails.
After attempting to clean the rubber rollers with several different products & even applying a coating of a liquid rubber compound to the outer and then inner surfaces (which made no difference), I spent many hours removing both halves of the tapered rubber rollers from their guides, and fitting heat-shrink tubing close to each ends of the roller guide in an attempt to prevent any spinning. That too proved to be unsuccessful. It's common knowledge now that the SR-8186 and CW7121 model optical drives were an over-complex, poor design. That's not to say that one day some bright spark and G4 Cube owner may come up with an efficient fix.
I used to work for a large multi-national engineering company, and frequently local universities would be tasked via their students to create or perfect certain engineering designs. The results were often spectacular in their fresh approach to certain engineering problems that far more experienced in-house engineers had overlooked. It's a great pity I no longer have the contacts I once had, because it would be fascinating to see what simplistic modifications, young, bright students would propose in order to perfect the design of that optical drive.

 

[ctmpkmlec4]

Well, one could just buy a replacement drive here (assuming they actually have stock):

http://store.mcetech.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=STORDVDRW

 

[havokalien]

Well, one could just buy a replacement drive here (assuming they actually have stock):

http://store.mcetech.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=STORDVDRW

If you make spacers G5 iMac and newer apple branded drives with an ide adapter, and power cable will allow it to fit and line up with the stock slot. I got mine off cube owner 3-4 years ago from a guy who had one set left but it shouldnt be much different than the imac G5 stock sides or intel stock sides, just cut width to fit or find someone with a 3d printer. Then its forever replaceable. Its bootable and a burner. Works with OS 9 and X versions.