G5 Tower - optical drive won't budge from case - ideas?

[tcurtin]

All - hoping someone out there has some experience with this. I have a 1.6ghz G5 tower (2004) that I'm parting out. The optical drive won't release - it moves slightly when I "push the optical drive levers out to release" it, but beyond that it won't budge. At all. After seeing posts online with vague references to it being tough to pull out, I tried using a long allen wrench for extra leverage when pulling - still no luck. (In other words, the problem isn't that I haven't used enough force. At least, I don't think so. I pulled awfully hard.)

Any ideas here? I've got the Service Manual, but it doesn't say anything about other steps, it just makes it sound like it should slide right out.

Help! Someone has to have run across this before...

 

[TrapOx]

Flick out the two levers, unplug the power/data cables and it practically falls out.

 

[OrangeSVTguy]

I know that the release levers themselves can be tricky sometimes and not fully disengage the lock when you open them so make sure that you slide them all the way open and you should hear a "click" kind of noise. Also try pushing in on the drive while you open the levers and seeing if you can get it to "wiggle" a bit to try and loosen it up a bit.

 

[ZMacintosh]

yeah you may have to use some force to get them all the open to the left.

your gonna have to use some force as well to pull the optical drive out.
might pinch yourself since theyre usually installed there pretty snug the first time around.

 

[Earl Urly]

opening

When taking out the drive, open the optical door and stick a finger in there to help you push out the drive

 

[dallenmarket]

Removing the optical drive.

The earlier posts have it pretty close. I've found that the rubber feet on the optical drive tend to stick to the platform. It could be the heat or just gunk getting caught. I changed mine out and it was a bear to get the old out and the new in. The levers have to be perfectly aligned or the feet won't slip out. Even then, it takes some real muscle (and skinny fingers help a lot) to move the drive. I found pushing it in and then wiggling it really helped. Watch out for the sharp edges on the metal retainer just inside the tray opening in the case.