Compaq Portable 1 MPI Disk Drive Belts

[NCommander]

I have a Compaq Portable 1 which is working, but both it's 5.25" disk drives need belt replacement or refurbishment. I haven't had a lot of luck in figuring this out. Both drives are Magnetic Peripherals BR8BIA drives, and both seem to at least spin up, but the drive belt doesn't have enough tension to spin. I've read a few posts on potential drive belt replacement, but I haven't found anything definitive on how to either build a new belt, or source it; I've had some trouble measuring said belts, so I was hoping someone here might have some insight or ideas on how to get these drives going again.

 

[jafir]

Are you sure it’s the belt and not the spindle? I had a couple of these in a 5150 (well one of the two I added to replace a Tandon that had a cap explode) that didn’t want to spin, but after taking the wheel off and oiling the bearing they both started to work fine.

 

[Chuck(G)]

These are the rubberized fabric belts; very hard to find replacements. On the other hand, it's not very frequent that they go bad. I've got drives from the late 70s with these belts and they're fine.

 

[bolex]

I had the same issue with some 8" floppy drives. They had been stored in a warehouse in Phoenix under extreme heat and the belts were not holding on. I found some rubberized fabric belts from http://www.videoelectronicsonline.com/ Look for the "FRF" in the product SKU for "Flat Rubberized Fabric".

 

[NCommander]

Are you sure it’s the belt and not the spindle? I had a couple of these in a 5150 (well one of the two I added to replace a Tandon that had a cap explode) that didn’t want to spin, but after taking the wheel off and oiling the bearing they both started to work fine.

The is notable ware and tare on the belts, and it was sticking to the spindle motor. Even now, there appears to be actual deformity on the belt. I did get a tip to try belt renewer, which I'll try and see if one of these FRF belts is the right size. It's a bit hard to figure out which one it needs.

I had the same issue with some 8" floppy drives. They had been stored in a warehouse in Phoenix under extreme heat and the belts were not holding on. I found some rubberized fabric belts from http://www.videoelectronicsonline.com/ Look for the "FRF" in the product SKU for "Flat Rubberized Fabric".

Hrm, that doesn't seem to list widths, although I guess I could trim it if necessary? I'll try ordering one and see if that works ...

 

[ldkraemer]

Looks as if the number designations are ID length.

• Inside Circumference: 10.500"
• Width: .187"
• Thickness: .022"

PRB # FRF10.5

A better site for the Dimensions is http://electronicsupplycorp.com/contents/en-us/d18_I.C._From_8.000__thru_10.999__04.html

You could cut a strip of paper just wide enough to go around both pulleys (Drive & Driven). Then Insert a Junk Floppy, to gently hold the
pulley in place, and tape one end of the paper to the Driven Pulley. Stretch it around and where they overlap (in an open area) cut both into.
That will give you a good ID measurement. Locate a Belt a mm or two shorter than your measured distance.

Larry

 

[arkycomp]

So... I have a Brother WP-75 word processor which had a disintegrated band in the floppy disk drive.

After about 30 minutes of cleaning it out with isopropyl alcohol and Q-tips it was nice and clean.

I had no band for it, so after scanning these forums I was somewhat disheartened by the price and availability of these bands, never mind trying to find the right one... so I just used a sturdy rubber band and after putting it all back together it works really well. Can't wait for that *snap* sound though haha!

In the meantime I'll try finding something a bit more permanent.

 

[GiGaBiTe]

Try printing a belt in TPU. It's a lot more durable than a rubber band.