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From: valthoff@magnus.acs.ohio-state.EDU (Victoria M Althoff)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Dave's 12-step program for noisy ProFiles
Date: 30 Nov 1993 23:48:57 -0500
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Note:  Sending this privately, and (I hope) to comp.sys.apple2.

I was under the impression that the proFile only came in the 5-meg flavor.  Oh 
well...

As for the problem of noisy profiles, here's what worked for me.  I've 
condensed it into a 12-step self-help program...

1.  Disconnect the power and data cables.

2.  Remove the four brown screws from the back panel; remove the two brown 
grilles (tilt them out at the top, and slide out upward).

3.  Invert the unit, and remove the three screws from along the front edge of 
the cabinet.  This will allow you to seperate the lid from the rest of the 
unit.  Unplug the sheathed cable from the controller board (the cable feeds the
READY LED on the front panel).  This will allow you to remove the lid from the 
unit and set it aside.

4.  Remove the four Phillips head screws surrounding the brown grille on the 
bottom of the unit.  It is not necessary to remove the grille or the screws 
holding it in place, nor is it necessary to remove the other six screws.

5.  Carefully turn the unit upside-up.  Note that the drive mechanism is no 
longer attached to the baseplate...don't drop the mechanism!

6.  Disconnect the 34-pin ribbon connector and the 2-pin Molex from the drive 
mechanism, and remove the mechanism from the unit.

7.  Disconnect the 16-pin brown ribbon connector from the logic board on the 
bottom of the drive mechanism.  Remove the four Phillips head screws from the 
bottom of the mechanism that hold the logic board in place.  Note that one has 
a ground lug attached.  DO NOT remove any screws from the top of the drive 
mechanism.

8.  Disconnect the connectors labeled P6, P7, and P8 from the logic board, and 
remove the logic board by carefully sliding it toward the back of the drive 
(away from those three connectors).  This will expose the direct drive motor 
assembly, which also appears to serve as a cooling fan.

9.  The noise seems to be caused by the interaction between the button at the
center of the motor housing, and the fixed, metal, anti-static arm.  Note that
most VCR's use a flexible, carbon-impregnated arm for this purpose, and it's a
lot quieter...but probably doesn't dissapate as well.  Apply a gooey lubricant
to this joint.  Petroleum jelly (Vaseline) worked well for me.

10.  Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly.  Don't forget to hook everything
up:  the four connectors to the logic board; the ground lug, the 34-pin drive
connector, the 2-pin Molex, and the READY light wire.

11.  When reassembling the case, the bottom front edge of the lid interlocks
with the base plate.  At the back, the beige U-shaped protrusions go on the
outside of the brown backplate, then the two grilles fit over the case lid
protrusions.

12.  Hook it up and enjoy the relative quiet.

I first did this when we got the computer in early 1991, and it got noisy again
about a month ago.  I just did it again just before logging on (and noted each
step as I proceeded, so I could share with you!)

--Dave Althoff, Jr. (Victoria's son)  11/30/1993
Apple ][ forever, even though I'm typing this on a Lisa 2/5!