[rescue] VS80 DLT tape drive question

[Dan Sikorski]

Curtis H. Wilbar Jr. wrote:
> After putting the whole thing back together and in the external 
> enclosure... I heard
> something rattling around inside...
>
> I took it apart, and floating around in the external enclosure was the 
> spring...
>
> I think it is broken though... maybe Dan can confirm...
>
> in crude ASCII art, it looks like:
>     __
>    / /\
>   /\/_/
>  /
> /
>
>
>   
Sorry, i didn't have one of these around for a while, but do again.  
That spring is not broken, that is how the one that i have here looks.
> I think that one 'leg' of the spring is broken off.... unless the spring 
> is supposed to
> go on the 'wide' shaft end (not visible when assembled), as it looks 
> like there might
> have been two plastic 'bumps' on the end of it, that could have engaged 
> with the
> inside 'flat' section... but if so, those 'bumps' have worn off....
>
> Can anyone confirm if my spring is broken, or if the larger diameter end 
> (left side)
> of my flap is supposed to engage with the flat section in the center of 
> the loop of
> the spring ?
>
> For now I think I'll reassemble and test with the VCR spring (which I 
> put on the
> left 'pin' of the flapper, visible when assembled (between the 'plate' 
> of the flapper
> and the plastic frame that the left side of the tape 'slides' on.
>
> ASCII art:
>
>   ____ where I wonder if the original spring should go
>  / ___ left side of tape slot
>  |/  _ where I put my modified VCR hub lock spring
>  || /
>  |||
>  ________________________________________
> |_--|                                  |-
>     |                                  |
>     |                                  |
>     |                                  |
>     |__________________________________|
>
>
>
>   
That is the side that the spring should go on.  there is a slot on the 
hinge that the inside of the spring goes into.

    -Dan Sikorski