Sega CD Model 1 Drive Problem

I acquired a Sega CD model 1 from my brother (who works at a used media/video game store) a few years ago for nothing because it didn't load games correctly. Since then, I've tried to fix the problem myself by adjusting the gears, but it hasn't improved at all. Somehow, during my tinkering, I also blew the fuse by accidentally using the wrong power brick for it. So yesterday, I decided I would replace the fuse and see if I could get it up and running again. I got it to power up fine, but the drive still won't load CDs. Something about the tray loading mechanism won't clamp down completely on the CD. If I open it up and manually place the disc in the drive, it'll play games fine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azYXqQoXpFQ
(I know I'm trying to load an audio CD-- I don't actually have any Sega CD games at the moment. But that doesn't matter because the point is it won't load the CD itself. It doesn't actually get far enough to matter if its an audio CD or a game)

I'm worried about breaking it if I keep messing with it myself. Would anyone here be willing to take a look at it and see what they can do? I'd be more than willing to pay for it, just let me know.

Thanks in advance!

 

Damn, that is messed up. No snapped off standoffs inside are there?
Others have suggested it might be to do with the alignment of the internals - how bad can they really be though?

I've got two of these beasts and one is starting to fade. It just wont read discs as well as it used to.
I wish I knew how to fix your problem though - I sure hope someone else can help.

 

I decided last night to take a look inside again to see if I could figure anything out. I took the drive belt out and let it soak in warm water for a few minutes, and now it seems to work fine. There's this occasional grinding sound, that will last anywhere from half a second to 5 seconds when ejecting or loading the tray, but it doesn't seem to effect anything. In any case, I think I need to look into getting a new belt. Mine's a little stretched out, and I'm sure what I did to fix it will only be temporary anyway.

Everything looks great inside. The only thing wrong with the unit is there are a few scratches on the outside on the top front. I got pretty lucky getting this for free, I think.

 

You should replace that belt entirely, what you did was a temporary solution (like you said) but a good one to find the problem. I've heard people have had good luck finding equivalent replacements at Pep Boys of all places.

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/cassette-player-drive-belts-3634

Drive Belt 19mm


Order Code: FD36P

I Use This as a replacement work nicely i use this on all my repairs and you cna use this on some xbox 360 dvd drives.

 

I agree a new belt will help matters. Also check the condition of the toothed gears to make sure there's no missing 'teeth'. Hardened grease through lack of use can also be a problem, so best to clean out the old grease on the tray runners and re-lubricate with something like 'MolyKote 33' or 'MolyKote PG-602', (or similar grease designed for use on plastics).

You can use IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol), and an old toothbrush to remove old grease, then apply the new stuff. For belts, those assortment packs you see on eBay for tape decks and the like will usually have one that fits.

 

What would be an equivalent belt type/size that i could get in the US?