First, I had a Dickens of a time getting them out. Had to "wiggle" them while firmly pulling upward. It was necessary to refasten some of the white guide posts that came loose as a result of the manhandling.

I noticed an inordinate amount of old, dirty lube on the shaft and in the axle. At first, I wondered whether this is what caused the problem or if this was done in an attempt to alleviate the problem.

Cleaning the axle and shaft did not solve the problem, so I ruled out the idea that the lube was causing the heads to become stuck. I figured that the shaft had somehow expanded - possibly a rust issue - so I took a strip of sandpaper and sanded one of the shafts down to size. Then I cleaned it off with alcohol to get rid of the metal filings. This worked out okay, so I did enough so that there could be at least one per platter system.

Anybody know what causes this? Also...is it dangerous to sand them down like that? What's your take on using lube on the shaft or in the axles?

I still have the other payouts to do. Awaiting advice.

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And, hey! Let's be careful out there.

~Manny.

First, I have seen some of the bottom "posts" where it was miscast or badly machined so that there is a burr on it. It's just big enough to make the brain go in tight.

The second thing is that some people just bash the brains around and slam them into place. The don't try to line things up when they insert it. This causes small burrs to develop on the bottom of the brain and around the edge of the hole.

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Now, what about lubrication? I never used to lube them before and I didn't have problems with them. Is lubrication necessary?

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And, hey! Let's be careful out there.