Home > Projects / Repairs, Today, Various > Restoration and Repair Commodore Floppy Drive VC-1541

Restoration and Repair Commodore Floppy Drive VC-1541

Commodore Floppy Drive VC-1541 (differences before and after)

I start immediately to say; Floppy Drive, Metal base with the Transformer are ended up in the trash, are unrecoverable (see photo).

What i did is carefully clean the external case of the Floppy Drive which i am quite satisfied of the result.

Then i have started to repair and carefully clean the motherboard of the Floppy Drive (REV 1540050) that had the following problems (see photo):

  • I had to use the sockets for all the integrated circuits, because the rust had crept under all the integrated circuits, creating many problems.
  • Remove the voltage regulators and clean the rust that was under the heatsink.
  • Clean and try all integrated circuits after removing them.
  • Clean the PCB.
  • Replaced 2 x 6522 (VIA) that is not working.
  • Replaced 1 x 6502 (CPU) that is not working.
  • Replaced 1 x HM6116P (STATIC RAM) that is not working.
  • Replaced 2 x Resistors of 9.1k 1% interrupted.
  • Replaced for safety also 1 x Resistor of 91ohm 1%.
  • Moved the ceramic capacitor (FIX by Commodore) to the solder side, which was fixed above the 74LS86.
Restoration and Repair Commodore Floppy Drive VC-1541

What i have used to clean the external Floppy Drive case:

  • I have used a plenty of running water by rubbing with a brush to remove everything you could do without using specific products.
  • I have used CIF GEL with bleach that i left to act for 30 minutes.
  • I have rinse thoroughly with water, always rubbing with the brush and with a stanley plastic spatulas
  • I repeated these last two phase for least 3 times.
  • I have used CIF Degreaser with Bicarbonate that i left to act for 10 minutes.
  • With a Brush / Toothbrush / Toothpicks / Cotton Fioc / Stanley plastic spatulas o have rubbed and cleaned the most dirty and hidden parts.
  • I have rinse thoroughly with water, always rubbing with a brush.
  • I repeated these last three phases for least 4 times.
  • I have completed the cleaning with the Glassex and Alcohol.

I have used a Floppy Drive mechanics and a transformer that i have found in the laboratory that i have installed in the Floppy Drive VC-1541 case.

Restoration and Repair Gallery:

Differences before and after the restoration Gallery:

  1. Francesco
    May 5th, 2018 at 19:14 | #1

    Bel lavoro.

  2. aphexteknol
    May 8th, 2018 at 06:58 | #2

    Incredible work xAD! This is real Commodore passion, taking trash and returning it to it’s former glory.

*