2 Disk System issues, recalibrated it, works now, won't recognize side "B"

[greedostick]

OK, just got Famicom Disk System today at my local game shop, he said he put a new belt in it so I picked it up. Came with 19 games. Came home started testing game, go through about 8 of them and none worked. Kept getting error 24 or whatever. Online said spindle needed calibrated. So I open this thing up and start working following a guide on some famicom disk website. Got to nearly the end and I didn't have the correct size hex wrench that I thought my set had.

This is where things got confusing. I guess I am suppose to turn the white gear and watch the head spin. The guide never says clockwise or counter clockwise. So I assume it does not matter. It also mentioned an "Audible click" I did hear a very faint click. but it was when the head position (if I am facing the side the disk go in) to exactly the right of the black felt tipped reader arm thing (yeah I'm technical). But I did hear a click. So at that point I figured I'm now screwed since I don't have the correct hex wrench.

The guide doesn't explain very well about this click. But it did say it may not be exactly flush with the black arm reader if the belt was changed. So I took this click facing right as OK. But I am uncertain about the whole loosening of the screw on the head thing and why you do it. I was thinking it is so the "click" happens when the flat side of that head it pointing directly at that reader arm. I decided to just close it up for now and give it a whirl and to my surprise all the games are loading up perfectly.

So I am unsure if I need to just be happy, or if I need to get back in there and do something correctly with the click and the flat part of that spindle.

But there is one more issue. And this may be my own ignorance. I can not get side "B" to load in any games. I switch sides by simply hitting eject and nothing else, flipping the disk, and putting it in "B" side up. Nothing happens at all. It has been a long time since I owned a Disk System, but I remember from before (I think) that side B just loads up auto. But then I was thinking, maybe this is a different version Disk Console. Because my old one had Mario and Luigi on the loading screen. This System just has the FDS logo.

Anyway, hope that makes sense. I would love to try some of these games and get side B working before I go buy something good.

[FoxNtd]

The guide never says clockwise or counter clockwise. So I assume it does not matter. It also mentioned an "Audible click" I did hear a very faint click. but it was when the head position (if I am facing the side the disk go in) to exactly the right of the black felt tipped reader arm thing (yeah I'm technical). But I did hear a click. So at that point I figured I'm now screwed since I don't have the correct hex wrench.

The guide doesn't explain very well about this click. But it did say it may not be exactly flush with the black arm reader if the belt was changed. So I took this click facing right as OK. But I am uncertain about the whole loosening of the screw on the head thing and why you do it. I was thinking it is so the "click" happens when the flat side of that head it pointing directly at that reader arm. I decided to just close it up for now and give it a whirl and to my surprise all the games are loading up perfectly.

So I am unsure if I need to just be happy, or if I need to get back in there and do something correctly with the click and the flat part of that spindle.

But there is one more issue. And this may be my own ignorance. I can not get side "B" to load in any games. I switch sides by simply hitting eject and nothing else, flipping the disk, and putting it in "B" side up. Nothing happens at all. It has been a long time since I owned a Disk System, but I remember from before (I think) that side B just loads up auto. But then I was thinking, maybe this is a different version Disk Console. Because my old one had Mario and Luigi on the loading screen. This System just has the FDS logo.

The direction of the rotation does matter. You cannot spin it the wrong way if I recall. You're manually running the drive the way it would be running when it's powered up. Off the top of my head the hex wrench you need is 1.5mm; it's really tiny. The objective here is to calibrate the head which is a commonly required step after changing the belt. The reason you run the white gear manually is to run the drive through the motion until it clicks, indicating the read stop position, and then adjusting the head based on that. The guide should tell you how to position the head in this case; photos help because it's a bit awkward to describe in words.

If Side B doesn't load, then it sounds like you have a busted ejection lever. With the casing opened, insert a disk and eject it to make the tray descend and return. Note if the lever pops up on its own or not. The lever will be to the side of the diskette tray, on the same side as the LED that's visible from the front of the unit. If that lever does not pop, you'll have to manually raise it every time you eject a disk unless you can repair or modify it to pop by itself.

[greedostick]

The yellow lever pops out that is in front of the unit and the inside tray pops up when I take out a disk, and lever stays in. When I put in a disk the yellow eject lever pops out. Is that what you are asking? Or is this lever only visable with the top open? Cause with the top open I see no lever.

[FoxNtd]

The yellow lever pops out that is in front of the unit and the inside tray pops up when I take out a disk, and lever stays in. When I put in a disk the yellow eject lever pops out. Is that what you are asking? Or is this lever only visable with the top open? Cause with the top open I see no lever.

No no, not that, that's the eject button for removing a disk card. I'm talking about the lever that electronically signals the hardware that a disk is inserted. View this photograph:

http://www.famicomdisksystem.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/wire_clamp_location.gif

OK, from the bottom of that picture where the photographer drew a blue circle which indicates one of the wire clamp locations -- there is that yellow wire. To the left, at the end of this wire is a slim black lever attached to an odd-looking thin copper assembly, and this lever is pushed downward by a thick, black "L" shaped piece of plastic protruding from the disk tray. Put in a disk card with the FDS open to see how it works; it's a very simple mechanism. If ejecting the disk card doesn't cause the thin black lever to pop up, the tension that would have popped that lever is gone for some reason (maybe the copper portion is damaged, I had an FDS like this once.)

If that lever never goes back up, the FDS thinks the disk card is never removed. If this is the case, boot up a game, eject the disk card, manually flip that thin black lever up, then insert Side B, and see what result you get. If it works fine doing this, you've found your problem. :) Unfortunately there is no trivial fix...