How to open a cdrom drive XM-5401B?

[mazzinia]

I guess it should fit as asking for a tip.

Cd-rom from an O2. The tray is blocked outside...
It's quite a while that, from time to time I try to open it up to fix it, but I've not understood what the trick is to do it.

There are the usual plastic clips on the 2 sides, but even if released and the lid lifted ( with patience, since underside there's a plastic casing ), it lifts just up to a certain point.
It keeps being locked on the front and I notice that if I try to apply more pressure to lift, the plastic frame itself tries to move.

So.. what am I missing ?

[Dalplex]

Are you referring to two tiny tabs underneath?

[mazzinia]

sorry for not answering, but for whatever reason I didn't get a notification

tiny tabs underneath ???

With the front cover removed, the only tabs I can see are 2 on both sides, one towards the front, and one towards the back.
Underside i'm not noticing anything aside the screws on the back near the scsi connector.

the top metal casing interlocks on the front with the metal base, seems like a compass , but .... as I mentioned, I seem unable to remove it / tilt it past a 30 degree or such

[jan-jaap]

You have to remove the black top lid of the case first before you can remove the CD tray bezel. To do that, you'd have to remove the PSU cover on the back side first, then there's a lever attached to the lid you can reach and push towards the front GENTLY just enough until the top lid pops upward and can be removed. The O2 case being extremely fragile this has to be done with extreme care or it will shatter.

But if I understand correctly, you only want the CDROM disk tray to eject? Just take e.g. a paperclip, unfold it, and insert in the little hole next to the CD eject button. This should manually unlock the tray, then you can pull it out.

[mazzinia]

nono

the cdrom is already removed from the o2.
I'm having troubles to disassemble the cdrom itself , aka to remove the C shaped metal cover that protects it

https://snag.gy/9siNhj.jpg

I've released the 2 circled in red, on both sides, but the top cover is not coming off... at best it tilts 30 degrees from the connector side. Something prevents it to go more than that, and I don't understand what

[mazzinia]

no suggestions ?

[dexter1]

It's been a while i disassembled such a unit but i can't remember the procedure anymore.

I believe you need to remove all screws you can access from the bottom and then "slightly" open the aluminium shell to pass those tabs. Don't overdo it, or you bend the aluminium case.

There is also the grounding bolt recession at the very right of the shell. This will prevent you from lifting the shell, so it is possible you need to shift the shell forward or backward a bit.

[mazzinia]

oh wait a bit...

the 2 or 4 screws underside it have to be removed ? I assumed they were used to keep the board attached to the separate metal plate.
mmm grounding bolt...

[dexter1]

I'm not sure and if you do, chances are that heat pads are glued between the plate and some controller chips. Be careful with that.
But check the grounding bolt recession first. Maybe by taking that into account you can release the shell without removing the bottom plate.

[mazzinia]

I didn't know that there was a grounding bolt, but given the kind of sensation I got trying to open it up a bit "more" , it may easily be the trick I was missing.
Who designed that thing wanted to sell more units vs repairing, I guess

[dexter1]

i haven't ever seen a unit with grounding bolt and cable attached, and your unit doesn't have a grounding bolt either but the fact that there is a recession where the grounding bolt should be makes the shell hard to separate form the bottom plastic.