Finally Bit The Bullet...Replaced my Alu iMac Superdrive

[jacksam101]

Yep, finally built up the courage to replace the UJ-85-JC superdrive in my 2ghz 20" Aluminum iMac.

Taking it apart was remarkably easy (following the excellent advice from http://www.amfiteatar.org/content/view/155/57/lang,en ) and replacing the superdrive was also not a huge problem.

The most troublesome part of the task was ensuring the drive eject slot matched the casing exactly - only really troublesome as you have to keep taking it apart until you get it lined up!

Replacement superdrive was an Optiarc DVD RW AD-7633A - System Profiler finds it and it "just works" (not bad for £42.52 including £4-50 shipping!!)

Anyway - the point of this thread is that is isn't as hard a job as it looks - I even managed to do it without disconnecting all the screen leads mentioned - most were long enough to prop the screen at the side of the case.

I can put the external DVD drive away again!!

 

[SaSaSushi]

I don't know, I've really got no complaints with my Logitec firewire DVD burner and it cost me about what you paid for your Superdrive replacement. The drive's case even matches my alumiMac.

I also like to be able to read from the Superdrive and write to the external when backing up CDs and DVDs. Nevermind the fact that such an operation would most certainly void the two years and two months remaining on my Applecare coverage....

However, to each their own and congratulations on your successful replacement. You didn't say but were you replacing a broken Superdrive on a machine out of warranty? If so, I understand a little better.

 

[Entopia7]

This is a relief to me that it can even be done, since I have a strong feeling my superdrive in my 07 AL iMac is failing and I don't have Applecare. Is the drive you chose the best you could find? It seems very similar to a superdrive.

 

[jacksam101]

I tried looking for models that matched the newer iMac models - but couldn't find any (other threads here suggest similar) - however this was a very similar spec to the drive that was in the iMac, so I hoped for the best.

The original Matushita drive just ejected every disk that was inserted (other threads here an on Apple site have reported the same problems) so I didn't want an identical model.

I had tried to convince myself that the external drive was okay - but knew I had to replace it if I could.

 

[djc6]

This is a relief to me that it can even be done, since I have a strong feeling my superdrive in my 07 AL iMac is failing and I don't have Applecare. Is the drive you chose the best you could find? It seems very similar to a superdrive.

Are you in the United States? The AL iMac was introduced August 7, 2007, so you have until at least August 8th, 2008 under the 1yr standard warranty, assuming you bought it the day it came out.

So call up apple, tell them why you think its failing, and get it replaced!

 

[SaSaSushi]

Are you in the United States? The AL iMac was introduced August 7, 2007, so you have until at least August 8th, 2008 under the 1yr standard warranty, assuming you bought it the day it came out.

So call up apple, tell them why you think its failing, and get it replaced!

Thank you very much for pointing this out! I didn't realize how stupid my own question was. After all, I bought the mid-2007 (aluminum iMac) on the very day it was released which was as you mentioned, August 8th, 2007. So it is impossible for any aluminum iMac to be out of the one-year limited warranty yet.

If the Superdrive had gone bad from hardware failure they should have done the repair/replacement for free.

 

[MacFanatic08]

Was the original bad?? Or was it just not very good?

 

[jacksam101]

The old one was one of the troublesome Matsushitas - other threads here have listed the problems of them not accepting any discs - just spitting them out thirty seconds of so after insertion. Mine was starting with the same problem.

I could have sent it back to Apple - but it was a refurb machine and came with a bigger than standard HD (320gb instead of 250gb) - I assume Apple would just send me out another refurb unit and didn't want to lose out on the extra HD space - plus the refurb may well also have had the same superdrive issues!

After reading the other threads on here about replacing the HD I decided that I could replace the superdrive - so there you go..that's the full story.

I'm not suggesting everybody does this - but just that it's possible if you need to (or indeed want to)

 

[nr23]

I built an Optiarc DVD RW AD-7633A in a 24" white imac and it worked out fine so far, the slot is a little bit off, so I had to remove a piece of the protecting textile. But what is strange is that, when a disk is inside and you leave it inside for a while, like an hour, it won't come out anymore. Worst, if you want to eject it, the finder hangs (colorwheel) and you have to reboot the imac again. Has anyone similar experiences?