Editing Floppy Drive Repair (section)

== Lubrication ==

'''What to use.''' For the head carriage rails, a '''silicone''' grease. That is the restoration-community consensus for the Tandon full-height drives and applies equally to most similar mechanisms.<ref name="mzd" /> Apply a thin film; the carriage should slide with no more resistance than the stepper's own detent.

'''What not to use, and why:'''

* '''White lithium grease''' — widely repeated as the right choice for drive rails, but no drive manufacturer document consulted for this page specifies it.
* '''NyoGel 760G and other connector greases''' — designed for electrical contacts, not sliding mechanisms.<ref name="nye" />
* '''WD-40''' — a water-displacing penetrant, not a lubricant. It thins existing grease, migrates to places you did not intend, and leaves a sticky residue as the carrier evaporates.
* '''Oil on a stepper motor shaft''' — the shaft bearings are not a user-serviceable part and oil migrates onto the lead screw and into the optics.

'''No service interval.''' There is no manufacturer figure for re-greasing a floppy drive, and the honest answer is that a drive that is in regular use and moving freely does not need it. Re-lubricate when the carriage is stiff, when you have cleaned old lubricant off, or when the drive has come out of long storage — not on a calendar.