Something slower setting than superglue - SATA power connector repair

[David.WE.Roberts]

I have a brand new Seagate 3TB SATA 3 drive with the power connector plastic bit snapped off.

Never had it happen before, I suspect a shoddy plastic moulding, but difficult or impossible to prove that I didn't break it by trying to force it.

No luck with RMA to eBuyer, and Seagate don't repair HDDs or sell the bits.

So it looks as though my best option may be to try and glue the plastic back onto the metal.

Superglue has been suggested but (not that I've used it much) I think that it is very quick acting and if I don't get it absolutely right at the first attempt then I could end up even worse off.

So is there something suitable for bonding hard plastic to metal (and a very skinny bit of hard plastic) which allows you to slide the two bits together, reposition to get them absolutely aligned, then hold together for a bit whilst it sets?

Assuming I manage to repair it then I will probably use an all-in-one connector for both power and data to give more rigidity.

The alternative is to glue a modular power cable to the drive as a permanent fixture.

Cheers

Dave R

[John Rumm]

I have had this happen on a fairly pricey SSD in the past...

Well its what I would go with... superglue sets when its deprived of air usually. So you can paint some on the broken edge, and also on the side where it will be against the back of the "pins", and still have some working time. Slide it down the pins into place, and get it into position. Support it will a stick or spatula to hold it in place, and give it a squirt of Cyano accelerator. The will lock it in position pretty much instantly. Leave for a few mins to cure fully.

I have a load of SATA to Molex power adaptor leads - so I then stuck on of those on it so that I could disconnect it at the other end of the lead at a later date if required.

[Huge]

Nope. Cyanoacrylate superglue is set by the moisture in the air.

[David.WE.Roberts]

I was just going to search for cyano accelerator - are you telling me that this could be a fine mist of water?

Cheers

Dave R

[Huge]

I've used this method to set it instantly, but the problem(s) are that it goes milky, any drips or spillage set instantly and are hard to remove and the reaction is very exothermic - all in all, it's not very satisfactory. Much better just to breathe on it.

[John Rumm]

No, its a volatile solvent based stuff... It gasifies almost immediately.

[David.WE.Roberts]

Just looked and there are SATA power lead extenders so I may go with one of those - although I have been pointed in 'uk.comp.homebuilt' to connectors which combine a SATA data lead and power lead (much like the adapters for external USB drives) with a Molex adapter.

This could be more rigid that just a power extension.

and

and

Cheers

Dave R

[Huge]

It appears that baking soda is also a decent accelerator.

[John Rumm]

Indeed - sorry I was thinking of the threadlock style glues...

[Huge]

BTW, the shelf life of cyanoacrylates can be greatly extended by keeping them in the 'frig. The 25ml bottle I got from Screwfix is still going strong several years later, with refrigeration and careful handling (get the top back on *fast* to expose it to the air as little as possible.)

[DA]

Sounds like a perfect application for quick setting epoxy a.k.a. "1 min epoxy" - Epoxy resin/Polymercaptan hardener. Loctite makes it and I'm sure plenty others do, too. It has no problem gluing metal to plastic and once cured, becomes super strong and impact resistant, unlike brittle superglue. Sets in 1 min - gives you plenty of time to position the bits and reaches max strength in 5-10 mins. There's also 5 minute epoxy which sets in, well, 5 minutes and max strength in 1 hr.

luck!

[Another Dave]

Yes. I keep mine in the freezer - as recommended in all the best model aircraft magazines! It remains liquid and is ready for instant use but lasts for a few years.

Another Dave

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo , Huge escribió:

Ta for the tip, now moved to the fridge.

I also blow into the nozzle (NOT applying lips!) sharply to clear the hole, and don't screw the top back on tight, just enough to close it. That prevents it from clogging up and having to be cleared with a paperclip or similar next time you use it.

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo , David.WE.Roberts escribió:

Salvage the power/data assembly from a dead drive and swap it over?

[John Rumm]

My tin (siroflex) says "contains Heptane, Hexane mixture of isomers (max5% n-Hexane". Not sure what proportion of that is active ingredient and what is just propellant though.

[The Natural Philosopher]

it can. a sweaty thmb on one bit works..

[David.WE.Roberts]

Not having a dead Seagate SATA 6Gb/sec drive lying around that isn't really an option. [Well, apart from one with a dead power connector...]

There is also the suggestion that the PCB is specifically tuned for the individual drive.

This is the justification Seagate use for not repairing drives or supplying spare parts.

Cheers

Dave R

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo , David.WE.Roberts escribió:

I meant desoldering and swapping the connector, not swapping the PCB.

Yes, the days when you could recover data from a failed drive by swapping the PCB from a known working one are long gone.

[Mr Pounder]

Hold together with blu tack. Then use a bead of superglue.

[David.WE.Roberts]

Thanks :-)

Although the superglue is only a temporary measure before a connector is fixed permanently on, a more robust solution does have its attractions.

Cheers

Dave R