[G4] INSTALLING A SUPERDRIVE

[Ron Steinke]

On Oct 5, 2004, at 8:44 PM, rich northouse wrote:

Ron,

I do have a double drive bracket on the right side -- but I already 
have two hard drives installed. I desire to install a third. There 
appears to be space on the left side (the side towards the front of the 
case) but there is no bracket. Where would a purchase a second bracket? 
  I would probably have to add a wye connector for the power.

But the other issue is, how do I install a second DVD? This issue is 
NOT connected to adding the third hard drive.
  I want to put it into the hole for the ZIP drive, which directly 
underneath the existing CD drive.

Rich,

Look carefully at the chassis bottom to the left of the double drive 
bracket. You might see a small phillips head screw located near the 
edge close to the hinge. There were two such screws in my chassis and 
the additional plates were held down by them. The additional drive 
mounting brackets are flat metal plates with holes for the mounting 
screws and do not look like the original drive mounting bracket.

If the extra mounting plates were removed before you got the machine, 
you may be able to locate one or two through a local Mac User Group 
member or on eBay.

Yes, you will have to use a Y adaptor for the power source to the extra 
drive if you have already used all the original connectors for other 
devices.

The issue of installing a second DVD is another matter. I resolved my 
desire for another drive by buying an external USB/FireWire box and 
installing a Pioneer 105 drive in it to match the 105 installed in the 
internal 5" bay. By doing it that way, I can use the external drive 
with my Lombard and Pismo laptops, my G4 Gbit, or my "old" Beige G3 DT, 
whichever one I decide to start up.

I decided that it was cheaper to do that way than to hack up my 
sub-chassis and maybe do something too wrong to correct later.