Replacing Your Xbox 360 DVD Drive Belt
If you are having a hard time getting your Xbox 360 DVD drive to open and close, odds are the drive belt is the problem. It seems that due to heat and general usage, the drive belt that is responsible for opening and closing the drive will stretch or accumulate enough dirt that it starts slipping.
One way to remedy this is to open your drive and clean the belt, but more often than not the problem will recur relatively quickly. After scouring the web, I have found what seems to be the consensus as far as which belt you can use to replace your existing drive belt. Most people opt to purchase a replacement that is smaller than the existing belt in order to ensure that there is sustainable tension for the long run. The replacement belt of choice has a 19mm internal diameter and is 1.2mm thick.
You can purchase a new belt at any of the locations below:
SBS2.6 Belt @ Studio Sound Electronics
SCX2.6 Belt @ Unicorn Electronics
To do the repair, simply open your DVD drive, undo the belt connecting the two points highlighted below, and then reattach the new belt in its place. You will likely need to use a small screwdriver or needle-nose pliers to attach the new belt as it will fit quite a bit more snug than the old belt. You may also want to limit the amount that you touch the inside of the belt surface as to reduce the likelihood of depositing residual finger oils on the rubber which may result in future slippage.
(Picture courtesy of Llama – www.llama.com)
[...] demonstrates how a couple of dollars and a few minutes can turn your broken Xbox 360 DVD drive into a fully functioning unit again by tackling a common [...]
Hey thanks for the details on this band, I’m going to grab one and wish for the best.
Nic,
Glad I could help, good luck with your drive, let us know how you make out.
I’m missing the gear in the middle and the belt. Anyone know where I can get the gear the belt attaches to?
Thanks,
Eric,
It’s funny you mention that. I am assuming you mean the gear indicated with the leftmost red arrow, correct?
In the “parts only” Xbox 360 I bought, that particular gear was cracked in half, and useless . The 360 drive was a Samsung model, so I poked around inside the Samsung DVD drive on an original Xbox, and found that the gears were almost identical. All I needed to do was cut down the shaft on the bottom of the gear from the original Xbox so that it fit properly in the 360 drive, and I was in business.
It was kind of a crapshoot, but the drive works perfectly to this day. Dig around a bit, and you might be surprised by what you find.
DrNathan,
I just installed the SBS2.6 (from ebay) and the drive works perfectly. Thank a million!
-nic
Great Nic, I’m glad we could save your Xbox!