HELP!!! ][e suddenly having problems!

[dalloff@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Dave Althoff)]

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION:

128k Unenhanced Apple ][e
Extended 80-column card (64k)
MPC parallel interface/Panasonic KX-P1180 printer
Apple Super Serial Card (no device connected)
Apple Disk ][ Controller Card (two Disk ][ drives)

PROBLEM:
Suddenly, the machine won't operate properly.  One day last week, I 
powered up the machine and got *nothing*.  Immediately, I bumped all of 
the boards, then added them back in starting with the disk controller and 
one drive.  The machine started up fine empty, and with all cards in place 
except disk controller.  With one drive connected to the controller, I got 
whirring and weak recalibration sounds from the drive.  With both drives 
connected I got nothing.  I assumed this to be a power supply problem.

Fortunately, I have a spare ][e power supply, since I upgraded the power 
supply in /RAVEN (my enhanced //e) to accommodate the hard drive.  So I 
installed the replacement power supply into the ][e, and tested again.

EMPTY MACHINE:  Powers up OK
W/80-column board:  OK
W/80-col and DISK ][, one drive:  Powers up and boots OK
W/all cards and both drives:  Whiring and weak clicking from boot drive.

Okay, so I backed up.  I yanked out all of the cards except the Disk ][ 
controller, and pulled the second drive.  Same thing:  Whirring and weak 
clicking from the boot drive.  So I switched drives.  This time, it 
booted.  So I tried hooking up Drive #1 as the second drive.  Weak 
clicking again.  Drive #2 by itself:  Weak clicking again.  Drive #1 by 
itself:  Weak clicking.

===let the machine sit while I write this report...===

Odd.  Now, with Drive #1 hooked up as the boot drive, it still fails.  But 
with Drive #2 hooked up as the boot drive, after a slow/weak sounding 
recalibration (I think that drive has always sounded like that), the 
machine does, in fact boot.  Okay, so hook up Drive #1 to the Drive #2 
pins...

Now, the machine still boots, but when I try to access D2, it takes two 
tries to find the directory track...like the drive isn't seeking properly. 
 So now it looks like I have a bad drive, the one that I used to call 
Drive #1...the one that booted when I first put in the replacement power 
supply.

Okay, so does anyone have any ideas for me?  What's going on here?  I do 
not have another working Disk ][, nor do I have another Disk ][ 
controller.  And this is a bit upsetting...this is the first time this 
machine has failed since it was purchased in 1983 (I don't count the time 
I accidentally fried the RAM by shorting the test pads at the front left 
corner of the motherboard...)

NOTE:  The test disk is a known-good Pronto-DOS disk; after it failed to
boot on the ][e, I tested it by booting the IIgs with it.  This was a
fairly sudden failure; the machine gets heavy use.

]Dave Althoff, ][.

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