This is my method of pulling the heads out with the ramp.
In this pic, I'm holding the head assy at the top of the actuator axis and the ramp is suspended in the ends of the heads.
The heads "squeeze" the ramp enough so it doesn't fall off. Once I have it out, I set the head/ramp assy down and stuff spacers (I use ends of toothpicks quite often) between the heads to keep them separated. Reverse the process to put the heads back on.
As you found out, I think it's a bad idea to set the heads on the platters while you get the ramp out. It's exactly like adding a stiction case to your existing one!
One might, alternately, keep the heads spread apart with foil spacers then rotate the heads *over* the platters while removing the ramp.
Hope that helps!
Sam
In this pic, I'm holding the head assy at the top of the actuator axis and the ramp is suspended in the ends of the heads.
The heads "squeeze" the ramp enough so it doesn't fall off. Once I have it out, I set the head/ramp assy down and stuff spacers (I use ends of toothpicks quite often) between the heads to keep them separated. Reverse the process to put the heads back on.
As you found out, I think it's a bad idea to set the heads on the platters while you get the ramp out. It's exactly like adding a stiction case to your existing one!
One might, alternately, keep the heads spread apart with foil spacers then rotate the heads *over* the platters while removing the ramp.
Hope that helps!
Sam