• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Trying to build my XT computer and need some help with it.

Robin4

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2011
Messages
501
Is there anyone familiar with this IBM 5170 clone pc? Or recognize it?

IMG_20230513_015839[1].jpg
2 or 3 years ago i bought this case from a guy in Italy when i was wondering around on ebay and walked into this ebay listing.
Then already it was very hard to find a good old XT type of computer case. So i was lucky to buying this one.
I bought it because of the turbo switch, which most of the older XT cases doesnt seems to have..
IMG_20230513_015940[1].jpg

For the rest it was good enough to build an Turbo XT in it.. Does have the same size of power supply of the original IBM. Looks of the case are just fine and old enough for my build.

I want to install my Juko V20 motherboard it this case.. But i have got some overall problems to build this system.

First really like to know if anyone knows which original motherboard came with this case?
For all the LEDs it using some older style connectors.. Only the keylock seems to be dupont style.
IMG_20230513_015959[1].jpg

Yesterday i already made a adaptation on the pin headers for the LED and other connectors. Because when the manufacturer designed this motherboard.. They didnt noticed that longer ISA cards can be hindered due the led connectors standing straight up.
So i replaced the straight pin headers with the 90 degrees ones. Also tried those older connectors making fit.. But then they are sitting very loose on the connector.

1. Is it a good idea to cut of those white connectors and replace them al with dupont ones? Or is there a reason not to do, and be better off to make an convertor cable between them?

2. Also want to install half height drives in this case.. Its seems this case missing the special bracket to connect 2 drives together, making it a full height drive in one. How much of these brackets came with such a case? And was this bracket mostly used only to couple the half height floppy drives together? And is it possible to have 2 of these brackets installed on the same place for connecting 2 half height MFM drives together and 2 half height floppy drives together.

3. Iam also looking for information (like in PC total magazine) or other media) where i can find this pc case been listed, like how the hardware configuration was back in the days, who sold this pc, and what the price was back then..
 
It never can be a 5170 clone because the motherboard has 8-bits slots only. Better, the motherboard is most probably a Juko board, discussed in various threads like this one.
 
Found some information on YT


Seems the be the motherboard was a some kind of 10Mhz turbo brand.. When comparing with other boards online, i see like DTK and so on use almost the same PCB lay-out. And those boards seems to have a 8088 at 10 mhz and not a NEC V20 processor.
Brand of the computer i dont know.. in the url i see a sticker on the back of the machine, but i guess that means nothing.. Because this model of case could be a regular one and used by other brands to over the world.

Also see some part of that half height mounting plate.. But dont know if the size is the same 1:1 copy like the IBM, or measurements are different.





Is there someone who can tell me where i can find more information on installing that IBM half height drive brack (how to install) in the original IBM manual(s)?
 
Very nice machine! It looks to be in very good condition.

This is what is usually called a "no name" clone. Individuals or small companies would buy individual parts - case, motherboard, ram, power supply, video cards, drives, etc. - from one or more different vendors and put it together themselves. That way one could get the best deal optimized for whatever they plan to run on it.

This case is a later model XT clone case that resembles an AT but should still fit an XT sized power supply and motherboard.

Yea, this case is missing the drive mounting brackets. Usually those are just rectangular pieces of metal with four or eight holes drilled in them. Sometimes they fit in to a slot next to the drives.
 
The motherboard wasnt the board that came with the case. Ive put it in myself.. When i bought this case, it was just empty.
 
Last edited:
Very nice machine! It looks to be in very good condition.

This is what is usually called a "no name" clone. Individuals or small companies would buy individual parts - case, motherboard, ram, power supply, video cards, drives, etc. - from one or more different vendors and put it together themselves. That way one could get the best deal optimized for whatever they plan to run on it.

This case is a later model XT clone case that resembles an AT but should still fit an XT sized power supply and motherboard.

Yea, this case is missing the drive mounting brackets. Usually those are just rectangular pieces of metal with four or eight holes drilled in them. Sometimes they fit in to a slot next to the drives.

Do you know have much of these drive mounting brackets came with such a case? It should at least be one for the floppy drives 5,25 and 3,5 inch right? Dont know if they back then still use a full hight HDD in the left side of the drive cage? But what happend when you wanted to install instead of a full high drive going for
two half height MFM HDDs instead? Did you need to order a second drive mounting bracket to install those?


Is there any information available in the manual of one of the IBM 5150 / 5160 / 5170 where i can found how to install such a bracket (mostly like those manuals where more written how to perform such a task.
 
Last edited:
Yes, you would use up to 2 of those brackets. One for the drives on each side.

Many XT style cases were designed for full height drives - the idea was you were supposed to screw the drives in on the BOTTOM. Very annoying, as that meant you had to remove the entire mounting assembly to get to those screws. Even more annoying because by the time this case came out, it would have been VERY common to have dual half height hard drives, in addition to dual half height floppy drives.

So to work around that problem you had to install the bracket on the side of each set of drives. And then install screws on the bottom of the bottom most drive, otherwise the drives would flop around.

Note that the IBM AT 5170 and many AT clones used drive rails instead.
 
How much of those drive mounting brackets came with the case? ( or was it just an Optional part to have to order from IBM?) So you could order how much you wanted?

When using 2 of those brackets, dont the screws interfere with each other? Because the gap between those plates are very limited.. Or did IBM provide special flat screws for it to install it to the drives?

Is there more information where i can get those brackets? And is there something mentioned in the IBM user manual or operating guide? (so that let you know how to install those brackets?)


I only found this drawing:

ibm_side_plate_3.jpg


Its close on measurement with that clone one.. Think de option is to make them myself.
 
Last edited:
You can make brackets for yourself from some .060" or 1mm aluminum from a big box or hardware store. In a pinch, some similar thickness rigid plastic would work.

Forget the screw holes in the bottom. The side brackets that are in a PC or XT case have screw slots that line up with the top set of holes in most half height floppy drives. Look at the side of a TEAC FD-55.

Be advised that half height drives often have one set of holes lower in the sides that are metric standard size and thread like you would find on an HDD. These will not line up with the existing slots in a clone's case. Ignore them for this application. The upper holes take #6-32 screws like most of the screws in a PC or XT case. You're going to use those. Place a half height drive on the bottom of the bay and another above it. Now slide a piece of index card in between the two drives and the bracket. You,re going to use it to make a template. The top drive will tend to droop. Not to worry. Push both drives into the case until their bezels are in flush contact with the front of the case. Hold them in place while you take a pencil and trace the outline of the case slots and drive screw holes on the index card. Now transfer the outline of the slots and holes from the template onto the material you're making into brackets and drill appropriate sized holes for the 4 drive mounting screws. I found it helpful to make the rear holes into slots like IBM did to allow some variation in hole placement.

Put two screws through the case bracket, the bracket you just fabricated, and into the holes in the lower drive. Put two more screws through your fabricated bracket and into the upper drive. Push the drive bezels into contact with the case again, and snug up your four screws.

Voila! Ze trick, she is done!

Using this technique, some 3.5" to 5.25" bay adapters, and a couple of 3D printed parts to mount CF card holders, my 5160 now sports a 360k FDD and a 720k FDD in the left hand bay, and two CF card slots in the right hand bay. And it looks like it might have been equipped that way when it left the Boca Raton, FL factory.
 
I went back and looked at the pictures posted at the top of this thread. That case looks nothing like the inside of a classic IBM PC or XT. You already have all the sheet metal to you need to mount 4 half height drives. You don't need those IBM drive bay adapters. At most you'll want a dummy half height bezel to close the front if you only have a single half height drive in a full height bay. Those can be 3D printed. You just need the .STL files from some place like Thingiverse and access to a 3D printer. Worst case scenario you upload the .STL to a 3D print shop near you or to Shapeways and have them print it for you.

 
I have a few 386SX boards if you want something more similar to the performance of the 5170 board. They slot into the same IBM footprint.
 
I have a few 386SX boards if you want something more similar to the performance of the 5170 board. They slot into the same IBM footprint.

Hi i have enough boards myself.. But this PC needs to be in XT class specs.
 
Back from the death.. hehe. Iam a little bit further on this topic.. Recently i came by locally someone who had a XT clone case for sale. When looked at sellers pictures, it also came with such bracket plate like mentioned above few posts ago.

Ask if he would sell that plate, but that wasnt possible.. He opted that if he sold that bracket plate to me, then then value of that case would drop / hard to sell.

So i took the gamble and purchase the whole case included that plate. Is was only 40 euros. (about 43 dollars). I also ask the seller to secure that plate in the case with some duckt tape.

Yesterday ive pick up the postal package and went back to home. When home i had not much time to look at it, but only wanted to know if that plate was there. And yes it was.

Now i have a new XT clone case added to the collection of vintage computer parts.

I know how to mount that plate on both drives. But have some questions about the things iam not sure about.

1. Why is there a TAB on the lower corner of that drive plate bracket ( i should think that it is for against sliding of the case mounting frame>?)

2. I know that the lower drive (or floppy drive have to secure it on the bottom part of the case drive cage. But it doesnt seems to allign on both screw holes. And only the middle ones can be screwed in from the holes on the bottom. (do i maybe have a wrong floppy drive caddle that seems to mis-match?

Are there 5.25inch caddles for 3,5inch drive that 100% sure will fit with such old XT cases?

IMG_20230602_090923[1].jpg

IMG_20230602_090930[1].jpg
 
Why is there a TAB on the lower corner of that drive plate bracket ( i should think that it is for against sliding of the case mounting frame>?)
See photo below.
I cannot see the tab doing much at all, because once the bottom drive has had its screws put in, the plate is not going to move.

1685694586183.png
 
So its for alignment (sort of) of the holes.

I tried the same with my case, but then the hole seems to be a little bit off.
 
Last edited:
How do i screw in the screws on the bottom (under the cage) (in de middle could be easy because of holes in the bottom (suggesting i need a magnectic screwdriver for that?)

But from bottom sideways is questionable.

IMG_20230602_124007[1].jpg
 
So its for alignment (sort of) of the holes.
Yes, sort of. It is almost like IBM said to themselves, "A tab will cost practically nothing, and it will stop the plate moving to the rear whilst the technician is doing up the bottom screws."

How do i screw in the screws on the bottom (under the cage)
What people have been referring to is a well - photo at [here]. There is one underneath my IBM 5160, but not for my two IBM 5150's. Some people have reported a well in their IBM 5150.

IBM must have recognised at some time that better securing of drives was required. Maybe that time was when a hard drive was anticipated for the PC family.
 
But there is no well on the side of that drive cage. My picture that i made referred to the side
 
Back
Top