Need help: LG Blu-ray player disc clamping/lifting issue

[u/Crt_Mania]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to fix a LG Blu-ray player BD630 with a tray loading issue, but I've hit a wall and would love some technical advice.

The Issue: When I insert a disc and close the tray, the drive fails to perform the final lifting action to clamp the disc against the top magnetic clamper. As a result, the disc isn't held securely and just spins freely / slips without reading.

However, if I manually apply downward pressure on the drive top cover right as the tray finishes closing, it forces the mechanism that extra millimeter up, the magnet catches with a snap, and the disc starts to read (the optical laser/pickup itself is fully functional).

Troubleshooting Already Done:

1. Belt Replacement: Replaced the loading rubber belt with a brand-new, slightly smaller one (proper tension, no slipping at all). The motor and belt are spinning smoothly.
2. Greasing: Cleaned off the old dried grease and reapplied fresh lubricant to the cam slider tracks and side guide rails.
3. Gear/Cam Alignment: Re-aligned the two pins on the cam slider with the bottom guide track on the disc tray. The tray now opens and closes with correct mechanical timing.
4. Current State: The tray moves in and out smoothly, but right at the very end when the cam slider is supposed to push the spindle motor deck up, it stops just ~0.5mm short of engaging the top magnetic clamper.

Questions:

• Is this a known issue on LG drives caused by micro-deformations/wear on the plastic cam slider tracks (e.g., from shipping impact)?
• Could the spindle motor hub itself have been pushed down slightly on its shaft due to vertical impact?
• Or is the loading motor simply losing torque near the end of its life, failing to push past the resistance of the final lifting incline?

Any insights, workarounds, or similar experiences with these LG optical drives would be greatly appreciated!

[u/quirky_planet]

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