On Thursday, September 6, 2007 at 8:20:14 PM UTC-7, Tony Whitaker wrote:

I just fixed the broken pulley on my Epson Perfection 3170 scanner.
I hadn't used the scanner for many months, and when I started it up today,
it wouldn't scan. The red LED was flashing on the silver start button. I looked inside, and immediately saw that the pulley for the belt that moves the scanning carriage was cockeyed. It had obviously come loose. I searched the internet, and all I found were a few comments about flimsy plastic tabs breaking, being unrepairable, and rendering the scanner useless. Although I was very disappointed (I had not abused the scanner; it had never taken a serious drop or hit), I decided I didn't want to give up on it.

I had a heck of a time figuring out how to open the case. I didn't see any screws on the bottom or anywhere else. I looked inside through the glass,
and saw a series of tabs all around between the top and bottom of the case. So, I guessed that these tabs must interlock in some way, and if I just
pried them apart, the top would come off.

Well, using a butter knife, I managed to break the top off the case without seriously damaging anything (except that it won't screw back together now -
I can freely remove the top half of the scanner at any time now).

After breaking it, it became obvious where the screws were that I was
looking for. They're at the bottom of the holes in the top into which go the posts for the clamshell (see link below to photo).

There's nothing particularly fragile inside. The ribbon cable to the front buttons is quite strong, and the circuit board is simple and seems rugged. Basically, all I did was use 2 small sheet metal screws with fender washers to hold down the pulley slide that broke free from the plastic tabs that had held in place. This required the drilling of 2 small holes through the
bottom of the scanner. I think the pictures in the following links make it clear what needs to be done:

Location of the screws to open the case: http://www.mindspring.com/~lorqvonray/Hinges.jpg

Pulley, Pulley Slide, & Belt: http://www.mindspring.com/~lorqvonray/Pulley.jpg

It ain't pretty, but it works: http://www.mindspring.com/~lorqvonray/ScrewsOut.jpg

I don't think I damaged anything. It seems to scan fine now. If I come
across any problems later that aren't obvious this soon after fixing it,
I'll report back here.

SOLVED:
Similar problem became an easy fix. My belt tensioner mounting tabs broke off. No surprise, there's not much holding it there.

Taking off the top scanner lid reveals the only two screws to get the glass off (deep inside the post-holes). Once those are out, you lift that end only a little and slide the glass cover forward to disengage the front, then it's free.

Permanently securing the tensioner plate only req'd a couple of pilot holes and short threaded screws on either side and it was good as new.

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