Okay, here's the skinny.

Current 360 working fine. Another associate of mine has one that's since had about 3 RRoD's, and has been unsuccessful at fixing the mainboard issues with it. He's been offering it to me, but seeing as mine works fine (and is a newer model), I've not really had a reason to use it. At least, until possibly now...

Redbox has started doing game rentals, and that in itself has given me a very good reason to at least take its DVD drive, assuming it works as it should. I assume that you need one in order to be able to do dumps of existing games? And if so, how would it be prepped? Any software preferred for dumping in Windows 7?

 

What models of drives are supported by said firmware? I've yet to see what DVD drive this particular 'box has. And given his repeated failures at "resurrecting" it, I don't exactly think it will be coming back intact anyhow.

I have a Maximus 360 Xtractor and the matching spear; needed it for my Lite-on 7k drive in my like-a-tank xbox. *knock on wood*

 

It is possible to fit it a normal 360 ODD in a standard 5.25" bay with a little bit of filing/cutting/modding.
Mine is mounted in my PC! Perfect rips every time

(Built my own connectivity kit and made my own tray open switch using a 3.3V reg and flipflop.)

 

Are you sure it has not got a hosed firmware?
The eject logic is in the firmware and when you delete said firmware soft ejecting will not work (you can still use the manual eject mind).

 

If the power connector was plugged in upside down which apparently happens it could fry. I destroyed a Samsung before by plugging it a pin over.