Internal Zip drive eject button: It's still hidden on G4s

Fran Carroll notes that the eject button for the internal Zip drive on a Power Mac G4 is covered by the G4 faceplate and cannot be easily accessed - should you need it to eject a stuck disk. He contacted Apple Tech Support about this and they had him "open the machine and pop the faceplate from the inside. All I was actually able to do was bend one side of it enough to stick my finger in and push the green button. The disk then ejected nicely but the whole time I kept thinking that the faceplate was going to break. It kept getting caught on the DVD door, too."

This is actually the latestvariation on a situation that dates back at least as far as the Power Mac 6500 two years ago (see this MacFixIt item).

Update: Try at your own risk: Dewey Maxwell replies: "I solved this problem on my 8600/250 a long time ago: I removed the faceplate and drilled a hole in it where the eject button is located. While I was at it I also used a file to cut a small slit where the Zip drive 'access' light is (to the right of the eject button). I could then verify reading and writing of the Zip disks. Easy to do and worked like a charm."

Update: Paul Willis queries: "On our G4 (and G3/BW) there is the 'paper clip' hole on the top edge of the Zip slot 3/4 the way across from the left. And right below that (on the bottom edge) the plastics incorporate a thin round section so that the access LED is easily visible as a glowing blob. Has something changed in the latest versions?" [Fran replied that the hole is indeed there, except that it does nothing; it does give you access to the eject button.]