How to read/dump original firmware of a BROKEN Hitachi drive? Please and thanks!

The long and short of it:
Need to read/dump original FW of a Hitachi 360 drive, that is broken, so that I can replace it with a new TS drive I have (after spoof/hack).
The Hitachi drive is physically broken. It will not read game discs. It won't even eject the tray properly (though it does try, it has mechanical issues). Trying to read media with it is a lost cause.

I do not know what the version/revision of the drive is FOR CERTAIN. I have reason to believe it's a v78, as the previous owner said he remembers that being on the case. I no longer have the drives case. I am rather certain it is NOT a v79.

I am able to get the drive recognized in windows using SLAX 2.1, and it detects normally as a hitachi 3120. It exhibits SOME signs of mode B but behaves odd. For instance every 4 pushes of eject tries to pop the tray. I chalk that up to physical damage. It does not behave this way booted normally so I'd assume I'm in mode B since it's also in windows.

The Maximus 4.1 firmware toolbox wants media in the drive recognized, before it will do a RAW dump. A classic dump results in "cannot read from drive".

As I understand it only a RAW dump works with a v78, and classic and memdump do not work.

So how can I dump firmware of this drive without media being detected or it being able to read discs?

Is my only hope to desolder the TSOP and read in external programmer? If that is the case, any reccomendations as to someone in the US to do it quick/without $ rape?

Thanks in advance!
-Jim

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