Solved Removing Hotend on R1+

So I finally managed to pry the pull-tab piece out. Once out I can push the parts above and below it together a little and it turns out there's a normal nut in there but when I turned the screw it completely stripped out the 'captive' plastic part it sits in. This happened because the nut is basically frozen on the screw (either due to the type of nut used or some loctite). Now I'm trying to put it all back together and I don't know how I'll be able to slide the pull-tab piece back in there without loosening that screw at least a turn or so. Really frustrating.

 

It's a nylon lock nut and the very top is round but the rest is hex... At least it should be. The quick release used to aluminum bet then the went to plastic for cost reasons. However, the part the nut is in is the Greg's Wade. Not sure why not reports of issues with that have surfaced. There is another boy in the back. Can you loosen it at all? If so, hopefully that will give you enough wiggle to back the release plate to the side. Put a towel or something on the glass to protect if the hotend drops. Once the plate is out of the way it drops. So be careful and have your hand on it. Once off and there are any issues with the parts, contact Robo for replacements.

 

Thanks for this info... I did loosen the rear screw and that helps. <y problem is now pushing the extruder assembly up enough to slide the plastic holding plate back in. Is the brown rubbery stuff on the end of the top side of the extruder supposed to be there? Is that something I should be removing and replacing?

 

That's new. I've never seen that on the Hex hotends I've seen before.

 

I scheduled a call with their support later today - I'll see what they say before I scrape that off. Hopefully whoever I talk to today is a little more up on the product - I called their normal support last night and the guy just argued with me that there was no way the plastic piece I'm having trouble with could be plastic.

 

Seriously? That is...wow

 

Of course. Honestly I'm amazed that they provide 24-hour, apparently US-based support in the first place. It really distinguishes them from nearly every other consumer electronics company out there (though I can't imagine they'll be able to keep doing it forever).

 

When you say "a little muscle", where do I apply it. I also cannot get it back in. It looks like it needs to go up a hair so the swing plate will fit in the groove. I pushed with all my might and it goes nowhere. I think that seal feels rubbery to me. Does that have to be squished up tight to get it in properly?

 

I just had the same experience... I pushed it as hard as I could and still couldn't get it back in. That brown rubbery stuff makes it really hard to get the extruder assembly back in.

I spent some time on the phone with their level-2 support and he said a number of units had been built where the front screw was over-torqued (like mine). He offered to send me a new bracket (the one that holds the feed stepper) because mine is stripped now, but I've only had the printer a couple of week and have already spent more than 4 hours on this repair... mine's going back (to Amazon) for an exchange.

 

Could someone explain the need for the rubbery gasket or whatever it is on the top of the hotend. I don't have it on mine and e3d doesn't utilize it either. Not seeing any assembly pics with it either.

 

The tech said the rubbery stuff is standard now.... it's supposed to make for a better seal. But it sure makes it hard to get the extruder back in there. Given it's appearance, I'm thinking it was probably put in there as a small gasket that flowed a bit once the extruder heated up. It would have probably been easier to get in there if I'd heated things up a bit, but then I'm not sure how I would have held it to push it up there.

If it is a little gasket then maybe the think to do is scrape off the old stuff and replace it before re-assembly. But if I need to remove the nozzle on my new printer I'll definitely try to do it in-place.

 

Unless they are trying to further stabilize the hotend with the quick release being introduced, I see no purpose. I use a quick plate on my R1 I printed and no gasket and no problems.

 

I had just gone to Robo shop because I had a jam and the screw that holds it was so tight I couldn't unscrew it. I was told that there was a batch that had the overtightened screw. Brian there got it loose and replaced the entire bracket because the nut hole had rounded and wouldn't hold the nut. I watched as he pulled out the hot end, cleared the jam and reinstalled with ease. Every hour or so I get up the nerve to continue to try and there's just no way to get it in. Looks like another trip to The shop.

 

Oh and the earlier thought about heating up the hotend before install won't help. The top of the hotend stays fairly cool with the heatsink. So don't go burning yourself trying that.

 

I was surprised to see Brian heat up the end and still grab the piece. Only the nozzle and I guess the block just above is all that gets hot.