Help getting PTFE tube back into extruder

I just recently received my RoBo, and after a few failed prints, I started having extruder problems where it looked like not enough material was coming out, especially after the first 2-3 layers of a print. Then almost nothing would come out at all.

I increased the temp but that didn't help to even manually push filament out, so I took off the extruder to see if it had a jam. My extruder looks different than the one in the Robo3D video - it is black with some heat fins. The PTFE tube came out easily enough, and looks fine. The jam was because the filament had broken inside the tube, probably because I left the hotend on for too long and the heat traveled up the filament, so when I pulled it out, a good amount was still in the tube.

Long story short, I think all of the material is out of the extruder, but I can't get the tube back into it. It doesn't seem like it is the same as in the RoBo video - looks like it is 1.75mm all the way down, and not tapered as they explained in the video. Looks like the whole step-down occurs at the metal part of the extruder right before the nozzle.

Any ideas on how to get the PTFE tube back in? I have a picture of the extruder below with the PTFE tube above it. Thanks!

 

Hi splk3,

With these new hotends they should not clog. If you are having trouble getting the PTFE tube back in you may want to try heating up the hotend before putting trying to put it in. Just make sure to use a pair of pliers or tweezers as to not touch the hotend while it is on.

 

Ok great - thanks. I realized my error once I took it apart. I had pre-heated the end, then took a phone call, and so I think it heated up the filament, and then I pulled it out to clean the hobbed bolt, and instead of pulling all the filament out, it pulled it out halfway up the tube.

I'll try heating it and getting the tube back in - thanks a bunch!

 

I had to shave some of the bottom to make it thinner, but it went back in smoothly. Now just to reinstall the j-head and get to printing!

Thanks for the help, Drew.