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How to Replace a Thermocouple on a MakerBot Replicator 2X These are instructions for replacing a thermocouple on a MakerBot Replicator 2X. This part replacement will require the use of a scissor or wire cutter, some tape, an adjustable wrench, the 2.5 mm hex wrench that came with your bot, and possibly a small flathead screwdriver. Before you begin, do the following: Unload any filament from the extruder being repaired. Turn off the MakerBot Replicator 2X. Unplug power and USB cables. 1. Remove the motor assembly from the extruder. First detach the white plastic motor wire connector from the motor. Then use your 2.5 mm hex wrench to loosen the fan bolts at the front of the extruder until the motor is free. Remove the motor assembly and set it aside.

How to Replace a Thermocouple on a MakerBot Replicator …download.makerbot.com/replicator2x/replicator_2x_thermocouple... · How to Replace a Thermocouple on a MakerBot Replicator

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  • How to Replace a Thermocouple on a MakerBot Replicator 2X

    These are instructions for replacing a thermocouple on a MakerBot Replicator 2X. This part replacement will require the use of a scissor or wire cutter, some tape, an adjustable wrench, the 2.5 mm hex wrench that came with your bot, and possibly a small flathead screwdriver.

    Before you begin, do the following:

    Unload any filament from the extruder being repaired. Turn off the MakerBot Replicator 2X. Unplug power and USB cables.

    1. Remove the motor assembly from the extruder.

    First detach the white plastic motor wire connector from the motor. Then use your 2.5 mm hex wrench to loosen the fan bolts at the front of the extruder until the motor is free. Remove the motor assembly and set it aside.

  • 2. Loosen the bar mount set screw.

    Locate the set screw holding the thermal barrier tube in place. It's at the back of the bar mount. Use the 2.5 mm hex wrench to loosen it. This will loosen the entire hot endthe nozzle, thermal core and thermal barrier tube. 3. Snip the thermocouple.

    Gently pull the thermal core down and snip the thermocouple just above the insulation. 4. Disconnect the heater cartridge. The white wires emerging from the thermal core are the heater wires. Unplug the black plastic connector attaching them to the extruder cable. The hot end is now completely detached from the extruder. Set it aside.

  • 5. Unscrew the nut from the thermal core. Use a wrench to unscrew the nut that attached the old thermocouple to the thermal core. Be careful not to damage the ceramic insulation on the thermal core. 6. Attach the new thermocouple. Locate the new thermocouple. Screw the nut at the end of the new thermocouple into the thermal core. Again, be careful not to damage the ceramic insulation on the thermal core. 7. Route the new thermocouple wire.

    Route the thermocouple wire up through the opening in the bar mount. The opening is shaped roughly like a 'C', with the round hole for the thermal barrier tube interrupting one side of it. Route the thermocouple wire through the opposite end of the 'C'. 8. Reattach the hot end. Push the thermal barrier tube back into the bar mount from below. Push it far enough in that the nozzle is slightly higher up than the nozzle of the other extruder. Then tighten the bar mount set screw to hold the hot end in place. 9. Reattach the heater wires. Plug the black plastic connector on the white heater wires into the corresponding connector coming from the extruder cable. 10. Free the extruder cable. Carefully clip the zip ties attaching the extruder cable to the clips at the top of the extruder and the back of the MakerBot Replicator 2X. Gently pull it free of the other clips.

  • 11. Remove the black wire wrapping from the extruder cable. Find the seam in the black cable and unroll the wrapping. The wrapping will easily pull off the entire cable. 12. Label the new thermocouple. Use a piece of tape to label the Mightyboard end of the new thermocouple, just above the leads. This will ensure that you do not confuse it with the thermocouple from the other extruder. 13. Exchange the old thermocouple for the new one in the extruder cable. The extruder cable is the bundle of wires taped together at intervals. At each place where the bundle is taped, carefully cut the tape, remove the old thermocouple from the bundle, add the new thermocouple to the bundle, and re-tape the bundle. 14. Flip the MakerBot Replicator 2X so that it rests on its left side and the bottom of the machine faces you. 15. Remove the electronics bay cover. Use the 2.5 mm hex wrench to remove the four bolts attaching the cover to the underside of the bot. Set the bolts aside. 16. Detach the thermocouple from the MightyBoard. Follow the end of the old thermocouple to a set of terminals on the MightyBoard. If these terminals are secured by buttons, push the buttons on the terminals to release the red and yellow leads. If the terminals are secured by screws, use a small flathead screwdriver to loosen the screws until you can remove the leads. Discard the old thermocouple. 17. Attach the new thermocouple. Locate the leads on the new thermocouple and slide them into the same set of terminals. The terminals are labeled "Red" and "Yellow" and it's very important that each lead goes into the correct terminal. For terminals with buttons, press the buttons on the terminals, slide the leads all the way in, and release the buttons. For terminals with screws, slide the leads in and tighten the screws. Tug on the leads to make sure they're secure. You may find that it's easier to reconnect one lead at a time.

  • 18. Return the electronics cover to the bottom of the MakerBot Replicator 2X. Use the four small bolts and the 2.5 mm hex wrench to secure the cover to the bottom of your bot and flip the bot upright again. 19. Enclose the extruder cable wires in the wire wrapping. Wrap the wire wrapping around the length of the bundle of extruder wires. 20. Attach the extruder end of the extruder cable to the plastic guide at the back of the extruder. Pull the zip tie very tight and clip off the excess. 21. Reattach the extruder cable to the back of the MakerBot Replicator 2X. Move your extruders all the way to the front left corner of the MakerBot Replicator 2X. Zip tie the cable to the clip at the top of the back of your bot, leaving a small amount of slack on the cable. Push the cable into the other guides on the back of the bot. 22. The replacement is now complete, but your two extruder nozzles are now at different heights. Before printing again, use the Replicator 2X Nozzle Height Adjustment instructions on our website to realign them.

    http://support-staging.makerbot.com/troubleshooting/makerbot-replicator-2x/mechanical/my-extruder-nozzles-are-at-different-heights_11422http://support-staging.makerbot.com/troubleshooting/makerbot-replicator-2x/mechanical/my-extruder-nozzles-are-at-different-heights_11422

    How to Replace a Thermocouple on a MakerBot Replicator 2X