As my print was running, I looked over to check on it and saw that it had shifted in the Y-axis. I immediately looked at the stepper motor and saw plastic wrapped around the gear.
It was the strand that I extruded when starting the filament in.
I've never taken these belts off before, what's the best way to do it?
Should I just loosen the setscrew and slide the gear off?
Need to remove belt
Need to remove belt
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Re: Need to remove belt
I pulled the plastic out with pliers. I didn't need to remove the belt.
Re: Need to remove belt
Unplug the machine, reach in there with a pair of tweezers or tweezer nose pliers and just pull the threads off. (It's not sticky.) 
And there you go - you figured it out before I could even hit send!
And there you go - you figured it out before I could even hit send!
Re: Need to remove belt
Haha, Thanks Jules!Jules wrote:Unplug the machine, reach in there with a pair of tweezers or tweezer nose pliers and just pull the threads off. (It's not sticky.)
And there you go - you figured it out before I could even hit send!
Re: Need to remove belt
haha wow thats a new one!
Re: Need to remove belt
And if you DID want to remove the belt, best to take tension off it first.
1. Power down the machine.
2. Loosen the four screws that hold the stepper motor in place.
3. Slide the stepper motor, screws still attached but loose, through the slots in the frame to loosen the belt.
4. If the belt comes off over the drive pulley, fine. If not, you can loosen the setscrew holding the drive pulley on the motor shaft and slide it off.
Way easier to do without tension on the belt! And when you put it back together, make sure you line up the flat on the motor shaft and get the setscrew tight. I believe some here have recommended blue Loctite on the setscrew threads to keep if from vibrating loose. (If I have that wrong, please pipe up!). The setscrew working loose is the reason most of us have encountered axis shifts.
And when tensioning the belt, slide the stepper motor and hold it firmly. With the extruder at the far end, you want to be able to pinch the belt so the two runs touch (if you can't it's TOO tight), and you want the belt to be a little "twangy" when you pluck it (else it's too loose).
But I'm glad you got the filament unwrapped without having to take off the belt and pulley. Well done!
1. Power down the machine.
2. Loosen the four screws that hold the stepper motor in place.
3. Slide the stepper motor, screws still attached but loose, through the slots in the frame to loosen the belt.
4. If the belt comes off over the drive pulley, fine. If not, you can loosen the setscrew holding the drive pulley on the motor shaft and slide it off.
Way easier to do without tension on the belt! And when you put it back together, make sure you line up the flat on the motor shaft and get the setscrew tight. I believe some here have recommended blue Loctite on the setscrew threads to keep if from vibrating loose. (If I have that wrong, please pipe up!). The setscrew working loose is the reason most of us have encountered axis shifts.
And when tensioning the belt, slide the stepper motor and hold it firmly. With the extruder at the far end, you want to be able to pinch the belt so the two runs touch (if you can't it's TOO tight), and you want the belt to be a little "twangy" when you pluck it (else it's too loose).
But I'm glad you got the filament unwrapped without having to take off the belt and pulley. Well done!
Re: Need to remove belt
Thanks Dale! Yeah, it wasn't much trouble, the way I did it.
I have a set of skinfold measuring calipers,they measure distance at a certain amount of tension. I thought that if I did take the belt off, I would check the tension with those calipers and then re-set it to the same tension.
I have a set of skinfold measuring calipers,they measure distance at a certain amount of tension. I thought that if I did take the belt off, I would check the tension with those calipers and then re-set it to the same tension.