How To Unclog A Prusa I3 Mk3 Nozzle Repair Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

                          25 - 45 minutes

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How to Unclog a Prusa i3 MK3 Nozzle
12 steps

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Introduction

An incorrectly assembled hotend is a common problem that most people encounter when switching out their nozzles. The oozing might not be immediately apparent but can be visible either through the ooze dripping onto your prints or a build-up of filament on your heatblock.

In this guide, we will be heating the printer nozzle up to 285 Celsius, so please handle the parts with care. If you have removed a heated part and cannot yet re-insert it, then place it on something that can handle the heat, like a ceramic plate.

What you need

Step 1

              How to Unclog a Prusa i3 MK3 Nozzle

Set the nozzle temperature to your filament’s recommended printing point.
While the printer is heating, gently tug the filament and pull it out.

Set the nozzle temperature to your filament’s recommended printing point.

While the printer is heating, gently tug the filament and pull it out.

1024

Step 2

Remove the top right M3x14 heatsink fan screw.
Remove the bottom right M3x20 heatsink fan screw.
Loosen but do not remove the M3x14 screws located under the extruder motor.
Loosen but do not remove the M3x14 screws located at the top behind the extruder feeder.

Remove the top right M3x14 heatsink fan screw.

Remove the bottom right M3x20 heatsink fan screw.

Loosen but do not remove the M3x14 screws located under the extruder motor.

Loosen but do not remove the M3x14 screws located at the top behind the extruder feeder.

Step 3

Ensure that the extruder motor cable has enough slack to be pulled apart.
With the heatsink fan screws removed, gently pull apart the extruder encasing.

Ensure that the extruder motor cable has enough slack to be pulled apart.

With the heatsink fan screws removed, gently pull apart the extruder encasing.

Step 4

When the hotend is cool to the touch, gently remove it from its encasing.

When the hotend is cool to the touch, gently remove it from its encasing.

Step 5

Be careful with the cables attached to the hotend; too much stress on them can rip them off.
Unscrew and remove the heatsink from the hotend.

Be careful with the cables attached to the hotend; too much stress on them can rip them off.

Unscrew and remove the heatsink from the hotend.

Step 6

Heat up the nozzle to 285 degrees Celsius. The heat will cause the block to expand and allow you to safely remove the parts.
While gripping the block, unscrew the nozzle.

Heat up the nozzle to 285 degrees Celsius. The heat will cause the block to expand and allow you to safely remove the parts.

While gripping the block, unscrew the nozzle.

Step 7

Watch out for the brush being used to clean the nozzle; if the metal of the brush is harder than the nozzle then it will damage the nozzle.
A brass brush is being used on the copper nozzle here so that no damage is caused. A brass brush will work fine for most nozzles but research your nozzle’s metal to ensure that no damage is done to it.
Clean the nozzle with a metal brush.

Watch out for the brush being used to clean the nozzle; if the metal of the brush is harder than the nozzle then it will damage the nozzle.

A brass brush is being used on the copper nozzle here so that no damage is caused. A brass brush will work fine for most nozzles but research your nozzle’s metal to ensure that no damage is done to it.

Clean the nozzle with a metal brush.

Step 8

Grip the heatblock with the wrench.
Gently unscrew the heatsink thread.
Clean the heatsink thread with the brush.

Grip the heatblock with the wrench.

Gently unscrew the heatsink thread.

Clean the heatsink thread with the brush.

Step 9

Clean the heatblock with the wirebrush.

Clean the heatblock with the wirebrush.

Step 10

Heat the nozzle’s temperature to 285 degrees Celsius for the heatblock to expand and grip it with a wrench.
Gently reattach the heatsink thread with your pliers, leaving some slack so that it is not flush with the heatblock.
Re-screw the cleaned nozzle but leave a gap between the nozzle and heatblock.
Screw the heatsink thread until it is flush with the heatblock.
Tighten the nozzle once again until you feel the that the nozzle’s thread is touching the heatsink thread to ensure that filament does not build up in the heatblock threads.

Heat the nozzle’s temperature to 285 degrees Celsius for the heatblock to expand and grip it with a wrench.

Gently reattach the heatsink thread with your pliers, leaving some slack so that it is not flush with the heatblock.

Re-screw the cleaned nozzle but leave a gap between the nozzle and heatblock.

Screw the heatsink thread until it is flush with the heatblock.

Tighten the nozzle once again until you feel the that the nozzle’s thread is touching the heatsink thread to ensure that filament does not build up in the heatblock threads.

Step 11

Re-screw the heatsink to the thread.
Insert the hotend back in its encasing.

Re-screw the heatsink to the thread.

Insert the hotend back in its encasing.

Step 12

Re-screw the M3x14 screws.
Re-screw the M3x20 screw.
Your printer nozzle has now been properly cleaned and re-assembled!

Re-screw the M3x14 screws.

Re-screw the M3x20 screw.

Your printer nozzle has now been properly cleaned and re-assembled!

Your extruder’s burning ooze problem has now been fixed, so you can now continue with your prints! Before you do, please remember to re-calibrate your printer.

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                    Kanlong Yang

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                       York University, Team S16-G9, Turner Winter 2021                        

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