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Loosing my mind trying to stop heatbreak leaks  

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guytas
(@guytas)
Active Member
Loosing my mind trying to stop heatbreak leaks

After replacing nozzle, I had leaks between the nozzle and heat block. I tried a few times to solve this by following exactly the prusa help guide but I didn't have a torque wrench. After several fails, I decided to buy a torque wrench. I realised that 2.5 nm was way more tha I thought.  I was not tightening enough. So I decided to disassemble the whole thing and clean properly before reassembling. I had to run a 6mm tap to redo the thread. Then the heatbreak and nozzle were screwing perfectly and they met each other perfectly. So I followed the prusa help and reassembled everything and this time, I used the torque wrench.  I can’t believe it.... It still leaks.  Not much, but a little bit.  It doesn’t screw my prints but still... what can I do to stop the leak definitively?

Posted : 10/04/2022 12:44 pm
Diem
 Diem
(@diem)
Illustrious Member

It's hard to say without taking a look. There is a small chance you overdid the tap...  and another that the meeting faces were slightly eroded or dinged in one of the previous attempts ... it reads like you managed to get out all the baked-in filament residue.

You might be able to work out the leak point from the pattern of residue.

This is utterly unofficial but you might be able to use a scrap of aluminium foil, one grade thicker than kitchen foil, as a sort of gasket.

Cheerio,

Posted : 10/04/2022 3:50 pm
Thejiral
(@thejiral)
Noble Member
RE: Loosing my mind trying to stop heatbreak leaks

Given that an original replacement heater block costs less than 18 EUR, maybe that (and a new nozzle) would be an option if the thread end is somehow no perfectly even anymore or there is some tiny residue of plastic left, preventing completely tight connection.

That is if you can't manage to fix your present hotend issue by other means.

Mk3s MMU2s, Voron 0.1, Voron 2.4

Posted : 10/04/2022 4:04 pm
bobstro
(@bobstro)
Illustrious Member
RE: Loosing my mind trying to stop heatbreak leaks
Posted by: @guytas

[...] So I followed the prusa help and reassembled everything and this time, I used the torque wrench.  I can’t believe it.... It still leaks.  Not much, but a little bit.  It doesn’t screw my prints but still... what can I do to stop the leak definitively?

The E3D guide is a bit clearer. They key to success is inserting the heatbreak properly. If it's in far enough, it will be impossible to tighten the nozzle flush with the heaterblock. If the heatbreak is properly screwed into the block, there will be a small gap between the nozzle hex and the block when fully tightened at heat. Unfortunately, some of the instructions out there focus on leaving that little gap, but don't emphasize the need to have the heatbreak properly inserted into the block to make the seal when tightened.

 

My notes and disclaimers on 3D printing

and miscellaneous other tech projects
He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan

Posted : 10/04/2022 7:44 pm
guytas
(@guytas)
Active Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: Loosing my mind trying to stop heatbreak leaks

Thanks guys.  I appreciate your help.  I’ll check the E3D guide to see if I understand something differently. But this afternoon I replaced the heatblock. Right now I’m printing so I’ll see right after if that solved the problem. 
thanks again. I sure hope it solved the problem

 

Posted : 10/04/2022 11:06 pm
guytas
(@guytas)
Active Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: Loosing my mind trying to stop heatbreak leaks

So far so good... but time will tell.  It’s nice to see a nice clean block. It’s a change.  
I’ll update in a few days. Thanks again

 

Posted : 11/04/2022 12:06 am
guytas
(@guytas)
Active Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: Loosing my mind trying to stop heatbreak leaks

It does still leaks....  well...  unless this is normal but it doesn’t seem to be normal to me.  There is a small ring of burned plastic around the neck of the heatbreak , coming from down the nozzle.  see this photo.

 

Posted : 11/04/2022 1:31 pm
Thejiral
(@thejiral)
Noble Member
RE: Loosing my mind trying to stop heatbreak leaks

Leaking is not normal, I haven't seen any visible signs of leakage, since I have printed my first benchy, till now (knocking on wood 😉 )
Just that I understand it right. You heated up the hotend to 285°C or so, inserted the nozzle, waited for the temperature to equalize and than turned the nozzle in with a torque of 2.5 NM? And the nozzle isn't stop by the bottom of the heater block but inside by the flat end of the heatbreak?

Do you also do a cold pull before removing a used nozzle so that no leftover plastic is messing up that area inside?

Mk3s MMU2s, Voron 0.1, Voron 2.4

Posted : 11/04/2022 2:03 pm
Thejiral
(@thejiral)
Noble Member
RE: Loosing my mind trying to stop heatbreak leaks

Plan B if this just continues to haunt you. Before losing your mind rather get a Revo hotend. There it is basically impossible to have such kind of leakages (but so far there are only brass nozzles available as far as I know). 😉

Mk3s MMU2s, Voron 0.1, Voron 2.4

Posted : 11/04/2022 2:07 pm
guytas
(@guytas)
Active Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: Loosing my mind trying to stop heatbreak leaks

I can’t do a cold pull. Well, they dont want me to do it. I have a Nozzle X and apparently doing a cold pull is risking to break the inside protection.

Yes yes I did all what you described meticulously.  I can only think that may be the nozzle is not 100% flat on top, or may be left over from previous leakage.  I’ll print some more tonight and check if the leak gets bigger. 

but... it may be that it only hanting me... 😧

Posted : 11/04/2022 9:32 pm
guytas
(@guytas)
Active Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: Loosing my mind trying to stop heatbreak leaks

Ha!  Reading the e3d guide, they do one thing different.  Not sure how much difference that will make but.... they use 3nm torque instead of 2.5 like in Prusa help. 
printing now so I’ll check if the leak is worst. Then I use 3nm torque.

Posted : 12/04/2022 1:16 am
bobstro
(@bobstro)
Illustrious Member
RE: Loosing my mind trying to stop heatbreak leaks

E3D didn't recommend the quarter turn at the start of the process. That often causes problems with the hotend assembly turning. If they're the same now, it sounds like they may have changed it. I'll have to check. I never do the quarter turn and just hold the block steady throughout the entire process.

My notes and disclaimers on 3D printing

and miscellaneous other tech projects
He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan

Posted : 12/04/2022 1:36 am
guytas
(@guytas)
Active Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: Loosing my mind trying to stop heatbreak leaks

No I don’t do that quarter turn either.  Ok, may be my problem is solved.  Looking at the hotend this morning shows the same amount of plastic that was leak yesterday. No new plastic.  So may be this bit was within the thread of the nozzle....  I sure hope so.

in the mean time, I built another hotend from a kit. This went well, and this one has no leak at all. It may sound like I might be at the end of my misery 😏

thanks guys for your support, and happy printing...

Posted : 12/04/2022 12:41 pm
Thejiral
(@thejiral)
Noble Member
RE: Loosing my mind trying to stop heatbreak leaks

No, 3 or 2.5 Nm shouldn't make a difference. Actually I use a 1.5 Nm key and didn't have any issues so far.

Hope you finally managed to overcome the issue with a new hotend.

Mk3s MMU2s, Voron 0.1, Voron 2.4

Posted : 12/04/2022 10:27 pm
guytas
(@guytas)
Active Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: Loosing my mind trying to stop heatbreak leaks

So far so good. I printed with PLA and PETG all day today and still going fine. Finally...

thanks again.

Posted : 14/04/2022 12:00 am
JoanTabb
(@joantabb)
Veteran Member Moderator
RE: Loosing my mind trying to stop heatbreak leaks

Hi Guytas, 

when you assembled the latest hot end, did you use a new nozzle, or did you re use the nozzle X?   just interested
if a new nozzle, was it also a nozzle X?

regards Joan

I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK

Posted : 14/04/2022 9:06 am
guytas
(@guytas)
Active Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: Loosing my mind trying to stop heatbreak leaks

Yes I used a new nozzle. The standard one from e3d. I use the nozzle X on my .4 nozzle. I build the new one with a .6 and a swap them often as I need it (with the pitstop).

Posted : 17/04/2022 2:35 pm
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