X-Stepper / X-Axis clicking when extruder moves to the right (RESOLVED)  

Re: X-Stepper / X-Axis clicking when extruder moves to the right

I've had some pretty weird noise when a small piece of filament came loose and stuck in the fan shroud. Random catching the part as the head moved around. Sounded like many things depending on direction; extruder skipping, Y-Axis noise, X-Axis noise ... took me several prints to actually find the source - and only found it because I was deep cleaning the nozzle and pulled the shroud.

Re: X-Stepper / X-Axis clicking when extruder moves to the right

I managed to solve this issue. Stayed up all through the night and tinkered quite a bit.

Turns out it was the tension on the X-axis belt (too tight I'd assume). I disconnected everything and remove the printer from my enclosure. When the machine was switched off and i moved the extruder by hand, the clicking sound was still there (and was coming directly from the stepper motor. I loosened the bolts of the X-stepper and adjusted the tension down a little bit until the clicking disappeared, then locked it in place again, used a small paint brush to make sure there wasn't any debris in the teeth of the belt and gear etc...

Booted everything back up and ran the calibration wizard. No errors and I've managed a 5 hr print so far without any clicking!

*Now my blood pressure should start normalizing again 😉

Hope this post helps others!

Regards,
Lynton

RE: X-Stepper / X-Axis clicking when extruder moves to the right (RESOLVED)

If this helps anyone having similar problems: I also had occasional clicking sounds when X axis was moving, even when I was trying to move it by hand. It looks like I managed to fix it by loosening screws of the X-carriage-back part.

The assembly manual at  https://manual.prusa3d.com/Guide/5.+E-axis+assembly/1055?lang=en#s18602 , step 61, notes that these screws should "be tightened with reasonable force" in order not to deform the bearings. I overlooked that when initially assembling the printer and probably overtighened them. It looks like that clicking disappeared after I untighened and retightened them with reasonably light force.

RE: X-Stepper / X-Axis clicking when extruder moves to the right (RESOLVED)

If anyone else is trying to solve this problem, here is another potential solution.  I found that my x motor was not seated properly causing a clicking noise at a certain point along the axis travel.  This was also making my xyz calibration fail.

RE: X-Stepper / X-Axis clicking when extruder moves to the right (RESOLVED)

@lyntonjennings

Thank you very much, you saved me a lot of time trouble shooting that tiny little click. I did the same, to tight X-Axis. Loosen it up and the tiny click went away. 

Thanks

RE: X-Stepper / X-Axis clicking when extruder moves to the right (RESOLVED)

This thread got me close to solving this issue on my MK3S. In my case, the GT2-16 pulley on my X-axis stepper motor was too far forward on the motor's shaft. I loosened the pulley by unscrewing the grub screws, pushed the pulley further back on the shaft, closer to the motor, leaving a small gap between the pulley and motor, and re-tightened. Reinsured my belt tension was good by running a self-test. Clicking solved. 

RE: X-Stepper / X-Axis clicking when extruder moves to the right (RESOLVED)

Had exactly the same clicking issue. I first replicated the clicking sound by using the X-Axis move command in the Settings Menu. Once I could do that, I tried just loosening the stepper mount screws to see if the motor would kind of adjust itself while I was moving the X-Axis back and forth, but that didn't fix it. Next, I loosened the set screws on the stepper belt gear, and moved the X-Axis back and forth. With the set screws loose, I think the gear was able to reposition itself slightly on the stepper motor shaft, and the sound went away. 

I'm still not sure exactly how the clicking sound was actually being made - like, what piece of material was hitting what to make the actual click - but it's gone now, at least. 

RE: X-Stepper / X-Axis clicking when extruder moves to the right (RESOLVED)

This was also the source of my clicking, I can rest easy now, thank you very much!

RE: X-Stepper / X-Axis clicking when extruder moves to the right (RESOLVED)

Thanks! Your solution just helped me out with that sound.

RE: X-Stepper / X-Axis clicking when extruder moves to the right (RESOLVED)

I'm having that issue on the z steppers any ideas?

RE: X-Stepper / X-Axis clicking when extruder moves to the right (RESOLVED)

Great thread.  Was able to fix this problem by loosening set screws as @bw3dp suggested.  Moving the carriage back and forth perhaps allows the teeth of gear to align better with teeth on belt.  Also solved (for time being at least) our x-axis homing issue (MK4).