Symptom:

*You try to load new filament, 
*It stops pulling through and nothing comes out the nozzle, 
*"Oh my goodness!," you exclaim, "The nozzle’s clogged!"

Well, possibly, but it’s much more likely that a little chunk of plastic broke off and jammed the extruder mechanism just upstream of the nozzle.  Relax, it happens all the time; you didn’t do anything wrong.  Here’s how to fix it:

Turn off the machine first.

The extruder is held together by just two long screws.  It looks like there should be four, but there are only two. Find the right allen wrench (in the cup beside the printer), and unscrew these screws.

[[File:Pex1-unsrew.jpg|RTENOTITLE]]

Carefully remove the fan and heatsink and try to keep them together.  If it all falls apart in your hands, no sweat; we’ll get it back together.

[[File:Pex2-removefan.jpg|RTENOTITLE]][[File:Pex3-removefan.jpg|RTENOTITLE]]

Remove the stepper and pinch mechanism.  It sortof snaps in place and must be jiggled a bit to get it out.

[[File:Pex4-viewinside.jpg|RTENOTITLE]][[File:Pex5-stepper.jpg|RTENOTITLE]]

Inspect the hole on the top side of the nozzle.  In this case, there’s a little chunk of plastic that broke off.

[[File:Pex6-crudnozzleback.jpg|RTENOTITLE]]

Use tweezers or needlenose pliers to remove it.

[[File:Pex7-removingcrud.jpg|RTENOTITLE]]

That little bit of crud is enough to foul things up.

[[File:Pex7.1-culprit.jpg|RTENOTITLE]]

The other likely place is the pinch roller mechanism on the front of the stepper.  Inspect for any bits of crud and remove.  You should be able to see daylight through the hole that the filament goes through.

[[File:Pex8-holeclear.jpg|RTENOTITLE]]

Now reassemble.  Here’s the sequence that the fan goes together.

[[File:Pex9-frontpartsequence.jpg|RTENOTITLE]][[File:Pex10-withfan.jpg|RTENOTITLE]][[File:Pex11-withheatsink.jpg|RTENOTITLE]][[File:Pex12-reassembling.jpg|RTENOTITLE]]

Load filament as usual.  Viola!

[[File:Pex13-allbetter.jpg|RTENOTITLE]]
[[Category:3D Printers]]