Chinese extruder fabbed to fit

[chrono144]

So I was having issues with my printed extruder loosening the bearing so I sprung and got the cheapest metal extruder metal thingamajig to hold the filament against the hobbed bolt.

"3D Printer Makerbot Replicator 2X Extruder, Upgrade Edition Full Metal Extruder"
http://s.aliexpress.com/IfaMNZby

Ooh... Bask in the glory of the amazing name, or the promise that it will work with my rep 2x.

Well it doesn't fit. Impressively they got a LOT wrong.

So I printed an adapter spacer to get the thing to line up, and used screws washers and nuts to align the thing right, then compress the hell out of the spring so it would actually grab, not use their crazy not-quite-a-hobbed-bolt looking like it's going to just jam my filament thingy, and then find out, boom the thermal barrier tube doesn't work either, so I got to drill into it.

Anyway it's all together now and although it took a few hours to get right, it works?
A pretty bottom dollar setup if someone is interested.

[chrono144]

Here it is in the printer

[Scott Lichtsinn]

I've seen that version, they aren't terrible, the reason the tube doesn't fit in the top is its threaded for a push fitting that holds the tube that screws in, its a 6mm outside 4mm inside diameter push fitting.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-8-Push-In-Fittings-For-6mm-OD-PTFE-Tube-For-bowden-extruder-3mm-3D-Printer/251820507961?hash=item3aa1ac0339:g:DHkAAOSwE6VXJQ50

Those don't seem to fit well on the 2x, hence your spacer, but i know a few guys running them on the Rep1 and its clones like the CTC, Wanhao, etc.  I have a version of these cheap aluminum driver blocks thats a red anodized part on all three of my Rep 1's, they were bolt in place and running in minutes, perfect fit.  I have never seen a 2x in person, only 1's and 2's, so i assume something changed with the aluminum mounting block that made the fit different.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3D-printer-Makerbot-Replicator-2-extruder-upgrade-edition-full-metal-extruder/121678448919?epid=1452561339&hash=item1c5499c917:g:y-wAAOSwPcVV1tuB

They are more expensive then they used to be, when i bought mine last year i paid $15 each shipped, and they were well worth it.  The only problem i ran into on this version was the screw that comes down through the arm to hold the spring kept backing out from vibration, a little blue locktite fixed that.

[Scott Lichtsinn]

I recently acquired a Rep2x since my last post, and i bought some of the red anodized drive blocks on eBay listed as 2x compatible, perfect fit and no spacer needed.  So it seems its just a matter of finding the right ones. The guys making and selling the Red ones seem to know what they are doing.

[chrono144]

Cool! Mind taking an assembled photo?

[Scott Lichtsinn]

Here is what the ones i have look like...  They are a perfect fit and work great!  The only issue i had is the Makerbot filament tubes are 1/4" outside diameter, 6.35mm, whereas the holes in the top of these extruder drives are 6mm.  So i replaced the tubes with some new PTFE 6mm OD tubing and they fit and stay put, never come out during a print.