Ender 3 V2 X Creality Spider Hotend Upgrade | the atmojo

Goals

Replacing Ender 3 v2 Stock Hotend with Creality Spider Hotend, which claimed able to print at high temperature (> 300C). But the size of the hotend is larger than the stock, hence need to print new fan shroud.

Prerequisite

1. Printed Fan Shroud with ABS for Ender 3 v2 Spider Hotend, https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5370445

Tools

1. Heat shrink Tube 2mm x 3cm x 5

2. Gas Lighter

3. Soldering Iron

4. Soldering Tin

5. Solder Flux

5. Hex Allen Key Set #2 and #1.5

6. Kapton Tape

7. Heat Resistant Tubing (optional)

8. Scissor

9. CA or Super Glue

10. Cutting Plier

Steps

1. Open the Fan Shroud with Hex key #2

Ender 3 V2 X Creality Spider Hotend Upgrade | the atmojo

2. Cut the thermistor and Heater Kapton Tape

Ender 3 V2 X Creality Spider Hotend Upgrade | the atmojo

3. Remove the existing Thermistor

Ender 3 V2 X Creality Spider Hotend Upgrade | the atmojo

4. Measure the New Thermistor open wire length

Ender 3 V2 X Creality Spider Hotend Upgrade | the atmojo

5. Cut Kapton Tape +/- 10cm

6. Wrap the new Thermistor Cable  with Kapton Tape

Ender 3 V2 X Creality Spider Hotend Upgrade | the atmojo

8. Cut Kapton Tape +/- 10cm

9. Wrap both the thermistor and Heater Cable with Kapton Tape

Ender 3 V2 X Creality Spider Hotend Upgrade | the atmojo

10.  Cut both thermistor cable about 10cm from the thermistor

11. Insert Heat Shrink Tubing (+/- 3 cm in length to both thermistor cable

12. Cut Old Thermistor Cable +/- 15 cm from old thermistor

13. Join New Thermistor to old thermistor cable

Ender 3 V2 X Creality Spider Hotend Upgrade | the atmojo

14. Solder the joint

Ender 3 V2 X Creality Spider Hotend Upgrade | the atmojo

15. Wrap join with heat shrink tubing

Ender 3 V2 X Creality Spider Hotend Upgrade | the atmojo

16. Re solder Fan Joint (if required)

Ender 3 V2 X Creality Spider Hotend Upgrade | the atmojo

17. Disassemble BL Touch

Ender 3 V2 X Creality Spider Hotend Upgrade | the atmojo

18. Disassemble Hotend

19. Assemble Hotend into Fan Shroud

20. Mount and Fasten Hotend into Gantry

21. Mount and Fasten Fan Shroud to Gantry
Ender 3 V2 X Creality Spider Hotend Upgrade | the atmojo

22. Turn on the system

23. Test the axial fan and shroud Fan

24. Test the Thermistor reading, by increase the temperature of the nozzle to 55Celcius

Ender 3 V2 X Creality Spider Hotend Upgrade | the atmojo

25. If the temperature reading is not increased, then relook the cabling of Thermistor joint

26. Mount and Fasten BL Touch with M3 x 15  screw and M3 Nuts

27. Mount the axial fan using screw M3 x 15 (accidentally break the fan here, and need to replace the fan or the fuse)

28. Mount the blower fan using M2 x 6 screw

29. Test all the fan and ensure everything’s working

30. Don’t forget to add X-Axis Stop Block and glue it with super Glue

Ender 3 V2 X Creality Spider Hotend Upgrade | the atmojo

31. Do PID Tuning to handle new hotend profile, e.g M303 S250 C10 and store the final PID

32. Level the Bed

Notes

After upgrading the Hotend, and successfully do some print with ABS, somehow the printer reports thermal runaway frequently, until the printer cannot be heated up to 250 Celcius anymore. Tried to disassemble the thremistor and re mount it, finally the printer just works fine.

After 2 days print, the same issue happened again. trying to check the axial fan, and found out that the fan somehow get stuck on it’s axis, and might cause noise on the electrical board. Tried to lube the fan, and checked the fan worked normally again. tried to do cycle of ABS heating, and so far it works normal.

After successful half day print, same issue happened again, several actions, e.g:

  1. remove and reinstall kapton tape
  2. slide thermistor position
  3. fasten the heater
  4. fasten the thermistor
  5. print directly without octoprint
  6. detach the axial fan
  7. adjust the axial fan angle
  8. cover 75% of axial fan area with tape
  9. remove the heat block socks

all result only temporary success, until the same issue happened again. Might be time to replace the thermistor or check for the motherboard faulty.

Fan Fuse Fixing (additional steps if required)

While mounting the fan, accidentally block the fan rotation with screw driver, and somehow all fans no longer working afterward. Tried to replace the fan, but still not working. After some googling, found out that somehow the fuse which protect the fans might be blown. So here’s the method to fix it without replace the whole mainboard.

1. Open the main board lid

2. Unscrew 4 screw that hold the main board

3. Look for K-Fan1 & K-Fan2

4. Locate Label F3 nearby

5. Drop solder to create bridge between F3 pin, this is actually short circuit the fuse, and protection will no longer available (follow this procedure on your own risk)

6. Turn on The system and test the fan

7. If fan working fine, then turn off the system, remount the mainboard

8. Close the Mainboard lid