Problem Removing Nozzles

[captainkibble]

I am having serious issues removing nozzles on the A30m. I am now on my 3rd hotend (all at my own expense) and the nozzles will not come out of any them. The brass always fails before they nozzle will turn. I have followed the instructional video to the letter. I am sure it is being turned in the correct direction and I've tried the opposite just in case. They do not budge either way, not even a millimetre. I've tried the cheap-arse spanner that comes with the printer, a high quality spanner borrowed from a mechanic and a socket set.

With the latest hotend, I installed it and heated it up. I then tried removing it as per the instructions but before printing or running any filament through it. Just in case it was a problem related to burnt filament, material leaking into the threads or malevolent plastic fairies. I can't shift it. I've been extra careful this time and so I have stopped short of rounding off the nozzle. At the moment I can't use the printer in case I get into a situation where the nozzle *has* to be removed. I have a lovely but expensive, heated, paper-weight. Maybe I can use it as a clothes hanger/dryer?

On other printers I regularly switch between 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 nozzles for different types of print. They are rarely even stiff. No problems on either my ANet ET4 or my Artillery Sidewinder X1. The X1 is cracking printer if anyone is in the market. Even the piece of crap Da Vinci thing I started with years ago was fine with nozzle changes. If it wasn't for the fact I have never had the problem before I would assume it was me. Actually I am still open to the idea it might be me.

Anyone have any ideas? Is it a corrosion issue, a flaw in the hotend design or am I a complete maroon? Should I try WD40 or some other penetrative agent? Can I replace the hotend with something more mundane and run it as a single filament printer? Because, I suspect I have Buckley's chance of getting a refund.

[captainkibble]

I think it warrants pointing out in Geeetech's instructional youtube video the person working is unable to turn get the nozzle to turn either. The spanner keeps slipping around the nozzle and the nozzle itself never moves.

[moondog]

i'm having the same problem i have no idea what they tightened it up with

[TravisG]

I had my first clog and rounded the nozzle trying to take it out following the video except actually trying to losen it.

I can't find a new hotend for the A30M, the one for the A20M doesn't look the same. Where did you get the 3 replacements you bought? I would get one if I could find one.

Moderator, has this been recognized as an issue? Can this be looked into?

[TravisG]

Does anyone know where to buy a new A30M hotend?

I tried an easy out to remove my rounded nozzle, which of course just sheared off the head leaving the threaded part in there. I had the manifold at 200 so it should have been primed to be removed. Waiting on the head to cool down and I will try again.

[captainkibble]

In my opinion the A30M hotend (though the A20M's doesn't seem much better from what I've heard) either has a design flaw or Geeetech have a manufacturing issue with their hotends. I've had 5 hot ends and all that 4 I used had the nozzle problem. I have one set aside in case a fix is ever found. Either I've suffered great misfortune to get 4 duff ones in a row or the hotend is flawed. I've had private discussions with a couple of A30M and A20M owners who aren't happy with their printer.

I have a Sidewinder X1 and an Anet ET4 and the nozzles in those barely require any pressure to remove. Heat them up and just a little torque and they give and start turning. I child could do it, if you were comfortable letting a child near a 200+ C piece of metal. It shouldn't even come close to needing the kind of effort that strips the brass of nozzles.

The A30M hotend can be found on Geeetech's Aliexpress store here if anyone needs one. They are about $40 (a lot to spend to change a $1 nozzle) but sometimes they sometimes have a discount of up to 30%. If you ask Geeetech directly they'll probably send you one. It will take a month for it to be delivered, compared to a week if you buy one.

Anyway, I have a Cyclops+ based custom hotend assembly currently running the standard Geeetech (mixed colour Labrador) test print. It seems to be going okay but I definitely needed to print off a mount for the 3d Touch as my bed is bowed in the middle and manual levelling caused the first layer to be a mess.