Xerox DC 240, 250, 242, 252, 260, WC 7655, 7665, 7675, 7655, 7665, 7675, Xerox Color 550/560/570, C60/C70, DCP-700/700i/770, Color Press C75/J75
Last month’s article ended in an exciting cliff hanger. So let’s finish the stor y this month. So far we have the fuser clam-shelled open and the bearing retaining clips are pivoted out of the way. It’s time to replace the fuser heat roll and pressure sleeve and then reassemble to finish the job.
Photo 9: Pivot the Bearing Retainers Away.
PROCEDURE – Continued (part 2):
13. Next you’ll need to pivot the stripper plate away from the heat roll. It’ll help if you first pivot the black plastic exit baffle down a little to give you more room to move the stripper plate. Be gentle here: you don’t want to bend anything out of shape. Then lift the heat roll assembly out of its cradle. Clean the edge of the stripper plate gently (with something no harder
than your thumbnail) to remove any baked-on toner or other debris.
Photo 10: Stripper Plate Gap Adjustment
14. From the old heat roll, remove the snap-rings (you’ll need snap-ring pliers here) and move all of the hardware (gear, bushings, bearings and snap-rings) over to the new heat roller. Check the bearings to make sure they still move nicely. If they are getting crusty, replace them.
15. Install the new heat roll with something between its surface and the stripper plate for protection (for example, the foam sheet the new heat rolls come wrapped in, or a piece of heavyweight cardstock). Make sure the bearing flanges are positioned properly to the outside of the metal frame on both ends and then pivot the bearing retainers so they hold the bearings firmly once again, and tighten the screws which hold them (refer back to photo 9).
Photo 11: Lift the Pressure Sleeve Assembly Hooks off Their Metal Studs.
16. Check the gap between the heat roll stripper plate and the heat roll’s surface. There are 5 set-screws along the length of the stripper plate with springs underneath. Gently and gradually adjust each screw in the row till the gap is narrow, but not so narrow that the blade will come in contact with the heat roll. The gap should be consistent from end to end. Too close and it could damage the heat roll, too far and paper will find its way under the stripper plate, resulting in frequent jams. You can use a single piece of 80 lb. cardstock as your gauge (see photo 10). Note: OEM fusers often have a larger gap than what’s good for them. My good technician friend told me that he’s in the habit of opening up brand-new fusers to reduce the gap before use.
Photo 12 & 13: Reinstalling the Pressure Sleeve
17. Next you can lift the pressure sleeve assembly out (it has metal hooks which pivot on metal studs). Unhook it and gently lift it out of there (see photo 11).
18. If the pressure sleeve is heavily worn or damaged, replace it. Remove one end plate and slide the sleeve off. When you go to reinstall the new sleeve, it helps to press on the sleeve a little right where the orange silicon pressure pad is (see photos 12 and 13). This will help make the pressure sleeve the right shape for the end hubs to slip on without getting hung up on the edge of the sleeve.
Photo 14: Rear Lamp Bracket… (Which Lamp Goes Where?)
19. Now you can put it all back together again. Here are a few things to watch out for and to remember during reassembly:
- Once the pressure sleeve assembly is back in place, pivot the clamshell closed again carefully and reinstall the two retaining screws which hold the top frame to the bottom frame. Then turn the unit over and reinstall the two pressure tower screws to the original height (approximately 18 mm).
- Be sure to reconnect the blue connector with the 3 yellow wires (easily forgotten).
- Clean the heat lamps with isopropyl alcohol before reinstalling them and make sure not to get any fingerprints on the lamps or they’ll burn out very quickly. Pay attention to how the lamps sit into their brackets as you insert them. In particular, watch the rear end where the lamps are differentiated by the colors of their terminals (red, white and blue). The red and white have the same size ceramic ends, but if you look closely, you’ll find the bracket is marked with clues as to where each lamp belongs (see photo 14). If you look closely, there’s an R stamped in the metal where the lamp with the red terminal goes, and a W for the lamp with the white terminal.
That’s it! Quick and easy… just pay close attention and you will do great with these. This way of approaching the fuser, with the clamshell opening up, is a lot quicker than the way I outlined back in 2009 (Thank you Eddie D. for the tip!).
Happy fuser rebuilding everyone!
