Xerox DC250 style: How to Replace the Direct Pipe Assembly (Waste Auger Assembly)

For Xerox Docucolor 240, 250, 242, 252, 260, WorkCentre 7655, 7665, 7675, 7755, 7765, 7775, Xerox Color 550/560/570, C60/C70, DCP-700/700i/770, Color Press C75/J75

Xerox deserves some serious kudos where their service manuals are concerned. For most of the decent-sized machines, their books are truly impressive and very thorough. Every once-in-a-while, though, you’ll run across something that you’re sure should be in the book somewhere, but it’s simply missing. We’re going to look at just one such missing piece of info. Each family in the DC250 style has its own service manual, and in none of them will you find a REP (Repair Procedure) dedicated to removing the direct pipe assembly. I figured this meant it’d be straight forward, but it turns out it’s not that easy to remove. It really deserves some instructions.

#1. Remove 1 screw (from top center)

The direct pipe assembly has a series of augers which transport the waste toner away from the drum cartridges, developer units, and IBT cleaning assembly, and carry it through tubes to the toner waste container. There are two versions, each of which has a few valid part numbers. The two versions are extremely similar, but they’re not interchangeable because the metal mounting bracket is different.

#2. Loosen 2 screws and swing the Chassis open.

DC250 version: (Part Numbers: DC250DPA, 049k06530, 068K24134, 068K24/136, 068K24137, 049k27440) fits these models: DC240, DC242, DC250, DC252, DC260, WC-7655, 7665, 7675, 7755, 7765, 7775, 550, 560, C60, C70

DC700 version: (Part Numbers: 052K13211, 052K13210, 052K96750, 052K96752) (fits these models: DCP700, DCP770, C75, J75)

#3. Inside the open chassis.

If you have a clogged or broken direct pipe assembly, various symptoms can appear.

Sometimes you’ll hear popping noises as the angled gear (DC250DPG1) starts slipping past the gear on the long drive shaft. Other times, the noise goes unnoticed and the machine starts throwing xxx-xxx fault codes because the main drives get bogged down enough for the machine to detect that something isn’t turning right. Another common symptom is a relatively large amount of toner spilling out from behind drum cartridges or the IBT cleaning assembly.

Now, let’s see how to get this messy thing out of the machine.

PROCEDURE:

1. First, you’ll need to open the PWB Chassis (the metal frame with a bunch of the logic and driver boards attached to it). While facing the rear of machine, remove the screw near the center top of the chassis (see photo 1), and loosen two screws on your right side of the machine (see photo 2). Then the PWB Chassis will hinge open like a large door, exposing motors, fans, and air ducts (see photo 3).
2. Next remove the 3 ducts (2 or 3 screws on each). There are many screws which you do not need to touch. Try to stick to the ones which attach the augers to the frame.
   Then go for the metal bracket, which you’ll find behind the center duct (2 screws, see photo 4).
3. Next, you’ll want to shift the waste funnel assembly downward, to allow clearance for the direct pipe to be freed up. There is one screw on the right side near the top which has to come out. There is a second screw down low on the right which only needs to be loosened. Then shift the funnel assembly downward until it disengages the direct pipe assembly.
4. Next (important!) go to the front of the machine and pull out the drum drawer, the IBT belt module drawer, and the main transport drawer (the one with the fuser and the second BTR assembly on it). It is critical that these 3 drawers be out when you remove or install the direct pipe assembly, as this assembly engages the drum cartridges, DV units, the second BTR assembly, and the IBT cleaner assembly. The direct pipe assembly takes waste toner away from all of them.
5. Now you can remove the direct pipe assembly (5 screws hold the direct pipe assembly to the frame, see photos 7-10).

4. Remove the Metal Bracket ( 2 screws)

#5 & #6: Remove one screw and loosen a second screw, then shift the funnel assembly downward, until it clears the direct pipe assembly above it.

#7, #8 & #9: 2 screws near the right end of the direct pipe assembly and 1 near the middle.

#10: 2 more screws from the left end.

Once all those screws are out, you can very gently work the direct pipe assembly out of its place. It is fairly tight, especially end-to-end, so take your time and be patient.

When installing the new one, make sure to check carefully that it’s fully seated in all its ports and all brackets on the unit are flush with the frame. Don’t forget to raise the funnel assembly back up to engage the direct pipe assembly again, and return its screws to their positions so it can’t drop back down later during operation.

Now, there is also the matter of “why did this thing get clogged up and break in the first place ???” The most common cause is the toner waste bottle not being fully pushed in. If that’s the case, the toner can clog going into the bottle, and then it backs up into the waste augers and stuff starts to break. Another factor can be clumpy toner. If toner is fused by heat inside the toner cartridge to form beads of hard grit, these little “toner rocks” can clog up the system (leaving a toner cartridge in a hot car has been known to create these rocks). Also, we’ve seen that some aftermarket toners do not flow as nicely as the OEM product, so the toner may bind up, especially if it gets a lot of moisture.

What if you find that cleaning out the direct pipe assembly and just replacing the angled gear does the trick? If so, you’ll find that an aftermarket gear is available (DC250DPG1), but the OEM part lists don’t assign this gear a part number, as they spare the gears only as part of the complete assembly.

There you go! We just filled in one of the few blanks in the DC250 Service Manuals. Hope to see you all again next month.