Hi everyone. So just today while I was doing what we need to do in order to clean the air assist fan I broke the pulley on the right side of the belt that moves the laser head left and right.
I don’t see replacements of this pulley in the parts shop, am I missing it? Is it out of stock? Can I not get a new one? Any insight would be great appreciated.
Thanks,
Mark
I did order a couple of those at least just in case but it doesn’t look like the one that broke to me.
The broken one is thinner around the edges. Unless there’s parts still stuck on the machine?
Thanks for the help.
Doesn’t the description of the part in the posted link properly describe your item? I believe this is the part you need.
That is what you need. There are three, as the product description states.
Welcome to the funhouse!
The bearing that occupies the center of the wheel is still on the machine.
Note that the anchor the bolt for the wheel screws into is not captive. Be careful when removing/installing that bolt because the anchor can slide inside the gantry arm and you can displace it. It will be a task to realign it.
If I was in a pinch, I would pull that bearing and reassemble those pieces around it with super glue and give that a shot.
I presume you were installing the belt acording to the given instructions? I’m not a fan of that method because of the stress it puts on that idler pully. The belts have very little stretch in them. By loosening the bolt the idler will slide. It is a bit more difficult to retension the belt, but that’s what I do.
If you still have warranty on your machine, I would explain that you followed the directions and it broke the wheel - and nicely ask that they replace the pully.
Glad you’re here Mark, hopefully your next post will be to show us something you made! 
Right, that’s what I was thinking. Is it possible to take the plastic from a new one and attach it to the old one still on the machine? I’m hesitant to loosen the one that’s still there.
Oh, I’ve had this machine for a couple years now so I’m way out of warranty. I dread cleaning the air assist every time I’ve had to do it (only a handful but it’s awful every time, lol).
Thanks very much.
No.
As advised, don’t try that. Pull the old one and replace the assembly. Don’t be afraid of that, it’s simple . Alearning experience, but it’s simple.
I will add, for as much to benefit other owners as the OP, get yourself a good set of driver bits, and the appropriate handle to drive them. One thing I’ve noticed with people who are not “mechanically inclined” is they use the most beat-up, low-quality tools to try and perform basic tasks like this. I’m not saying you need to buy anything expensive, but a fairly decent set will last forever and make tasks like this far easier. You can get it at places like Harbor Freight - you wouldn’t use a lot of their stuff if you were making a living with tools, but for most people it’s more than sufficient.
A small right-angle bit holder will be invaluable for things like the pulley wheel on the gantry (the main laser carriage arm) if you ever need to get at it.
Sounds good, thanks everyone for the help!
We’re back up and running! Thanks everyone for the guidance.
Still not a process I’d want to do very often!
Great!
So you replaced the whole assembly, wheel and bearing?
Correct!
See, it wasn’t that bad. Well done!
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