I have managed to strip the threads on the mounting holes of the motor. The extruder motor doesn't stay in place of the Bowden mount. It kinks to the left-hand side when the motor is extruding. I was wondering if could I repair the stripped hole or do I need a new motor?
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$\begingroup$ Are you able to attach a photo of the stripped thread? it would make it easier to asses the damage on whether you should attempt repair or replace the motor housing. $\endgroup$– xSlh._Commented Jul 6, 2023 at 14:05
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3$\begingroup$ Are we supposed to guess the printer, the extruder and the motor you have? post a photo or be specific, we cannot read minds. $\endgroup$– FarOCommented Jul 6, 2023 at 14:17
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1$\begingroup$ Look up "threaded inserts". You drill and tap the holes to the outer dimension of the insert, and the insert provides the same thread dimension on the inside as original. $\endgroup$– SF.Commented Aug 8, 2023 at 9:58
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$\begingroup$ can you check if the motor has holes from the front all the way to the back? Ususlly the center piece is without threads and the back has threads again. If that is the case, you could maybe remove the screw from the back and use a much longer screw for the front that grips the thread from the back of the motor. $\endgroup$– HackyCommented Dec 4, 2023 at 10:55
2 Answers
There are several different fixes for this if you have the materials on hand and a bit of experience with them:
You can try to remove the top plate and re-tap the holes to fit a slightly bigger screw. This may require re-drilling the holes on the top motor plate, as well as the holes in the mounting bracket. You'll need a bench-mounted vice to hold the motor plate in place, as well as a drill, small drill bits, the tapping tool (I suggest a hand tapper if this is your first time) some lubricant, and the larger screws. It may be more cost-effective to just buy a new motor. If you intend to go down this option, I suggest looking up several youtube videos on how to drill and tap holes before you begin and keep in mind that there are sensitive parts on the inside of the motor, so you really should remove the top plate before drilling/tapping.
If your printer is printing "good enough" you can try printing a plastic mount to hold the motor in place. Just a note, this is not going to be a permanent fix, as the plastic can and will break down over time and use.
If neither of the top two options sounds appealing, I highly suggest you take the advice from this answer and just buy a new motor. It will definitely be easier work for you to replace the motor than repair it, and it may end up being more cost-effective.
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$\begingroup$ A note not worth separate answer: there are thread repair kits, but for m2 and m3, and just one thread, they are not cost effective either, good ones at $100 or more. $\endgroup$– MołotCommented Dec 4, 2023 at 7:23
By the sound of it however, I would replace the damaged part as if the motor doesn't stay on the extruder, and there is a kink in extruding, I suggest replacing the part rather then trying a quick fix and it doing either nothing or making things worse.