Hotsolder - Electronics & Other Geeky Pursuits

I have a great HP4000 LaserJet printer (similar to a HP4050) with duplexer and it has run like a workhorse for years. Lately, though, the manual feed tray has been cranky. It likes to pick up more than one sheet. So off to eBay to find a set of replacement rollers. Cheap enough. However, the vendor I bought from had promised online video instructions and the videos were "temporarily unavailable!"

The printed directions covered how to do the roller, but not the pad that catches the paper from underneath. A quick Google (when did that become a verb) found some instructions from a different company. Getting to the plate is an exercise in brute force (I'm guessing an HP tech would disassemble half the printer instead). Once you get the plate off, there are 3 little springs underneath. One is a little fatter than the other two which are about like ball point pen sprints. The bigger spring sits in a little well. But the other two just rest on small plastic nubs.

This is a problem! Because of the tight clearance you have to twist and turn the piece to get it in and the springs fly out -- usually into the printer where it takes tweezers and patience to retrieve them.

More Googling. Everyone has the same problem. The springs are almost impossible to reseat I read over and over. Finally I hit upon a plan. I used a small bit of hot glue to hold the springs to the nubs on the pad. I reasoned that if it didn't work, the hot glue would come right off again. Well, this was a great idea! With the springs secure, you could twist the whole assembly into place, seat the springs on the other side and pop the whole thing into place.

I have a feeling this would work in many places where springs are used. Just get a small amount of glue so you don't jam the spring other than where the little plastic nub is anyway.

And the paper feeder? Just like new again!

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posted by Al @ 6:16 PM   1 comments