Prusa i3 Rework Extruder assembly

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Introduction | Bill of materials | Y-axis assembly | X-axis assembly | Connecting X-axis and Z-axis | Motor assembly

X and Y-axis motions | Heated bed assembly | Extruder assembly | Electronics and wiring | Marlin Firmware


Extruder assembly

Needed parts :

  • Wade Extruder Body
  • Extruder Idler
  • Fan duct
  • 3x 608 ball bearing
  • 1x Fan 4x4
  • 1x Connecting wire (2 pins)
  • 1x Hobbed bolt
  • 2x Springs
  • 1x M8x20 mm grub screw
  • 4x Ø8 mm washer
  • 1x M8 Nylstop nut
  • 4x M4 nut
  • 2x M3x60 mm screw
  • 3x M3x30 mm screw
  • 4x M3x14 mm screw
  • x M3 nut
  • x Ø3 mm washer


Step 1

Insert two M4 nuts in their marks. To do that, slightly heat the nut using a lighter or a blowtorch then push it in his mark. Be careful with this operation.

Keep the two others nuts for a following step.

Inserting two M4 nuts on the Wade Extruder Body.

Step 2

Slide an M8x20 mm grub screw thhrough a, 608 ball bearing then push this assembly inside the extruder idler. You may have to use a rubber mallet.

608 ball bearing assembled.

Step 3

Fix this assembly to the Wade Body Extruder with an M3x30 mm screw and two M3 nuts - one goes into a slot on the inside. Slightly tighten to allow its rotation.

Step 4

Slide the Wade Big Gear through the hobbed bolt and slide it in the Wade Body Extruder with the following components: three Ø8 mm washers, two 608 ball bearings, one Ø8 mm washer and a M8 Nylstop nut. Before tightening, make sure that the teeth’s is facing the hole.

Extruder assembly.

Step 5

Insert two M3 nuts in their slots and use two M3x60mm screws with two Ø3 mm washers (rondelle) and two springs to maintain the Extruder Idler.

Fixing the Extruder Idler with two M3x60 mm screws.

Step 6

Make sure that the Magma Hotend is correctly assembled (tighten the parts: Cold End, rod, Hot End and nozzle). Clean the Wade Extruder Body Ø16 mm hole and insert the Magma Hotend. You have to force and to spin the Hot End (see illustration below). Thread in the Wade Extruder Body two M3x30 mm screws progressively to maintain the Cold End.

Magma Hotend assembly details.

Step 7

Take an 4x4 fan and cut the supply wire at half length. Solder the additional supply wire (black/black and red/red) and solder the plug again. We recommend you to protect the solder joint with heat shrink tubing or an insulating adhesive tape.

Step 8

Place the fan on the Fan Duct (supply wires down) and make sure that the fan's air flow is going towards the fan duct then affix the fan to the fan duct with M3x14 mm screws and four M3 nuts.

Fan assembly.

Connecting to X-axis

Needed parts :

  • Extruder assembly
  • Fan duct assembly
  • Wade Small Gear
  • 1x NEMA 17 motor
  • 4x M4x20 mm screw
  • 1x M3x30 mm screw
  • 3x M3x14 mm screw
  • 1x M3 grub screw
  • 2x M3 nut
  • 3x Ø3 mm washer


Step 1

Insert the two previous M4 nuts in their slots and thread M4x20mm screws to maintain the extruder assembly against the X Carriage.

Assembling extruder on the X Carriage.

Step 2

Slide the Wade Small Gear on the shaft of a NEMA 17 motor with an M3 griub screw and an M3 nut inserted in his slot. If necessary, drill with hands the Wade Small Gear hole with an Ø5 mm drill. Make sure to place a grub face to face with the flat of the shaft.

Assembling Wade Small Gear on the motor shaft.

Step 3

Place the motor assembly against the Wade Extruder Body (supply wires upwards). Insert three M3x14 mm screws and three Ø3 mm washers without tightening. A note about the length of these screws: On my Kysan 1124090 motors 14mm was way too long and I had to cut off 1.5-2mm from the screws for them to go all the way into the motor. Please, be aware of this.

Slide the motor assembly against the Wade Big Gear and thread the screws. Make sure that the backlash is minimum.

Extruder motor assembly.

Step 4

Insert the resistor (cartouche de chauffe) into the Hot End (in the dedicated hole). Supply wires should extend from the right when you are facing your printer.

Resistor assembly.

Step 5

Take the other thermistor assembly, place a drop of high temperature silicone and insert the thermistor head in the little notch of the nozzle. The thermistor head should be against the nozzle.

Note: Make sure that the nozzle can move all along the heated bed. To do that, move the extruder assembly on the x-axis and the heated bed on the y-axis.

Step 6

Fix the Fan Duct assembly on the Wade Extruder Body with an M3x30 mm screw and an M3 nut.

Nozzle height adjustment

Note : This adjustment must be repeated when an extruder component (the Magma Hotend for example) is changed.

Step 1

Move the X-axis to the right. You should hear the endstop “clic” at the end. The nozzle should be near the glass plate edge.

Step 2

Rotate simultaneously both Z-axis coupling counterclockwise to move the nozzle down. Move the nozzle down until to be able to pass a sheet of paper folded in half.

Step 3

Move the X-axis to the extreme left and make sure that the nozzle is at the same height. Otherwise, hold the right coupling and rotate the left coupling to move the nozzle up or down.

Step 4

Once the nozzle height adjustment made, adjust the Z-axis endstop until you hear the « clic ». This position defines Z-axis home.