How to Replace the Gantry Belt on the MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printer

These are instructions on replacing the gantry belt on the MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printer. If you are re-securing one side of the gantry belt rather than replacing the entire belt, please skip step 8 through 21. The belt runs the length of the gantry and is used to move the extruder carriage around the build area. It is a non-continuous belt. The two ends are secured into the gantry clip, which is then secured to the gantry carriage. This procedure will require the use of a T10 Torx driver, a 3mm hex driver and a flat head screw driver.

Before you begin, please do the following:

-Unload any filament-Remove the glass build plate-Remove the Smart Extruder. -Turn off the MakerBot Replicator-Unplug the power cable-Unplug the USB and Ethernet Cables

1. Unscrew the Top Panel. Locate the 2 screws at the top back of your MakerBot Replicator that secure the back of the top panel into place. Use your 3mm hex wrench to loosen and remove these screws. There is one on either side of the filament drawer.

2. Remove the Filament Drawer. Pull the filament tray up until it locks into place. Gently pull back the back panel of the printer and pull the filament tray up until it is free of the printer. You may need to slightly lift the back of the top panel that was loosened in the last step.

3. Disconnect the Camera Connection.Look underneath the top front panel on your MakerBot Replicator. The Camera connection will be behind the USB drive port. Pull the cable straight back to disconnect the camera cord.

4. Remove the Top Panel. From the back, lift the back of the top panel.

The top panel is held into place at the front by two clips. There is one in each front corner. With the top panel lifted from the back as far as it can go without reaching significant resistance, place the flat head screwdriver under one of the clips coming from the top panel. Apply leverage so the base of the clip moves towards you and is freed from the printer. Repeat this for the other side.

5. Loosen the front right Pulley Assembly. Use the T10 Torx wrench to loosen the two screws securing the front right pulley (when standing at the front of the printer).

6. Move the front right Pulley Assembly forward. Use the 3mm hex wrench to loosen the positioning screw for the front right pulley and move it forward. Move it as far forward as possible without the screw popping out of the pulley assembly. There should now be a fair amount of slack in the gantry belt.

7. Pop out the Gantry Belt Clip.Use your hands or the flat head screw to unclip the Gantry Belt Clip located above the gantry carriage.

8. Remove the old Belt from the Gantry. Slide the belt out of one side of the Gantry Belt Clip. Pull the belt from the end still within the belt clip to remove it entirely from the gantry. Remove the other side of the belt from the gantry clip.

9. Insert one side of the new Gantry Belt into the Gantry Belt Clip. Slide the left end of the new Gantry Belt as far as possible into the left side (when standing behind the printer) of the gantry belt.

10. Route the new Gantry Belt around the top left Gantry Arm Pulley. Feed the belt along the left side of the gantry arm to the far left. Route the belt upward around the front left pulley with the teeth facing outward.

11. Loop the new Gantry Belt round the top left Pulley. Loop the new Gantry Belt around the pulley at the top left corner of the printer with the teeth facing inward.

12. Feed the new Gantry Belt through the Gantry Arm. Feed the new Gantry Belt through the left side of the Gantry Arm within the columns.

13. Loop the new Gantry Belt round the bottom left Pulley.Loop the new Gantry Belt around the pulley at the bottom left corner of the printer with the teeth facing inward.

14. Route the new Gantry belt around the bottom left Gantry Arm Pulley. Feed the belt into the left side of the gantry arm and route it around the bottom left pulley with the teeth facing outward.

15. Route the new Gantry belt around the bottom right Gantry Arm Pulley.Bring the new gantry belt across the gantry arm. Route it around the bottom right gantry pulley with the teeth facing outward.

16. Loop the new Gantry Belt around the bottom right Pulley.Loop the new Gantry Belt around the pulley at the bottom right corner of the printer with the teeth facing inward.

17. Feed the new Gantry Belt through the Gantry Arm. Feed the new Gantry Belt through the right side of the Gantry Arm within the columns.

18. Loop the new Gantry Belt around the top right Pulley.Loop the new Gantry Belt around the pulley at the top right corner of the printer with the teeth facing inward.

19. Route the new Gantry belt around the top right Gantry Arm Pulley.Bring the new gantry belt across the gantry arm. Route it around the top right gantry pulley with the teeth facing outward.

20. Make sure that your new Gantry Belt is routed properly. Take a look at the diagram below to make sure that the new gantry belt is properly routed.

21. Secure the loose end of the Gantry Belt into the Gantry Belt Clip.Slide the loose end of the Gantry Belt as far as possible into the appropriate side of the Gantry Belt Clip.

22. Reattach the Gantry Belt Clip. Put the Gantry Belt Clip into position on top of the Gantry Carriage. Push it into position using your fingers. Make sure that is snaps securely into place.

23. Tighten the new Gantry Belt. Use the 3mm hex wrench to tighten the positioning screw for the front right (when facing the front of the printer) pulley assembly to move it backwards. Tightening the screw and moving the pulley backwards will eliminate any slack in the new gantry belt. You will want the belt to be taught, but you do not want to over tighten it. Stop tightening the screw once you meet a fair amount of resistance.

24. Reattach the front of the Top Panel.

Position the clips on the Top Panel in place over the connectors on the printer. Lay the top panel horizontally across the top of the printer. Push down on the front of the Top Panel to snap it into place.

25. Put the Filament Drawer back into position. Place the Filament Drawer at the top of its slot at the back of the MakerBot Replicator. Lift the back of the top panel and slip the tab at the front of the Filament Drawer underneath the Top Panel. Gently pull back the back of the printer as when removing the Filament Drawer. The Filament Drawer should now slide all the way down into position at the base of the printer.

26. Secure the Top Panel. Snap the back of the top panel into place. Use the 3mm hex wrench to tighten the screws on either side of the Filament Drawer to secure it into position.