How to the Replace Extruder on an Ender 3

Learning how to replace your 3D printer’s extruder is important. It becomes even more crucial if your current extruder slips during printing or if you have some issues that can’t be fixed. This is why I decided to write an article on how to go about this.

To replace an extruder on an Ender 3, first you want to get a replacement extruder from a place like Amazon. Then, you can loosen the screws holding the extruder assembly with Allen keys. You can now mount the new extruder and screw it in place with the screws provided in the kit.

This article will walk you through the process of replacing the extruder on your Ender 3, so keep reading to learn more.

How to Replace Extruder on Ender 3

• Gather necessary tools and equipment
• Prepare your printer
• Remove the Cooling Fan Shroud
• Disassemble the Extruder Assembly
• Install the New Extruder
• Reattach the Cooling Fan Shroud
• Test the New Extruder

Gather Necessary Tools and Equipment

The first step towards replacing your Ender 3’s extruder is to gather all the required tools and equipment.

The required tools and equipment for replacing your extruder include:

• Allen keys & screwdriver (should come with the 3D printer fixing it)
• Replacement extruder

You can get a replacement extruder from Amazon. Here are some extruder options for the Ender 3:

• Creality Ender 3 Metal Extruder
• Redrex Dual Gear Metal Drive Feeder Extruder

Creality Ender 3 Metal Extruder

The Creality Ender 3 metal extruder is from high-quality aluminum. It is much more durable than the stock plastic extruder. It has a 40-teeth drive gear, making it compatible with PLA/ABS/Wood/TPU/PETG.

The metal/aluminum frame makes loading filament much easier and smoother. This extruder kit comes with an instruction guide on how to put it together, which makes it easier to install.

One user stated that he had some layer issues and printing consistency. After he installed this extruder, he didn’t have extrusion issues anymore. He said this replacement extruder, ensured he has had consistent prints on his Ender 3 so far.

Redrex Dual Gear Metal Drive Feeder Extruder

The Redrex extruder features a Double Gear Extrusion Mechanism. This allows it to grip the filament firmly with less deformation so that it doesn’t jam in the tube or hotend. It has an extrusion spring tension that can be adjusted with a screw. This improves the printing accuracy when feeding filament.

One user stated that he got about a year from his first extruder upgrade for his Ender. The slave gear of the dual-gear drive wore away the aluminum frame and failed. He said

the washers separate the gear from the frame to prevent the grinding that caused his first replacement to fail.

Also, If you don’t have your original set of Allen keys already, you can get this set of Eklind Allen Keys from Amazon.

Prepare Your Printer

Once you’ve got the required tools needed to replace your extruder, you need to prepare your printer.

• Power on your printer
• With your LCD screen heat up your printer’s hotend
• Grip the extruder lever and pull your filament until the end comes out of the extruder.
• Disconnect your printer from the mains.

Remove the Cooling Fan Shroud

Next, carefully remove the cooling fan shroud that surrounds the hotend. Typically, it is held in place with a couple of screws. You can use the Allen key to unscrew them and set the shroud aside so that you can properly access the extruder assembly.

Disassemble the Extruder Assembly

After you’ve turned off your printer, the next step is to disassemble your extruder assembly.

• Disconnect the extruder’s stepper motor by unplugging its connector located under the extruder assembly.
• Then you can remove the Bowden tube connected to the extruder.
• Now you can begin to unscrew the screws holding the extruder assembly in place.
• Press the plastic piece filament loading lever and with an Allen key loosen the screw holding it.
• Remove the spring retaining screw from the housing so that you can access the screws underneath it.
• Again, with an Allen key, loosen the three screws holding the motor and the extruder assembly.
• Loosen the grub screws holding the brass filament gear to the stepper motor with an Allen key.

Install the New Extruder

Now that you’ve disassembled the extruder assembly, you can install the new extruder assembly.

• Loosen the grub screws on the gear so that the extruder gear can slide onto the motor freely.
• Attach the new extruder gear to the stepper motor and fasten it in place with two grub screws.
• You can now mount the new extruder housing and attach it to the stepper motor with the three screws provided.
• Ensure that the slot for the Bowden tube is facing the power supply unit and motor cable is oriented correctly.
• Attach the long-headed screw to hold the spring in place. Make sure you don’t screw it in all the way in, or it will prevent the lever arm from moving later.
• Place the new filament holding lever on the extruder assembly and attach them with an Allen key while you compress the spring.
• Now insert the Bowden tube into its slot.
• Plug the wiring harness of the new extruder’s stepper motor back into the connector on the mainboard.

One thing to note when installing the new extruder is that, once you finish tightening the screw holding the lever arm, the lever arm should spring back into place when you press it. The lever arm should only move in the direction of the spring.

Also, ensure that the connector is oriented correctly and pushed in firmly to establish a secure connection.

One user stated that you do not need to replace the gear on the motor when replacing your extruder. He said that as long as the gear still works, you can continue using it if you choose to.

In the past, extruder gears were secured with Grub screws but recent models have started coming with gears press fit onto the shaft.

Another user stated that after installing the new aluminum extruder setup, he noticed the filament getting ground up during printing. He tried to move the hot end higher up to reduce the chance of jamming during extrusion but without success.

He then removed everything, put it all back in while he straightened the angle of the lever arm and tightened it all back down. He also switched around the screws that were holding the spring in place. Although he still had some shavings, it printed fine after making these adjustments.

Reattach the Cooling Fan Shroud

Once you finish installing the new extruder, you can reattach the cooling fan shroud. Mount the cooling fan shroud on the hotend and secure it with the screws you removed earlier.

Test the New Extruder

The next step is to load the filament into the extruder to see how it performs.

• With the new extruder in place, heat up the hotend to the preset temperature for the filament you intend to use.
• You can now load the filament into the new extruder once the hotend reaches the desired temperature.
• Follow any calibration or leveling procedures that your printer may require before starting a test print.

One thing to note is that, if the screw holding the lever arm is too tight, the extruder won’t be able to provide tension. The filament will slide through when you pull it since the motor cannot lock the filament in.

I will recommend this video from BV3D: Brian Vines for a visual demonstration of this process.