[aidensnd]

Anyone have any idea on how to clean or replace the tubes which run from the capping station? One of my white ones is clogged and I've tried taking it apart as much as possible but I can't get into the area where it goes after it leaves the capping head. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks

 

[aidensnd]

Fixed it!!

Took all the covers off, removed the maintenance section from the machine, disconnected the white drain lines and massaged the gummed ink out of them, gave everything a good clean, put it back together and it's actually now printing better than it ever has before.

And I only had 1 screw leftover at the end!

 

[hybridtrendz]

I too had to take all our panels off to trace down a tube issue and ended up with 1 leftover screw!

 

[nuttymad]

I’m having the same problem

I took it apart ( took out waste station) but I’m having trouble pulling the tubes apart

Any suggestions!

Congrats, this is a huge undertaking!

 

[jtilden]

I’m having the same problem

I took it apart ( took out waste station) but I’m having trouble pulling the tubes apart

Any suggestions!

Congrats, this is a huge undertaking!

I run the lines under hot water and then pull them a part.

 

[jtilden]

Has anyone come across a capping station solution strong enough to dissolve the ink in the waste lines? I have had to take my machine apart twice (in 5 years) now to unclog lines. Luckily I can accomplish this task because I am sure a tech call to Fairbanks, AK would break the bank.

 

[TABOB]

Don't be afraid to use water in your capping station, and do use a lot. Personally, I use the water from my dehumidifiers after I pass it through a coffee filter. I guess I could probably use tap water as well... but why risk it?

 

[j6direct2garment]

We are having this issue wit our GT-381 where the caps are unable to pull any ink or solution through the waste tubes behneath. I have already been back & fourth with Brother, checking the pump, solenoids, and each of the lines thoroughly. Brother confirmed that the pump and solenoids are working correctly, and with the tubes cleared we still cannot locate the problem, and the heads are slowly going to hell as we speak..
Maybe it is the pump itself but doesn't look like it. Does anyone have any suggestions? We are trying to get ahold of a certified tech but it's been quite the runaround in our area (Ontario, CA).

Any ideas are appreciated!

 

[carolina banner]

Hello, Hope you or someone can reply quickly.... I too took my pumping unit out too and took the lines off one by one and flushed the lines out with a syringe and pressure. Got it all back together and now the ink won't pull thru the heads and capping station...I am thinking that when Brother installs these from fresh start up, do they put any fluid in the tubes to create a vacuum? I am thinking there is too much air in all those lines and it won't create a vacuum on its own...Any ideas or a test to make sure the pump is pulling air out of the lines? My heads are not dried up, they are spitting in the pad. And I run it almost every day in our shop.. I did a bunch of printing yesterday, when I noticed the magenta head print striped in testing..did a bunch of cleanings, and did not improve much, so I knew I had to clean the lines and I pulled out a bunch of dried ink in all of them... it was like heart surgery clearing clogged arteries. 6 hours, all lines cleaned and put back together...Any comments welcome..

 

[dRad]

*This is not an answer to the above question.*

I wanted to update this older thread with my experience to help others.




Cleaning these lines is easy, but slow moving.

• Remove the front and back panel. The screws are all easy to get to and see. The front has two inside of the printing bay.
• You'll see the rack that houses everything to do with the waste lines and capping station.
• Trace an outline of the unit ends on the front and back with a Sharpie on the metal exactly where the unit is sitting. This will make for an easy install so you don't have to worry about lining up the heads again.
• There are two bolts/screws on the front and two on the back of the rack. They take an Allen wrench/Hex Key to turn.
• There are 2 cables connected to the circuit board on the back and one that comes from the side. They pinch and pull out.
• Slide the unit out the back. It didn't seem to fit out the front.
• The caps (capping station) clips on the back and front to snap them out. Pinch the tube right on the plastic connector on the cap and twist/pull. Don't worry it'll come off.
• We pulled out sections of two at a time and didn't tear down the unit. Long fingers. They were pretty tight attached. Just stay close to the connection when twisting and pulling. Don't just pull, the tube might tear and they are stupidly overpriced from brother. The tubes are more rubber than a hard plastic feeling.
• The tubes run right through the solenoid. You can depress the solenoid a bit to slide tubes right through.
• I used a syringe (From a head cleaning kit I had, the tube fit right on the end of the plastic), I had a long piece of insulated wire (made sure none of the metal wire was exposed) for fishing out the lines if needed, and I ran warm water through. I did it all together not broken down to save time.
• The Y connectors are where most of the get stuck and required fishing.
• We took the clean lines and reinstalled them. Then, grabbed the next set of two. Easier to not forget the order for reassembly.
• I cleaned every line I could even the huge waste lines had glob build up. Don't forget to clean the capping station connection too. They get build up.
• My Black capping station didn't pull at all and the others pulled weakly. The pump test pulled right away for all of them!

I feel like Brother should tell you to do this every few years. I guess they expect you to fly a rep in and pay a huge sum to have them replace the lines. That isn't feasible for a small business owner. My nearest rep was 3 states away...