Does anyone know if having a bubble in a damper will cause missing nozzles?

[vinylink0331]

Vinyl Ink
Mutoh Valuejet 1204- I have had this printer for about 6 years.
original ink.

Hi, guys. I noticed recently that my black was leaving lines in it. I did a nozzle check and there are several missing areas in the black. I have done multiple cleanings, cleaned around capping station, clean wiper, etc, etc. Finally, I got brave and decided to remove the entire head off of the printer to see what was going on down there. I was so scared. Eventually, we got it out and it was a mess. In the back there was a lot of dried residue and other mess. We cleaned it all up and gave the entire printer a good cleaning. One thing that I noticed was that there was a bubble in one of my black dampers. Whenever I tried to move it around it just get coming back. Would that cause an issue with the nozzles? That is one of my main concerns last night before I installed everything again. I didn't have anything to pull it through with so I just reinstalled everything hoping the cleaning that we did had helped. Unfortunately, still bad black nozzles. Also, have any of you ever trying to a reverse flush? Im thinking about trying that tonight.

 

[Biker Scout]

It's the little lines under your capping station. They are clogged. When you do a cleaning cycle, it's not pulling full vacuum.

Check the ring around the capping station and make sure it's pristine. But more importantly, pull the little black lines under the capping station, as well as the little clear ones that join into the black lines via little white connector piece. Ditch that white connector piece. Trust me on this. The clear lines slide perfectly into the black lines. Look at how small the holes are on that connector piece. Try finding a wire small enough to push through it...

Anyway, I guarantee your black lines have little clogged ink plugs inside of them. Think about clogged arteries with cholestrol. Anyway, work the dried ink out of the tubes, and use Acetone to clean them out. Not denatured alcohol. DA makes the ink clump, even though it does clean the ink to some extent. The Acetone actually breaks the ink solids down back to a fine powder, and it won't hurt the lines either.

Go ahead and flush the two double lines that run into the pump as well. Just don't go pulling on the lines very hard. Flush out any solids that may have accumulated inside the pump. These lines are made of a special silicone, with ultra smooth wall, so stuff flushes out of there pretty easy.

Put everything back together run a few cleaning cycles. You should be back in business.... unless you actually have a legitimate print head clog. But at least at this point you can do a head soak, or run the cleaning cartridges and you know that you will be pulling full vacuum on the capping station from the pump.

Good luck.

 

[vinylink0331]

Thanks, I will try that.

Do you think that is why the damper had a bubble in it? Because not getting a good vacuum seal.

 

[Biker Scout]

That, or there's a knick around the capping station seal, or the rubber is just old and not making a good seal anymore.

 

[phototec]

Do you think that is why the damper had a bubble in it? Because not getting a good vacuum seal.

Lots of GOOD info from Biker Scout!

Please report back, and lets us know if this worked or not?

Thanks

 

[Biker Scout]

Thanks, but that was just a re-post from 2008. I've not had my Mutoh for many years. I just seem to remember being under the hood more than printing. Had fewer issues after I got off the OEM ink, incidentally. But moved on to many other challenges since.