I was doing maintenance on my P1s and noticed that one of the tensioner screws on the rear seems to be getting worn in the allen socket. The allen wrench slips sometimes and I’m afraid it is near being stripped.
The wiki instructions say to loosen the screw, but not remove it, when adjusting tension. I assume that’s because the idler has a spring that would pull the tensioner out of place if it was not removed first?
So I’m just wondering - if the other tensioner screw is tight, can I remove the questionable screw and replace it? Or do I have to remove the idler first?
There’s no way you should be applying enough torque (or should need to apply enough torque) to these screws to strip the socket in the screw. Even with a “loose” Allen Key (which will easily strip a socket when you apply enough torque).
If I had to guess, it’s more likely the Allen Key is what’s wearing out. Variation in tolerances of the socket in the Cap Screws mean one might start to see a problem before another.
If you’re using the Allen Key that came with the printer, upgrade to a higher quality tool and it might fix your issue. I’m partial to the tools from MIPOnline.com. Their target market is radio control modelers (which is a demographic I belong to), but that’s also a market for smaller sized tools like the ones you need for the printer.
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Thanks. It’s definitely the screw. The others work fine, and I can visually see the wear on the bad one with a magnifier.
It is probably the low quality allen wrench that caused the problem initially. I have others that work better. But regardless, I’m still left with a screw that has seen better days and needs to be replaced.