Changing to a v6 style hotend on the i3 mega series

thingiverse

Hey everyone! Here's a guide on how to swap out the default v5 style hotend with a v6 style hotend on your i3 mega. It's not necessarily an upgrade if you're using a clone, but just in case you're interested. So far, I've got about 24 print hours under my belt with the v6 setup and everything seems to be working smoothly. Advantages: 1. Heavier print head: With this set up, you can shave off around 60 grams, which means less momentum when printing at high speeds (Although it's worth noting that the original i3 comes with a rigid metal casing locking everything in place, whereas my new part cooling fan shroud is locked only by two screws and might have some wobble - although I've been experiencing less ghosting while printing at 80 mm/s compared to the original V5 style). 2. About 1 cm more of Z-axis printing volume 3. Better flex filament support? This is a v5 to v6 feature, but I haven't tried it out yet. Disadvantages: 1. Potential clogging when comparing to the stock v5 j-head due to poor manufacturing of the V6 clone heat break - You'll need to work around the heat break if it's not the genuine one. 2. Most v6 clones come with cables that are too long for the i3 and they usually have a bigger 2-pin connector that won't fit by default. You'll need to do some rewiring for the thermistor and the heat sink fan. Please download the PDF for detailed procedures.