Ender 3 V2 – Direct Extruder Upgrade + CR Touch + Micro Swiss Install

Directions

In today’s article we’ll be covering how to upgrade the Ender 3 V2 to have a direct extruder, Micro Swiss all metal hot end and the CRTouch. I purchased this upgrade kit and all the other parts specifically for this video, so no money has changed hands. I’m in no way responsible if any damages may occur, so do this at your own risk.

Even if the direct extruder upgrade kit is complete as is, there are some portions which could use improvements, and this is what we’ll be taking a closer look at today. Before installing anything, we’ll first want to upgrade the direct extruder hot end assembly that we’ve ordered. In this case, I’m using a version which is sold by Creality themselves, but will be upgrading both the extruder feeder along with the hot end. If you’re doing this yourself, you’ll want to upgrade the extruder feeder first because it’ll be easier to reassemble afterwards. The extruder feeder components that come with this kit are made from plastic, so we’ll be swapping those out for metal one’s. Out of this kit, we’ll only be using these components, so you may be able to buy a cheaper version for this upgrade. In order to do this, we’ll first remove the original components and begin assembling the new one’s. I’ll be using the MK-8 feeder, but we’ll be replacing one of the screws with a M3 x 10 mm since we won’t be able to use the tension adjustment feature that’s included. We’ll be keeping the original extruder wheel since it’s the correct version and is already lined up. Also, important to note, is that we’ll need to trim the bracket that holds the motor into place so that it doesn’t interfere with the screw that’ll be holding the spring. It’s very important that the replacement screw head has a low profile, otherwise it’ll prevent the attachment screw from connecting to the motor. When re-attaching the extruder feeder to the bracket, you’ll find that it’s a little finicky, however it should fit as long as you line everything up properly while tightening the screws. Make sure that the motor shaft has enough space, otherwise its movement will be hindered.

Next we’ll take a look at upgrading the hot end itself by replacing it with a Micro Swiss all metal hot end kit. This version in particular is designed to work with Creality printers because of where the two top screws are located. After removing the hot end assembly cover, we’ll carefully remove the thermistor and heater cartridge, since we will be re-using these. We can now remove and attach the new hot end, followed by the original thermistor and heater cartridge. One important difference with the heater cartridge is that there are two screws to help distribute the pressure and heat more evenly. Although this hot end doesn’t have a Bowden tube near the nozzle, a Capricorn tubing isn’t necessary but will be something that we’ll be replacing because of it’s tighter tolerances. Although it’s rare, on some occasions the Capricorn tubing can have some internal defects, so make sure to test the filament’s ability to move freely prior to cutting it to the proper length. I used the original tubing to get a better idea of the proper length and simply trimmed small amounts off until it was correct. While re-installing the hot end assembly cover, we can then attach the CR-Touch as well using the provided mount. In my case I was able to use this adapter which lined up perfectly with the mounting plate.

Before beginning the installation of our direct extruder, we’ll first pre-heat the nozzle for the machine and remove any filament which in currently loaded within. To remove the hot end assembly that’s on the printer, we’ll remove the bottom screw. To do this, we first have to remove the hot end cover and use a wrench to hold the nut in place. Once it’s been loosened enough, you should be able to wiggle off the extruder assembly and replace it with the new one. For the direct extruder assembly, make sure to once again loosen the bottom screw and raise the Z axis, so you have enough space to work. Check to make sure that the hot end assembly is secured but moves freely before moving onto the next step. In certain cases, you may also have to adjust the eccentric nut if it’s not stable. I currently have PDF guide which goes through this process on my main website. When re-attaching the timing belts, loosen the belt tightener slightly so that you have a little more slack on the belt and re-tighten afterwards.

Since it has an open design, the original bowden extruder is fairly easy to remove, however you’ll want to make sure to hold onto the motor so that it doesn’t fall onto your build plate. After taking off the feeder knob off, there will be a couple of screws that you’ll need to remove in order to release the motor from the mount. There’s one screw for the adjustment arm and the two for the baseplate.

Making sure to turn off the machine, we’ll then begin to work on updating the wiring. We’ll first use the extension connector for the extruder motor, which attaches to the original cable. With that connected, we can then prepare the remaining wires for their own connections. In this case the kit has tinned wires which we’ll remove and replace with ferrules ones for additional safety. There are 4 screws holding the cover in place, so you’ll want to remove all of these to get to the motherboard. One of the screws is located on the two other side of the machine, so make sure to remove all of these before opening the cover. We’ll first slide the wires through the sleeve, since this will be difficult to do after the wiring is completed. Removing one connection at a time, you can match the wires to their proper connection points. I generally like to have a wiring diagram handy so that I can double-check everything one last time before closing the machine. These are all the connections that you’ll need to update with this particular modification. If you have the PDF Survival kit that on my website, I have this diagram which shows you where to connect the BLTouch or CR-Touch on the motherboard page. The CR-Touch will connect to this port here and if you’re able to feed the wire through you’ll want to do this prior to connecting it to the motherboard. In my case, I opted to use some additional cable management afterwards. When connecting the CR-Touch connection, make sure to check where the pins are oriented, since it can require quite a bit of pressure to connect it properly. I ended up using a pair of pliers to help push it down into place.

After some quick cable management, the printer was ready for operation and I began my first test prints. Now I will be making a full review of all the parts of this modification and other’s on the Ender 3 V2, so make sure to keep an eye out to find out which ones were worth the money and which ones were a waste. The next article, we’ll be updating the build plate and the surrounding components, and you’ll be able to see that one HERE.

Private Notes

What you’ll need

Creality CR Touch Upgrade Kit
Creality Direct Extruder Upgrade kit
MK-8 Feeder (full metal extruder)
Micro Swiss Full Metal Extruder

Iron-M1 by Simax – DIY Surprise????? Oh, Boy!

Transcript

Well this was an interesting 3d printer kit for sure, and you’ll definitely want to stay until the end to see just how interesting it got. So to preface this I did buy this machine with my own money and haven’t been paid to do this review so everything you see here will be based on my own opinion.

So to start things off, everything was well packaged, and the instructions were surprisingly simple. They were so simple in fact that I was concerned, however they were well suited for the machine design, as we’ll soon discover. Opening up the box, the instructions came with a clear warning to remove the hotbed with the XZ module together, and this was for a good reason. In order to simplify the both the assembly and instructions, one of the connection cables was already attached. In the first layer of the packaging, you have the tool components box along with the nozzle head. To prevent damaging the XZ module, they’ve added zip ties to keep these together. You’ll want to remove as much packaging as possible before lifting the base and frame out, as you can see here. In the end I removed the entire packaging so that I could flex it around the parts and this is most likely the easiest method to remove the base from the packaging. In the bottom of the packaging you have the control screen and the power cable, which you’ll need latter. Once everything has been removed from the box, this is what you’ll see. Many components have been pre-installed already, which should make things easier latter on.

As a general rule of thumb, I always like to check the USB to make sure I have all the information that I need to begin. 3 PowerPoint presentations were included which contained the instructions on how to slice with Cura, installation and the quick start guide along with some test prints. I would highly recommend that the company creates PDF documents for their manual in future releases. If you don’t have an application which opens PPTX files, you can open these using Google Docs.

The tools which will be necessary to assemble this machine are very minimalist, so you know that the steps will be minimal which should be good for beginner’s however you’ll see why this is latter. Cutting off the Zip ties, I discovered that the Z limit switch was already attached, so following the instructions, I also connected the Z motor. With that portion installed, I then added the bolts to hold the XZ module in place. I always recommend installing these loosely until you’ve finished installing the bolts on both sides, at which point to can give them a final tighten. And this is where my internal Alarm bells started ringing. You see there’s no protective panel below the power supply and motherboard. We will talk about the implication of this latter on this video.

You can then cut the zip ties that are holding the hot end assembly in place and move it to the centre for easier access. Loosen the 3 pre-installed bolts for the hot end assembly and push them in and down to fit into the backplate. You can then tighten these up again to ensure a tight fit. This portion of the machine was very well-designed, but I will definitely need to test its durability before making a decision. It’s a novel approach, which I do appreciate.

For the front panel monitor screen, you’ll have two cables to attach. One of these will have a label which tells you it must be facing upwards, so make sure to follow those instructions. Since both cables utilize separate connector types, it helps to prevent the cables from being mixed up.

When attaching the front panel, one side went in, however it seems that the mental was bent slightly too short and caused the other side to stick out. This made it difficult to assemble the second side. This isn’t the only issue, however, since circuitry for the board comes really close to the rest of the case. Normally I would expect some distance at least, and I would definitely cover this component to prevent issues. In general, electrical boards and other important connections should be sealed in some form or another, and this is a great example of this not being done.

Plugging in the cables for the extruder motor and hot end assembly were very straightforwards since each cable was a different type, making this easier to put together. While this design is good for the beginner, it does lead into future upgrading issues down the road since these don’t all use standard connector types. All the wiring for this machine is short, there’s absolutely no play involved, which once again makes modification more difficult.

Although the machine came with rollers for the spool holder, it didn’t actually come with a mount to hold these together properly. This will most likely cause issues and is not very functional as it currently states. I will most likely be 3D printing a separate part to help join these together since the components are good quality, just the implementation seems to be a little rushed.

Back to not having that baseplate for the electrical components. As you see, not only aren’t they covered, but they are also extremely close to the surface with only about 1/2 gap in between. This makes the machine a big fire hazard, and unfortunately it also means that I can’t turn it on until I’ve modified it. So testing is out of the window from the get go. This wasn’t the only issue that I found with this machine. The limit switch for the Z axis motor cable will most likely be one of the points of failure to crop up first. The hole which was cut out for this cable along with the Z axis stepper motor is too far into the centre and not far back enough, which means that the cable will most likely be rubbed whenever the heated bed moves. This could cause a short if it comes in contact with the other electrical components, such as the unsupported wiring for the hotbed. Really, the Z stepper motor should have been turned the other way and the cable should have been extended for both so that the wiring for the sensor could have been wrapped around from the outside of the machine rather than going inwards. The Z axis wiring actually seems like it be glued permanently to the Z stop switch cables, which once gain makes modifications or repairs difficult.

So after everything I’ve seen so far, is this worth the money? You can just modify a couple of aspects and be able to get a functional machine, so if you like modding constantly, then, maybe. Personally, I would probably recommend buying a used machine that’s known to work instead at a discounted rate. However, I will be heavily modifying this to see just how far I can go. So this will most likely be a series of videos with component price breakdowns in the future. I will mention two observations that I have made about this machine. It seems like test units may not have been sent out prior to final production, which is something that really shouldn’t have happened. Realistically this is something which should have been recalled, however it’s a pretty good price for raw components, which is how I’m going to suggest this as a possible option for experienced tinkerers. If you just want bare-bones components, the value is actually pretty good. But like I said previously, it’s not for new users, and it’s only for a few people who just want the basic components to work with.

Ender 3 V2 – Z-Axis Upgrade

Installing Dual Z axis
When to Upgrade to a Dual Z Axis
When Choosing a Kit

Installation

In this article, we’ll be updating the Ender 3 V2 by Creality to have two Z axis motors. I purchased this upgrade kit specifically for this video, so no money has exchanged hands. I’m in no way responsible if any damages may occur, so do this at your own risk.

In most cases this modification won’t really add all that much to the existing machine unless you intend to upgrade the hot end to a direct extruder. Since the X gantry can be easily moved when additional weight is applied, this should prevent any issues with the extruder falling downwards during a print. This solution isn’t perfect, however, since the gantry can become un-levelled over time, so regular maintenance will be required to prevent any issues.

As a precautionary measure, I do recommend that you add something below the X gantry to keep the hot end from crashing into the build plate. In my case, I used the packaging that came with the kit. To begin, we first need to remove the lead screw bracket on the right-hand side of the machine. You’ll remove the two screws holding the bracket to the X gantry, followed by the two outside pulley wheels. We can then slide out the bracket to add the additional hardware. In my case, I decide to also upgrade the pulley wheels to polycarbonate ones at the same time. In order to add the additional bracket, we’ll also have to swap out the screws along with adding additional spacers. Without these spacers, the plate will offset the alignment and cause it to grind against the extrusion. It’s important to first assemble the portion which holds the eccentric nut, and keep this loose to begin with. After re-inserting and adding the second wheel, we can re-tighten the eccentric nut through the hole that’s in the extrusion. In order to fit the re-assembled bracket into place, the eccentric nut will need to be rotated until the screw hole matches up with the extrusion hole. Once all the wheels are in place, we can then adjust the eccentric nut to make sure that there’s even pressure along all the wheels. There are two screws which hold the bracket onto the X carriage and these can now be attached. For the screw that’s holding the belt tensioner, it’s easier to put it into place if you first remove the adjacent screw, since they both share the same threads.

The next stage is to add the new stepper motor, and for this we’ll use the provided bracket that came with the kit and attach this to the new stepper motor. With this installed, we’ll then add the two T slot nut and attach these to the frame. It’s very important to turn these upwards before installing them and check to make sure that they rotate so that they’re locked into place. Taking the coupler, we’ll install this so that it’s slightly raised up, ensuring that the shaft is at the centre mark. We can then tighten the screws on the bracket, which helps align the lead screw. By turning the lead screw, we can put this in place and secure it to the coupler. Before installing the lead screw support, you’ll want to add the T-slot nuts that’ll hold the support into place. Once again, make sure that these are properly secured.

To install the wiring, we’ll first unplug the connector for the left Z motor and attach this to the splitter connection. We’ll then connect the shorter wire to the left Z motor, followed by the right side. It’s very important that you properly tie back the wiring to make sure that the build plate will not dislodge the wiring during movement. As you can see, I used some Zip ties to achieve this, but I would upgrade this to a cable guide if possible. In my case, I chose this model, that you can pick up here.

With everything installed, it’s now time to align all the components. We’ll start off by checking that the lead screw bracket wheels are moving properly. You can check this by trying to rotate the wheels individually and making sure that they can still move with a medium amount of pressure. You can then turn on the machine and home to the bed, followed by turning off the stepper motors. Likewise, you’ll then manually move the hot end slowly to the right-hand side so that you can manually rotate the right-hand side Z motor. We’ll then re-home the machine and do a full bed levelling to ensure that there’s proper contact to the build plate. In my case I used my custom levelling file, however there’s multiple one’s available that you can use online.

With everything complete, it’s now time to do a full test print and unsurprisingly, there wasn’t really any difference since we haven’t upgraded the hot end yet. With the new Z axis installed, we’ll be able to upgrade the hot end to a direct drive extruder in the next article.

Private Notes

When to Upgrade to a Dual Z Axis

Are you adding a Direct Drive Extruder?
Has your Z-axis been slipping?

When Choosing a Kit

When choosing your kit, make sure that you have the following.

Z motor splitter cable
Lead screw holder
Z Motor + coupler + stepper motor holder
Lead screw mount

Ender 3 V2 – Upgrade the Firmware

How to Update the Firmware
IMPORTANT update
List of Materials
Highlight Notes

Updating the Firmware

In this article we’ll be updating the firmware on the Ender 3 V2 by Creality and although these instructions are for the Jyer’s version, this will work with the one from Creality’s main website as well. I’m in no way responsible if any damages may occur, so do this at your own risk.

So there’s a couple of reason why you might want to update your machines’ firmware, but the main one is to fix any issues in operation, which can often include safety upgrades. Some community versions include added functionality, as well as a more up-to-date versions of marlin. The process will be identical for either versions of the firmware, as long as you understand some basics.

First off, there are two portions of the machine which typically need to be updated separately. The first is the motherboard, which is normally quite simple to update, and the second is the screen, which frequently requires some form of disassembly. I should point out that sometimes this process isn’t as straightforwards on certain machines, therefore you’ll always want to do some research before undertaking this task.

There are two different types of motherboards for this machine, and we’ll need to know which version ours is prior to uploading the firmware. To find this out, we’ll open up the base of the machine and read the labelling that’s on the motherboard. In my case, it was the 4.2.2. So that’s the version I will be downloading.

EDIT: The Ender 3 V2 started shipping 256k boards with some of their machines, and this affects the safety measures in the firmware. The PDF guide has been updated, but you must find out which CPU you have prior to doing this update. Here’s a link to the article which was brought to my attention.

In my testing, I did to update the machine with a larger 32gb card, however if you do run into issues you may which to switch to an 8 GB card instead. Once you’ve formatted the card to FAT32, you’ll download the files from either the Creality website or the GitHub page. In my case I’ve chosen to use the Community version since it includes several additional features which include but aren’t limited to the following. Manual levelling menu, Z offset menu, Pre-heat menu, Change filament, Support for the M600 command, Manual Mesh Levelling and an advanced menu which may be updated in the future.

First we’ll download the .bin file that’s going to be used to update the motherboard and that’ll be one of these files here. The files all follow a simple naming convention to make it easier to tell which option is the most suitable version for your machine. The first part of the name refers to the machine, which in this case is the Ender 3 V2. The second portion is the levelling method followed by the probing layout and Motherboard Version. If you’re looking to use the stock version, then you’ll want to choose the default version. In my case, I wanted to install the default version since I would be updating to a BLTouch at a latter date. Now that we have the motherboard firmware downloaded, we can now download the folder update for the screen. For this, you’ll scroll down and download the source code for the machine. Once you’ve downloaded this folder you’ll unzip it and go to Marlin + Display Firmware + Firmware Sets where you’ll pick the version that you want to use. In my case, I picked the DWIN_SET (Gotcha) version for this update. If you’re updating with the Creality versions, then all the necessary files will be within the Zip folder that you download.

You’ll copy the .bin file to your SD card once it’s been formatted to FAT32. Turning off your 3D printer, you’ll insert the SD card into the card reader, then power back on the machine. It will take a while longer to boot up, but once it’s finished loading the screen, the update should be complete. With the main motherboard updated, it’s now time to update the screen as well. In this case, updating the screen is optional, but I highly recommend doing it since it solves the contact issues which were present in the original version. Make sure to reformat the card again before copying your DWIN_SET (Gotcha) file to your SD card, you need to rename the folder, so you’re left with just DWIN_SET as the name. After turning off the printer, we’ll lift the screen out of it’s stand and turn it over to unplug the cable. Once that’s completed, we can then unscrew the cover and use a prying tool to remove the panel. You’ll notice an SD card reader, which is where we’re going to insert the SD card into. Simply turn on the machine to start the updating process. In this case, the screen will change to an orange colour once it’s finished updating. Simply close everything back up and put everything together, and you should be ready to go. One of the nice features in this update is the ability to change the interface colours to which every one’s you want. As you can see, I’ve begun playing around with these and many other settings to get the best results for this machine.

Personal notes

Supplies

Micro SD Card (8GB or more)
Access to Computer

Important notes

Check Board Number (open the machine)
Check CPU (512k swapped with 256k), 256k should only be updated with Creality firmware
Micro SD formatted to FAT32
Update motherboard + Screen

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