CR-10 Quick Connect Hotend Installation

Update:  This is worth a look! https://makersteve.com/2018/08/27/artillerlamp/

So you have worn out your blower or the main fan on your CR-10.  It’s time to roll up your sleeves and replace it.

If you don’t want to just buy a new extruder and fan housing with the wiring harness, already assembled, here is what you have to do!

You’ll need to order a set of 40x40x10mm fans that are referred to as 4010’s.  Amazon has a kit that includes 4010 blower and fan for your Creality CR-10.  If you are trying to save money or buy for the future, on the 4010 blower or 4010 fan ensure you get a 12 Volt motor.  Not the 5 Volt I bought and kept blowing (literally).

My fan housing is not stock, I run the High Clearance Fang by Tacblades!

You’ll also need:

A Soldiering iron – I use the 909D+ All-in-one with integrated hot-air, power supply and kung-fu grip.  Pretty nice setup for $100.00.

Heat Shrink Tubing

Wire Strippers

Solder

Maybe some Otterpops, also knows as “Gluten and Fat Free Ice Pops.”

NOTE: Before you begin, you will want to heat up your extruder to 185C and yank the filament out, just like swapping filament.  It will make the whole process easier.

Here is my target!

If you home your box before powering it off, you will not have to re-level, take some time and knock that out.  Here is my process.

Move X and Y to the endstop by hand.  Then follow along on the screens below.

Now you are ready to get to work.  Start by powering off your control box on the CR-10.  There is a switch in the back or disconnect the main power to be sure.

Use an allen wrench to remove the screws securing your fan.  If you have the stock fan housing, the process is the same.  Eight screws total, two are longer, they mounted the hotend itself. 4 mount the main fan, 2 mount the blower.

Four screws from the main fan, Stay!

Next remove the hotend wiring harness from the back of the control box, it’s the top-most one.  Spin the ring until it is free, then pull.

Dental pick is for cleaning my teeth while 3D printing.

Disconnect the PTFE tubing from the extruder assembly.  This is a push on the connector and a pull on the tubing.  It can be tricky, don’t force it.  The small wrench included with your Creality is just the right width to get some pressure on there if it is giving you trouble.

OK, victory so far, here is my wiring harness and hotend.  I have removed the wire braiding and opted for wire wrap, 10mm, it’s fast and affordable!

If you still have wire braid you can pull it back and use a binder clip to hold it out of your way.  You’ll need about 6 inches to work with.

Here is the blower I will install..  I clipped the wires to about 3 inches long, but you can go the distance if you want and route the wires through.

This is the blower 2010B, note the 12V DC, I did.. this time.

This is the 4010 Fan and part number. 12V Again.

 

Find the spot to clip the old fan free, and strip the wires on the fan/blower and the remaining cable on your hotend cord.

MakerSteve Tip of the Day: You can always cut to long, never cut to short!

Be sure to strip enough to be able to twist them together.

Twist them together.  Blue to black, Yellow to red, if they come in that color.

If you want to verify, your new fan works and that you are wiring it correctly, try a 9 Volt battery.  Use the stripped ends on the new fan and connect the Blue to Negative and Yellow to Positive.  The fan only works one way.

You could also use this to verify that old fan isn’t bad and you may have a loose wire.

Strip the wires

Looks good..

Grab your heat shrink tubing

Slide them over your wires..

Twist the wires together, Blue to black, red to yellow, as mentioned before.  I like to give them a little tug after they are twisted together to give the solder some space.

Heat up the Soldering Iron, I go about 280C.

Position the wires so you can get to them..

Another look..

Grab your solder..

Tin your hotend by putting a little solder on it…

This process is hard to do while taking pictures so you missed out on some of the action.

I give it a wipe.

I heat the wires up with the soldering iron and then apply a smidge of solder.  Ugly but effective.

Turn off the soldering iron, heat up the blower.  Your soldiering iron can shrink the shrink wrap if you don’t have a heat gun.

Work at least two sides of the heat shrink tubing.

Shrunk..

I use super glue to attach my blower, I broke the ears where the screws go a few fans ago.  It is not a bad idea to glue the first few mm of wire to the fan housing so the solder joints on the fan don’t break.  Creality fans now have tape so it is relatively secure.

 

I tack my blower on with just a couple dabs.  Couple means three right?

You are now ready to re-install your wiring harness.  First, remount the hotend.

Screw in the fans…

Bad-a-bing!

Reconnect your wiring harness to the control box, it’s keyed so the slot goes up.

Plug..

Spin..

Attach the PTFE Tubing back to the extruder..  push it in till it stops.

Check that it is secure..

Adjust your wiring harness so it will not be in the way of the printer.  And power it back on.

If you have Octoprint, you will get a MINTEMP error as shown below, just reboot your Octopi..

Now let’s test the fan!

It should work and you are ready to print!

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There is a ton of other useful stuff on Makersteve.com and more coming every week.

Be sure to check out my Ultimate Build Guide for Creality Ender 3

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Happy Printing,

Steve