Desperate plea: help with problematic Ricoh CL7000. Local professionals have failed!

[104HeatonRoad]

Wow, I'm very impressed everyone, thanks for all your responses. Okay, I think we're onto something---the little black rod I made reference to above has a pizza slice-shaped wedge at the end which is evidently responsible for controlling light through that photointerruptor. I taped the paper guide on the other end of it down and the printer went into warmup mode for the first time all day! When I look at the fuser unit in place though the little wedge does not drop naturally back to its lowest position. Should it be sprung or is it relying on gravity to hold it down? It's as if it isn't heavy enough on its own to stay in the position that gets the printer going.

And good call on the fuser---I'll keep my eye out for one. For the few seconds that the printer went into warmup the groaning was rather immense, it certainly seems to be coming from the main body of the printer. Is the transfer belt much of a job?

[104HeatonRoad]

Ah sorry I wrote that last reply before I saw a new slew of responses. PLatik, thanks for your response, is the transfer box something i could get into?

And my impeller does not seem to be sprung! Christ, now where the hell could that have gone...

[mikadonovan]

In regards to replacing the transfer as a whole unit, not so hard a job. To replace just the belt without messing something up, not something a lot of end users would want to try.

[104HeatonRoad]

Okay guys, my problem with the photointerruptor is definitely that the spring has vanished from the impeller. I can't see anywhere that it could possibly fit onto it, I have to say! But having taped the impeller up to block the sensor the printer has (noisily) gone through it's calibration process. I just looked at the counter and the printer has only done 13k sheets! So I'd definitely be looking at fixing up this fuser rather than replacing it. Anyone have any ideas?

[104HeatonRoad]

Ha! Well, it got as far as attempting to print a sheet and then stopped on an SC 471. Bugger!

[Herrmann]

seems, like your transfer unit doesent sit properly, reinstall and secure it with its screws

[104HeatonRoad]

i didn't touch the transfer unit yet! Damn, maybe it's time to look for another 7000...

[104HeatonRoad]

Hi everyone,

Well, some good news. I stripped out the transfer unit, took off the transfer cleaning section from that, it was chock full of waster toner, and the sprung blade mechanism seemed to be jammed by all the toner Gave that a good clean and reassembled, and lo! the printer is now firing up without making the awful grinding sound. So good progress! The printer is still going nicely and I no longer have to work out where I can get the money to buy a new one.

But! I still have the fuser unit misfeed problem, I'm pretty sure caused by the exit impeller. I took it off the fuser unit and can't see anywhere where a spring could possibly go, but it's just ain't dropping down enough to hit that photointerruptor and when it prints a sheet is stops half way out of the fuser. Can anyone confirm whether this is a sprung mechanism?

Thanks again! You guys have been lifesavers. Adam

[teebee1234]

The spring wraps around the actuator end of the shaft (where the paper contacts). It keeps the actuator in an upright position and springs back after the trail edge of the paper passes. Look around the exit area, you might get lucky and find it. You might try and contact a local dealer and see if the may have a junk fuser laying around that can be stripped. This is the same fuser used in the 2228c/2232c/2238c copier versions.
Here is the part number for the lower exit guide plate that includes the actuator. B1494010
It is attached with 2 screws and would be easy to swap out. I'd hate to see you have to pay for one though, those things get tossed all the time.

[sakura]

Here is a Service Bulletin on NOISE 4shared.com - document sharing - download G080G367_004.pdf