C4503 PCU conversion

[benalvarez]

Re: C4503 PCU conversion

I believe the cost was a ridiculuous difference. That's why ricoh usa did it. As I recall the K drums were less that 50 dollars USD and the color drums were a few hundred a piece.

[Gamut]

Re: C4503 PCU conversion

As I recall when I worked for Ricoh there is a conversion for K to C,M,Y drums. When the plug is analyzed at the end of the drum, the K connection is square with a steel bar embedded in the plastic connection, this bar has to be filed off, as well as given a slant in order to get into the slanted hole, the color drums have a slant on the connection, remove the color drum to make sure the slant is the same. Next you will have to change two wires, I'm going off of memory and I threw the instructions away, however, there are only four wires, giving you a possibility of a limited number of variations (15). These wires are under the drum that make the connection to the mfp. One screw has to be removed to disconnect the connector, take one color drum out, and see where the wires are in relation to the plug, to extrapolate a K drum into a color drum. I have personally done the conversion at least 50 times and it could save you a ton in cash. ""Caution"", if you don't file off the K drum at the appropriate angle you could break the connector in the mfp, very costly, time consuming, and a pain to replace the female connector in the mfp. Hope this helps.

That's for previous models, you can't do that on Metis range mpc xx03.

[slimslob]

Re: C4503 PCU conversion

As I recall when I worked for Ricoh there is a conversion for K to C,M,Y drums. When the plug is analyzed at the end of the drum, the K connection is square with a steel bar embedded in the plastic connection, this bar has to be filed off, as well as given a slant in order to get into the slanted hole, the color drums have a slant on the connection, remove the color drum to make sure the slant is the same. Next you will have to change two wires, I'm going off of memory and I threw the instructions away, however, there are only four wires, giving you a possibility of a limited number of variations (15). These wires are under the drum that make the connection to the mfp. One screw has to be removed to disconnect the connector, take one color drum out, and see where the wires are in relation to the plug, to extrapolate a K drum into a color drum. I have personally done the conversion at least 50 times and it could save you a ton in cash. ""Caution"", if you don't file off the K drum at the appropriate angle you could break the connector in the mfp, very costly, time consuming, and a pain to replace the female connector in the mfp. Hope this helps.

We had a tech who would remove the connector and harness from the old color drum and install it on the new black drum. No filing off the corner of the modular plug, no swapping of wires. For those who want to convert, there is a post on the forum that has an attachment with a list of models showing which one could be4 converted, what drum unit to use for conversion and the procedure needed.

[mikadonovan]

Re: C4503 PCU conversion

I just got my first C5503 in, and I know it's been more than a year since this thread was started, but I thought I'd better ask before ordering parts. Does anyone know a procedure for converting black pcu's to color on this model?

[NeoMatrix]

Re: C4503 PCU conversion

I just got my first C5503 in, and I know it's been more than a year since this thread was started, but I thought I'd better ask before ordering parts. Does anyone know a procedure for converting black pcu's to color on this model?

http://www.copytechnet.com/forums/attachments/ricoh-savin-gestetner-lanier/24378d1394706988-black-pcu-conversion-20130807094411038-pdf

http://www.copytechnet.com/forums/ricoh-savin-gestetner-lanier/78568-black-pcu-conversion.html

HTH

[Melvinp]

Re: C4503 PCU conversion

The Black PCU for 03s cannot be modified to colours, the drive end does not seem to match. We have been able to rebuild the Colour PC units from Black; both the PC units need to be gutted, serviced and parts interchanged from the new Black PC unit to the due Colour one to resurrect it. I have done a few and it is no easy task. Yes the Colour PC unit is 3 times the price of a Black one.