Service Edge Page 7

PRINTER TECH ARTICLE


Replacing the Fuser Drive


Gear in the P4015 series
A. Two tabs on top of printer
This series of printers is HP’s replacement for the
LaserJet 4200/4300 series. It is a similar design, and
has similar problems, including a tendency for the fuser
drive gear to wear out. In the 4200/4300 printers, you
could often get away with replacing just one gear (rath-
er than the whole swing plate assembly), and there was
a shortcut procedure for doing this. This shortcut is not
available in the P4015 series, but it is still possible to
replace the fuser drive gear. A step-by-step procedure
B. Power supply PCA guide, two screws (blue follows (unless stated otherwise, left-right designations
circles). Power supply: 4 screws (red circles) & are as viewed from the front of the printer):
grounding screw (yellow circle). 1. Remove the toner cartridge and paper cassette.
Make sure to put the toner cartridge in a dark place
 or cover it – prolonged exposure to ambient light

 can damage the drum.

2. Remove top accessories or top-accessory cover.
Remove any output accessories (stacker, mailbox,


 
etc.). If there are none, remove the top-accessory
cover (toward the back of the printer, on top) by
simply lifting it up. There are retaining tabs on each
C. Unplug five cables (checked) side, but they will release themselves as you pull up
on the cover.
3. Remove the duplexer or duplex accessory cover.
Simply pull the duplexer or the cover out of the
printer (from the back) to remove it.
4. Remove the tray 2 extension door (in back of
printer). Carefully flex the door to release the hinge
D. Two screws pin near the power cord side of the printer. Then
rotate the door to the horizontal position and pull
up on the remaining hinge pin to release the door.
5. Remove the rear output bin. Open the bin and
squeeze the right hinge pin (on your left if you are
behind the printer) out of its mounting hole. Then
rotate the bin away from the printer to release the
other hinge pin.
E. Two screws 6. Remove the fuser. Squeeze the blue fuser-release
tabs (one on each side) and pull the fuser straight
back and out of the printer. When re-installing the


fuser, make sure to push it in until these tabs snap
into place.


7. Remove the formatter. First remove the plastic for-

matter cover (right side of the printer, toward the
F. Gear shaft (blue arrow, back) by simply grasping it and sliding it straight
gear not present) and four screws back. To remove the metal formatter cage, remove

Liberty Parts Team, Inc. 3517 W Beltline Hwy., Madison, WI 53713 608-268-7600 FAX 608-268-7619
Service Edge Page 8

the two thumbscrews, then use the finger holes on the printer, remove two screws to remove the fan-
the side to grasp it and slide it straight back. This cover plate (below the fan). This gives you access to
will require some force, as you are also unplugging three cables. Unplug them, and remove four screws
a connector. When reinstalling the board/cage, you which correspond to four screws on the other side
may want to open the metal door on the side of the (Fig.B). Now grasp the power supply from behind,
cage so that you can visually verify correct seating of lift it slightly, and slide it out the back of the printer.
this connector. NOTE: When removing and re-installing the pow-
8. Remove the top cover. Open the print-cartridge er supply, take care not to dislodge the small rubber
door and the front cover. Use needle-nose pliers to belts and plastic rollers on the feed-guide assembly
release the print-cartridge drive arm from the right (mounted to the top of the power supply).
side of the cover, and then push the arm down into 13. Remove the RW crossmember plate: This is a
the printer (remember to re-attach this arm when metal piece that attaches to the rear edge of the
re-installing the cover). Remove four screws, one in metal plate that supports the laser/scanner. To re-
each of the four corners of the cover. Now partially move it, it is necessary to remove four screws. Two
close the print-cartridge door, release two tabs (Fig. of these are easily accessed from the rear (Fig. D).
A), and lift the cover off the printer. Take care to The other two (Fig. E) are accessed from the bot-
properly reseat these two tabs when re-installing tom by inserting one's arms through the paper tray
the cover. Also note that the accessory pin (in the cavity .
left-rear corner of the cover) is not captive; take 14. Remove the fuser drive assembly. This is attached
care not to lose it. to the inner surface of the right wall of the printer
9. Remove the right-side cover. Release three tabs – chassis by four screws, one in each corner. To ac-
one along the top edge, directly above the fan vent; cess the lower front screw, you will need to remove
one at the upper rear corner, and one at the front a gear (Fig. F) – simply pry the retaining tab away
of the formatter cavity. Then slightly flex the cover from the shaft and slide the gear off. Then remove
to release the front edge, rotate the top edge away the four screws and pull the drive assembly away
from the printer, and lift up to remove it. When from the chassis, taking care not to let any of the
re-installing the cover, make sure that the plastic non-captive gears fall off.
power switch (on the cover) couples properly to the 15. Replace the fuser drive
metal power switch rod (in the printer). gear. This is the large
10. Remove the left-side cover. Open the front cover brown gear at the rear end
and gently flex the retainers to separate them from of the fuser drive assembly.
the tray 1 arms so that you can open the cover all There are no retaining tabs
the way (this is to provide clearance for the left cov- – simply lift it off the shaft
er). Now release two tabs (one along the top edge of and replace it with the new
the left cover, and one along the front edge), rotate one. Note that the two
the top of the cover away from the printer, and lift sides of the gear are not
up to remove it. identical. The ridged side
11. Remove the power supply PCA guide (right side should face up and away
of printer, toward the back). Remove two screws, from the metal plate of the drive assembly.
release the retaining tab, and slide the guide toward Reverse the above steps to re-assemble the printer.
the rear of the printer to remove it (Fig. B). LPT
12. Remove the power supply. On the right side of
the printer, remove four screws and one ground-
ing screw (Fig. B). Then unplug five cables (Fig. C)
from the DC Controller. Feed these cables through
the hole in the chassis into the paper tray cavity
below the power supply. Unhook the power-switch Making the Unavailable Available
rod from the chassis, and then pull down to re-
move it from the power supply (note that the rod Parts mentioned in this article.
attaches to the power supply inside the paper tray P4015 Fuser Drive Gear: RU6-0171
cavity – observe this before removing it so you will
know where to re-attach it later). On the left side of
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