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TT's Repair Shop

Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:47 pm
by Time Traveller
Hey all. Here's some repair guides for common problems, tune ups and fixes, on specific characters. To request an article here, PM me or drop me an email. Don't IM me cus I'll forget. ;)
Basic Tips:
A magnet is handy for holding little metal parts. A little cup or zippie bag will do to, especially if a lot of little plastic parts are involved.
Work on a clean flat, level surface with as little clutter as possible. Sometimes they explode... you wanna find those parts again.
Don't force it. Even the instructions say so. Make screws snug, but you don't want to crack the plastic.
Good lighting helps.
Use tools for what they are meant for, nothing else.
Think twice before gluing something that wasn't glued before. This goes for all "permanent" alterations: Cutting, painting, gluing, etc.
When using chemicals, make sure they are controlled, not going where they might damage more than help.

***********
Greyboy requested a fix I've already done myself. Do this if Blaster's buttons don't work.
Difficulty: Easy
Tools: Screwdriver
Time: 10-15 min. (1.25-2 Breems)

To start, you'll have to remove blaster's back plate. position his limbs as shown, and remove the five screws circled in blue. There is a spring attached inside, so remove the back slowly and straight up.
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Once open, you should see this. If not, it's gonna look like this when we're done.
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Now. CAREFULLY: pull dem guts out, and clean the crud off. This is why the buttons don't work. DO NOT LUBRICATE the parts, with anything. It is likely to just gunk them up later. You'll remove an assembly from the hips comprised of three plastic pieces and a spring:
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and a black shaft up and down the side to the right, containing a longer spring.
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If the spring is out, slip it back in. make sure it is UNDER the tab marked by the red arrow. a peg on his front half will fit where the blue rectangle is.
Now put the sprung rod back in the side of the deck. That tab ringed in blue will fit on top of the spring. make sure the top black tab is tucked behind the door catch-shown by the blue triangle.
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Now, make sure all the silver buttons are tucked under the metal strip inside. I forgot a picture of this, but you should see what i mean. Lets reassemble the hip thing. Set piece 1 in the slide of piece 3, making sure that 1 is WITHIN the tab ringed below.
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Now put the spring between 1 and 3, in the groove. make sure it doesn't pop out of that tab. the spring should push on the two areas marked in red.
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Now drop 2 in 3, as shown.
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Now slide the whole assembly back down into his waist area, flush on all sides. there are two things to watch here. Your silver buttons have nubs that stick up... they should each fit through the holes in our black assembly, each is ringed here.
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And secondly, the tab pointing right on piece two needs to tuck under that black bar. It's highlighted here.
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Piece two will push UP on the black bar, opening the deck.
Does it look like that second picture? Good!
Place the back on him again, make sure it's flush and tight on all sides. If so, drop the screws in (all 5 are the same) and tighten down.
Turn him over. test the buttons. From RIGHT to LEFT... Play should click down and stay. Off should pop both itself and play back up. Eject should pop the door open. The door should be able to push back in and stay.

Feed back! did this help?

Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 10:05 pm
by Blitzwing
i have a weird wolf the had his left arm fall off i put it back on cuz of the screw on the inside but if i move it it still falls of

is the socet stripped just wonderin?

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:02 am
by Time Traveller
It sounds that way. Post a picture or two of the arm off, and the socket it's supposed to go into. I'll check mine to compare. If it's stripped out, and you still have all the parts, it might be an easy fix.

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:46 pm
by Blitzwing
ill get pics on later and i do have all the parts

Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 10:04 am
by Time Traveller
OK, currently I have these topics on request.
Problem: Apeface's cockpit sags severely in robot mode.

Problem: Movie Leader Class Megatron's misconstruction: Moving the arm spring for correct hand and cannon function, swapping his hips for easier jet mode and visual accuracy.

I'll be doing them on trips home, so drop me a line if there's an article you want.

Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:01 pm
by Sideways
Do you have a basic guideline on how to get those metal rods out of figures? What kind of tools should I purchase to disassemble my figures completly?


I already have small screwdrivers.

Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 10:51 am
by Time Traveller
PIN REMOVAL TIPS
A good solid pin of same or lesser diameter. You don't want to use something that increases in diameter like a tap or punch, because if you tap it too far in you'll crack the plastic ring around the pin you wish to remove. Also, try to inspect the pin you're removing and find out which end has knurling. Knurling is where a short segment of the pin has little bumps, stripes, barbs, or other texture to hold it in place. It is almost always only on one end. You want to pull that end out first, so you don't drag the knurling through the whole rest of the joint, as you will bore out the plastic more and eventually loosen the joint.
Be very careful in removing small pins surrouned by thin plastic. Some characters, like Transmetals Megatron, I would recommend not even bothering to try. In the last year, I have heard of or seen over a dozen of these figures broken... always the plastic holding a pinned joint. Similarly, don't remove a pin through that swirly gold plastic. It is incredibly brittle and chances are, it will break.

Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:23 am
by Commander Megatron
Did you ever work out the problem with the sagging cockpit on Apeface in 'Bot form. Mine is the same.

Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 6:36 am
by Kup
it seems they have it all commander :lol:

i would do the trick with removing the pivot axle and aplying some superglue to the whole lengt and the re-insert it so the hinges are tighter

Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 12:47 pm
by Time Traveller
NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
Screw you and your superglue for everything! Frankly, i don't even think that will fix it. That, and large portions of the rod are exposed, so it'd look bad to! There's a much easier way. I'll detail it here when i'm home and can take some pics for you.

Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 1:27 pm
by Commander Megatron
Thankyou TT. I look forward to you curing that problem for me and those like me.

Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 2:54 pm
by Ramjet
Hey TT- I just got a Frenzy, I'm trying to fix the head. Is there a screw holding him together under the stickers? Also, I know there's a million KO's of the cassettes. This one has metal feet, but I can find no markings. Do you know where they're supposed to be? On that subject, do you know the mark is on GoBots Scooter? Mine has got to be KO. The metal is more like cast aluminum. Thanks in advance!

Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 3:04 pm
by Razorclaw
My frenzy/rumble whatever is a ko too and has some markings at his back and at the lower edge of his left leg from the inside when in robot mode.

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 1:34 pm
by Rumble
Thanks for the Blaster fix TT!
I got a cheap one because the cassette door didnt open, needless to say it does now! Thanks again!

Rumble.

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 3:52 pm
by Ramjet
Me too, although mine is the version with a different back plate, some of the inside parts are plastic, where in your pics they look metal. It dosen't open real smooth, but it opens. With this little fixit guide, you could buy all the Blasters on the auction site, fix their doors and re-sell 'em. Seems like they go for A LOT more when the door works.

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:10 am
by Time Traveller
When I have more time, I might make a living off that ;) I'll be posting the Apeface article, and hopefully the Movie Megatron article soon (Depending on if i can photoshop the Megatron photos to suitable quality) I snagged some pics quick while i was home over the weekend.

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:28 am
by Razorclaw
Hey TT my Blaster only works if i push the buttons with force or they don't work at all and everything is as it should be :?:

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 11:01 am
by Razorclaw
Ok it works a bit better now :P

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 4:45 pm
by Ramjet
Ever taken apart a Jumpstarter? I want to paint one, but I'm afraid I'll never get her back together again (at least in a working manner).

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 6:59 pm
by Bumblebee
Ramjet wrote:Ever taken apart a Jumpstarter? I want to paint one, but I'm afraid I'll never get her back together again (at least in a working manner).
you havent done that yet you been talking about for months lol