Laserjet 5L - what parts for multisheet feed problem?

[diogenes10]

Hi all,
I have been finding stuff in the thrift stores again.

Laserjet 5L got it home - it powered up and did a self test ok. Print a little faint. But it pulls multiple sheets.

Lot of googling. The input/primary roller, separation pad, and subpads appear to be the basic fix needed.

I have found both a manual and assorted instructions online so I am not concerned about the quality of instructions that might/or might not come with the parts.

However; sorting through eBay auctions I have found listings that include; 1) a barbell type idler/feed roller which looks to me like it sits in behind the subpads in another assembly, 2) the transfer roller, and 3) one seller also has an exit roller.

this looks like it is going to be a lot of work, are my odds reasonably good to get the printer working if I replace the primary roller and separation pad? And what comments would you have for me about the necessity of replacing the other items?

(For example Transfer roller, fainter printing are they related or is that just a cartridge issue?)

On iiip exit roller was a contributing cause to jamming.
For this printer only one seller is offering that roller so it appears to be less critical.

I'm just trying to inform my buying decision a bit.

thanks for any comments you'd care to make.
d.

(I did search the database for 5l, got about 25 hits but couldn't find any discussion around these specific questions.)

 

[edfair]

What kind of paper? What kind of environment?

Fanning the paper might help.

Input rollers would be more a fail to feed type problem and the separation pad would probably do the same. For multiple sheets I would be suspicious of static or a paper problem.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[slipvermin]

You need a seperation Pad Kit hp part no. RY7-5077-000CN

then take case off take out pickup roller replace all parts it pretty obviuos once main roller is out reassemble and behold single sheet printing.

 

[TCouch]

Agreed with Slipvermin. Seen this problem MANY, MANY times. You need the Sep Pad Kit.

 

[diogenes10]

I did a lot of googling.

There are apparently three vertical models 5L, 6L, and 1100.

I found lots of complaints about these printers pulling multiple sheets. Folks seem to like them as far as print quality goes, but in order to use them they are reduced to feeding single sheets through the front slot.

I saw a number of comments where failure on a new printer seemed to start at 10 to 12 months after purchase. And, some folks commented that the feed roller and separation pad repair did not help. The problem was so pervasive that HP released a kludge type repair kit that an ordinary user could install quickly. They are no longer available from HP and the remaining supplies are selling on eBay from $3 to $8 a shot plus shipping. Again the reviews are mixed, some folks said those kits really helped, others say they have seen the inserted pad come loose and cause a lot of other problems inside the printer.

The common "blame" for the problem was a combination of the vertical design and HP doing poor engineering on these particular models. I don't know what the cost to them was as a result, but there were several comments I saw from previously happy HP users who were so frustrated and irritated with the necessity of single sheet feeding that they said they would never buy another HP printer again.

Two unique additional problem cause comments I found,
1) A comment that the open tops for paper in and out (as a result of the vertical design) allowed a lot of dust to get in the printer and this exacerbated the feeding issues. This person suggested that a dust cover would be really good for this printer.

2) One person, who claimed to have some printer repair background, said the failures were due to these models not having fans in them, which allows overheating and resulting premature failure of the rubber parts due to overheating stress.


In addition I found one user who expressed that the lack of a tray for the horizontal output slot was a very significant inconvenience.

I was unable to find comments about transfer rollers, exit rollers or the idler roller. (for the 5L.) I am concluding that they must not be significant contributors to the common feed problems with this machine although I dont quite understand that for the idler roller since it appears to be right next to sub pads which are a required part of the fix.

I figure I have a 50/50 chance of getting some improvement in the printer. Because of the uncertainty of success and in order to keep my total cost down, I have decided to go with just the feed/input roller and the separation/subpad replacement option -- even though I will have to remove some of the other items to get to the parts required to be replaced.

I have two printers so I have spare parts if I break something (already have broken one latch/catch on the front door while figuring out how to open the printer) and I found a service manual. The only thing I don't know how to do at the moment is to disassemble the input roller assembly to replace the roller.

I'll see what happens, if it doesn't work, I guess I just have another "continuing education" cost!

Thanks for the comments.

d.

 

[diogenes10]

Well, I only broke one more plastic connector in the disassembly process!

The surfaces on the input roller and the separation pad were awful. You're supposed to have to keep the input tray fairly full, after the repair I tested it with 5 sheets in the input tray, it fed fine. How long it will do that, I don't know.

The service manual doesn't address reassembly so, for me, there were some challenges in refitting some of the parts.
Getting the roller off the input assembly was also a bit of a challenge without specific instructions - I'm not sure I could have done that without all the experiences from my IIIP (which I still don't have fixed).

It will be interesting to see how long the repairs last.

 

[TCouch]

You should be good for quite a long time. The problem originally was in regards to the rubber HP used for these pads. The gray color pads, probably the one you removed, would get hard and glazed. The new pads, are brown in color, and do not suffer the same hardening, and glazing effect.

 

[diogenes10]

The one I took out looked like it was about 2 steps away from dark grey ceramic.