Extruder clicking

I’m using and Creality Cr-6SE. Out of the box, no other parts. Been printing for almost three years without problems untill recently. Nothing has changed, still the same room, same filaments, same humidity % in the room, same settings.

I have bought a Sunlu dryer. My first runs caused some problems but I think the bowden tube wasn’t deep enough.

So I installed a new nozzle (the old one was clogged) and did some tests that came out ok.

Today I wanted to do a fairly large print (the raft covers almost the entire bed) so I did a little test benchy first. No problem there.

I started to print and before the raft was finished the flow stopped. The extruder was clicking but nothing came out of the nozzle anymore. I tried pushing the filament through the nozzle manually and this worked.

So I openend up the extruder and the filament seemed tangled. Since I’ve opened it, I deceided to change the extruder with the spare on (still had the original one after 2 years and 7 months).
I also changed the bowden tube.
I did a small benchy to test and no problem there.

Now I started printing the big part and the extruder started clicking once again.

But this time I noticed something. The clicking only occurs when the printerhead has to travel long distances; about the length of the bed. When the extruder clicks, it is as if the filament is being pushed away from the hotend instead of towards it. Once the printer starts printing smaller areas, with lesser distance travelled, the clicking stops. So I was thinking this also might be a softwareproblem?

Or is the extruder not good enoughfor these kind of prints? Or is it the Sunlu dryer (the filament is in the dryer) that causes too much resistance?)

I’ve included a video of the clicking and a picture of my setup with the dryer.

Which filament are you trying to print? I don’t think running from a dryer is the problem. I run all mine from dryers, but I only run direct drive extruders.

I’m printing PETG.

The strange thing is I’ve been printing the same filament (same spool) for quite some time without problems. The problems started when I installed the dryer.

Ok just use the dryer for drying and then print from a spool holder, it will stay dry for long enough and see if the problem persists. Have you tried Capricorn tubing, it is a little more slippery than normal PTFE tubing?

My print has gone south again. Picture attached.


I just changed the tubing to capricorn. Disassembled the extruder, checked everything and I’m printing a new part. The same parts I wanted to print but now without a raft en only two parts in stead of five.
I sthe dryer necessary? I have a dehumidifier in the room. Humidity is around 50/55%.

Looks like you are grinding the filament too much, can you back off the tensioner a little?

I like my filament to be about 25% RH or perhaps less, I need a dryer as I am at 80% RH minimum.

Okay, gonna keep it than just to be sure. I’ve loosend the tension. Is a new extruder a better option? And a new hotend? I’m suspecting these problems might be a combiniation of a not so good extruder, more resisitance from the dryer and heatcreep or printing at a too low temperature. Both causing clogging. Espcially if the printerhead travels longer distances.

You have changed the extruder so that should be alright with the right tensioning. Just looked up a new hotend/extruder combination on the Microswiss site, it isn’t cheap, for that price you can almost buy a V3SE printer. I think it can be fixed without going extreme.

Are these the replacements you’re talking about?

Or is it a direct drive extruder/hotend combination? Can’t seem to find one for the CR 6 SE.

I was looking for a complete unit like the one for the CR10, still searching

Clicking…the ONLY time I’ve had “clicking” was when the nozzle was too close to the bed. Backing the Z off a tiny fraction has always stopped the clicking and I had no further problems.

In you case, it sounds like your clicking is kicking in when the nozzle moves far from the center of your bed. i.e Location Specific.

It is possible that the center of your bed is properly trammed/leveled. but…as you get further away, the bed is too high (therefore, too close to the nozzle?)

I’d try re-tramming.leveling the entire bed before I bought anything. Your issue sounds Location Specific…If it was happening all of the time, then another hot end, etc. might be logical…but…from what you said…the printer works fine in the center of the bed.

good luck.

On my old Ender 3 Pro, I get the clicking when I’m using Retraction in my print.