Topic: neck surgery frustration... (Read 8117 times)

needmorstuff · « **on:** January 06, 2012, 03:12:55 PM »

I have just completed a cable repair using 0.8mm 7x7 steel cable. Props to inmemoryofremoe for the youtube footage! helped massively.

I do however have a problem - when my daughter strokes pleos chin she tells me when he makes a certain noise (kind of happy noise) he is suppose dot raise his head.. he makes the noise.. the head moves a little but then I hear some "clicks" i opened him up and the clicking is the gear inside jumping off the one below..

any ideas?

kat · « **Reply #1 on:** January 06, 2012, 04:15:42 PM »

I have never done a repair on a pleo so am no expert but hopefully IMR or Crewella may check in and offer some advice for you soon. In the mean time it would be worth just checking that all the gears were put back on the right way up. I think I remember talking to IMR when she was doing her repair and she mentioned having an issue when she accidentally put one of the cogs on the wrong way up.
Hope this helps.

Crewella · « **Reply #2 on:** January 06, 2012, 04:18:52 PM »

Yep - as Kat says you need to re-assemble the gears and test them by making sure they all interweave properly and turn together before re-assembly. I hope that helps?

InmemoryofRomeo · « **Reply #3 on:** January 06, 2012, 05:02:39 PM »

Yup I suspect your issue may be with one gear not sitting in right. But also did you make sure the head was dead straight before beginning? I had to readjust Lilo's neck a few times to get it just perfect. Once you are all done and happy with it then give it a good dose of lubricant before you glue the neck up for the final time

Good luck, I do hope you work out the problem.

needmorstuff · « **Reply #4 on:** January 06, 2012, 05:56:51 PM »

wow! I never expected such a fast responce.. thanks to all.

I am of the opinion that if you dont get the gears in the right way the mechanism wont close.. I could be wrong though. I am quite sure I got them the right way round. Indeed the gears turned before I sealed pleo back up.

Maybe I got the cable orientation wrong.. please excusae crude drawing its late and I dont have time to dismantle pleo right now.. with regards to cable orientation which one of these seems most correct? the first one where the cable goes round the back of the gear? or the second where the cable ends are at the front of the gear?

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

kat · « **Reply #5 on:** January 06, 2012, 06:27:01 PM »

Unfortunately I can't help with this one. I think you'll need to wait for IMR to come back on. As far as I know she is the only one who has actually completed a neck repair on here so she will hopefully be able to answer your question.

InmemoryofRomeo · « **Reply #6 on:** January 06, 2012, 06:31:54 PM »

The opposite way to what I did in my vid lol, let me just draw you a quick picture.

Edit: sorry its a bit crude, the blue is the cable, the red is where the copper tab, or whatever your substitute was, sits, the black is the gear and the purple represents the little white tabs that the cables run through as it exits the clear plastic gear housing. The cables come out the top and wrap back around the gear, but they mustn't cross over.

And again make sure the head is straight otherwise it will be out of alignment when you put the gear in.

needmorstuff · « **Reply #7 on:** January 07, 2012, 03:11:55 AM »

absolutely perefect! I suspected as much. In your defense you realised and put the notes at the top of the vid. I didint take enough care.

thanks - looks like pleo will be fixed real soon.

InmemoryofRomeo · « **Reply #8 on:** January 07, 2012, 03:48:26 AM »

I do hope so

I really ought to add an extra bit of video to show that step up close. Hmm...

Talon · « **Reply #9 on:** January 07, 2012, 05:47:14 AM »

Wow, IMR. Since others have successfully repared their pleos using your videos, I would consider it a great achievement. It's one of the hallmarks of a good experiment- the results can be duplicated. Great job!
Talon

needmorstuff · « **Reply #10 on:** January 07, 2012, 08:18:05 AM »

working fine now :-) just needs some final tweaking for neck position. I did have a few more issues with the little orange thing that goes on the side of the gear box. When I first connected pleo back up there was no neck movement at all, so I rotated the dial position of the orange connector 180 degress and that fixed it. They are some kind of position sensor no doubt.. same issue with the one on the back also.

needmorstuff · « **Reply #11 on:** January 07, 2012, 08:21:35 AM »

I just want to second what Talon said, you taking the time and effort to post those 3! videos made it possible for me to repair my Daughters baby, I wouldnt have known where to start without them. Hopefully this thread and the drawing you provided will help people out. The placement of that one piece was crucial.

InmemoryofRomeo · « **Reply #12 on:** January 07, 2012, 02:16:42 PM »

I will take some footage of that part and splice it into the video so it is much clearer. Luckily Lilo still has her neck open as I was intending to add some lubricant before patching her up for the last time

I am so glad it did help, if it helps just one person and Pleo the whole thing has been worthwhile

I'll also have a look at the orange tab, I was very careful not to change it, but if it can be used to help adjust the neck after surgery without reopening the Pleo then that will be very useful information!

needmorstuff · « **Reply #13 on:** January 07, 2012, 03:00:30 PM »

the orange tab is either right or wrong.. you cant turn it when the gears are together. Its either good or you have to rotate it 180.

InmemoryofRomeo · « **Reply #14 on:** January 07, 2012, 10:18:05 PM »

Pity

Thank you for the extra information

Crewella · « **Reply #15 on:** January 27, 2012, 02:09:25 AM »

OK - just to update on this, and with the benefit of a second repair where we could see the old wires in positon, we need to update this. The wires actually do cross within the unit, and we're guessing that the reason Needsmore had to turn the orange tab by 180 degrees was because the top and bottom had become reversed, as those tabs incorporate the position sensors.

This was the old cable wheel:

More details...

And this is it threaded with the new cable:

More details...

Anyone else trying this, we'd very much appreciate any feedback or additional input!

needmorstuff · « **Reply #16 on:** January 27, 2012, 02:27:32 AM »

Hi - if you look at InmemoryofRomeo's "paint" drawing a couple of posts up that is exactly how the cable needs to be.. most definitely not how you have it.
The orange sensor rotary dial can only be in 1 of 2 positions.. either the head moves or it doesnt... if it doesnt (and this goes for the one on the back also) you need to rotate the dial 180 degress

Crewella · « **Reply #17 on:** January 27, 2012, 02:44:10 AM »

Needmorstuff, IMR and I have conferred and she drew the arrows on the photograph I have added. The first pic shows the old one taken out with the cables crossed inside the wheel - as they originally were. It makes much more sense, also, for the cables to follow round than to have the extra stress of doubling back on themselves.

This was also Kingdruid's finding:

"I noticed the cable just kinda spins around the servo to the oposite side. Bottom cable goes around the servo then to the top. The left side cable goes around the other servo then to the right."

The position sensors (potentiometers?) also move within those orange tabs to fit wherever the wheel is positioned to.

This is why other input is so valuable - it was your having to swop the positon sensor over that made us think about what might have been wrong. Thanks!

needmorstuff · « **Reply #18 on:** January 27, 2012, 03:34:19 AM »

oh sweet jesus I think you are absolutely correct! I seemed to remember when i first opened her up that the cables looks crossed, guess what mine aren't! and although pleos head does move - the range of motion seems somewhat lacking..

Glad I didnt glue it back up.

Reaches for dust mask and screwdrivers!

Crewella · « **Reply #19 on:** January 27, 2012, 04:30:43 AM »

It does make sense. I've been struggling with this for months as I've had snapped side cables as well as top cable so have had to dismantle completely to rethread both units - poor Pleo has his neck held together with surgical clamps for weeks! Both IMR and I have had to dismantle and put our Pleos back together more times than we can count! I will add more pics to these threads as we go, but I work horrifically slowly and am gutless to boot - IMR took the bull by the horns and did her wonderful videos, but we both, we all, want to get as much of this absolutely correct as we can.

It does seem that the position sensors are the key to all this - if you've not read this thread it might be helpful:

http://bobthepleo.com/forums/index.php?topic=939.0

For what it's worth ......... I might be tempted in your position to carry on with it as it is ........... as it's kind of working ...... but if you do dare to go back in, any thoughts or feedback would be very, very helpful. Thanks!

Also FWIW I did find it useful to run 'Dinomite static' on an SD card in the Pleo to make sure the Pleo was back in a neutral position. All it does is hold the Pleo permanently in the packing position (for the purposes of running the Pleo whilst linked to Dinomite via USB) - but it's very useful if you think you might have moved the positions whilst dismantling - my 'packing position' button didn't seem to be working properly.

needmorstuff · « **Reply #20 on:** January 27, 2012, 05:23:18 AM »

I know what you mean.. and although I am like quick draw magraw at taking pleo apart and puttign bac k together - i dont relish threading the wire through the pulley again as thats a pain in the

Crewella · « **Reply #21 on:** January 27, 2012, 05:41:17 AM »

It certainly is ...... though slightly easier this way!!

needmorstuff · « **Reply #22 on:** January 27, 2012, 06:15:24 AM »

yes i bet it is.. thinking about it.. how on earth did we get that wire through in the first place! alarm bells should have been ringing. ESpecialyl for me as i used 0.8mm cable.

Crewella · « **Reply #23 on:** January 27, 2012, 08:03:28 AM »

Good grief!! I tried the thicker cable but had too much trouble with it and went back to the 0.6mm.

needmorstuff · « **Reply #24 on:** January 27, 2012, 08:49:07 AM »

yes it was a complete pain.. good practice though for when the other one goes.

Bob the Pleo Forums

Author Topic: neck surgery frustration... (Read 8117 times)