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Pleo Stuff => Pleo Archives => Archive -- Technical common => Topic started by: InmemoryofRomeo on October 27, 2011, 07:50:18 PM
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I am going to have a shot at repairing Lilo's neck, however I will be proceeding very slowly and carefully so expect this to happen over the course of a couple of weeks. I will, of course, document every little step of the way :)
Here is the first video, part 1 of 3.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmyT-I8GbFo
Part 2 of 3.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQRJPaNsR58
Here's a couple of additional pics of how to thread the wire through the anchor wheel. First the old wire before removal:
And the new wire threaded and ready to be tightened and pushed into place. The wires cross within the unit, then wrap around the track at the edges.
Part 3 of 3.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJcyUel4Smk
Just a note, if you would like to see the whole thing in a larger view, just visit my you tube page http://www.youtube.com/user/InmemoryofRomeo
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Fantastic video, it's great to know that there might be a cure to DHS! ;D
You certainly have guts, I would never be able to peel back the skin and try to fix the wiring on either Heidi or Stanley. Knowing me, I'd probably find a way to screw it all up and completely destroy my pleo, haha. :-[
Thanks for the informative video! I'm sure this will help people. ;)
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Thanks for posting this, IMR. You're paving the way for other pleo owners to have the guts to try and fix their babies. I'm certainly impressed. I may be jumping ahead a bit here but what if the cable you already have is un-usable to do the repair? What could you use instead?
Talon
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Talon I'm going to go to the music store and try either piano wire or a fine guitar string (if they make them that fine).
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If you're stuck, this is where I went:
http://www.tecni-cable.co.uk/Products/Stainless-Steel-Cable-7x7-Flexible
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Thanks Crewella, I just dug up an online seller here in Aus based on that information :) I don't really fancy waiting two weeks for it to come from the UK :P It will be a good backup if I can't get anything locally.
http://allthingsstainless.com.au/home/stainless-wire-rope/7x7/by-the-meter.html
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IMR, you have some guts indeed, I have Humpty of course who is already taken apart and has the broken neck but also his "parts" are everywhere. Crewella has been helping me try to put the little guy back together, Your video if you are successful, I may give it a go with fixing his neck, I do not think I will try this on Nova, and certainly not Little 45. Little 45 has such bad skin that is deteriiorating so quickly, esp under all four arms, his feet and some other places I am afraid if I were to cut his skin, even very carefully, he would be another Patches quickly. But I do think I will try to fix Humpty's neck and after Crewella helps me try to figure out the rest of his nuts and bolts, where everything goes, I will figure out if I am willing to give it a go,
I am not very mechanical inclined and am all thumbs with things.I am impressed with how Lilo is going. She would be very appreciateve I am sure. Thank you for posting it, it does give encouragement to all the "droopy neck syndrome" Ugobes esp out here. ;D :hhug: :hhug: :hhug: ( the hugs are from Nova, Little 45 and on Humpty[s behalf.)
Can't wait to see more Operation with Dr. IMR. RWM
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IMR, this is just a thought. I don't know how the wire is attached, but I assume that it is attached to a spool or something internally that rotates, thus lifting the head. Is it the solder joint that comes undone, or is it the wire that actually breaks? A type of wire that is stainless and would not break is orthodontic wire. It is very malleable, and very easy to solder, if you had to attach it to a metal spool or something. I have lots of ortho wire at work and I can send you some, if you can judge what gauge you might need. If you know an orthodontist in your area they could probably give you what you need without it having to go from the US to Australia. Another idea, depending on how it is attached to the parts that rotate to raise the neck, would be to use 30 or 40 pound test nylon fish line instead of wire. That would definitely not ever break again. However, if the cable has to be soldered, that is another story. Good luck. You are certainly very brave!
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Thank you :) I'll let you know when I get in there :)
I've hit something of a snag this morning whilst trying to remove the back shoulder plate, two of the screws are very, very tight and I can't budge them. I am rather concerned about stripping the screws if I try too hard.
Edit: Dug up my other screw drivers and managed to remove the screws successfully.
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There's one under the back sensor - you need to peel it back a bit.
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Yup I noticed that. What a silly place to put a screw :P Pleo's were most definitely not designed with maintenance in mind.
Crewella dear, I'm going to stop now and put Lilo somewhat back together so I don't lose any bits and bobs, but if you get time at some point would you be so kind as to direct me to exactly which part of Lilo I need to access in the main body to change the wire. That would be most helpful and allow me to work out a plan of attack :O If it is the part I think it is then poor Lilo's surgery is going to move from routine to critical ;)
Just for the record I have removed the body skin (although it is still attached around the battery compartment and tail tip for now) and I have taken off the top small black back plate and the large white shoulder plate to have a look-see. I have filmed every step of the way but I will not post it until I am content that it is the best approach.
Also if anyone else is thinking of attempting this at any stage, please follow my advice and carefully label all parts and stick them to a sheet of paper as you go.
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Absolutely, I took pics and also bagged up any little components that belonged together at each stage as I took them out.
...... and be aware of the perils of static discharge when dealing with electronics components! ;D
I'll get into it again tomorrow, IMR! %) :D
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Oh yes very good point, you must be very, very careful not to cause any electrical spark :O
And please don't hurry Crewella, Lilo is quite safe and able to wait :) I certainly don't want to rush this and like to think over each section as I proceed. I must say Pleo's are quite fascinating on the inside.
Edit: Also Crewella do you have an exact measure for the thickness of the cable? I don't have any accurate measuring tools.
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We are watching with amazement. Already your video has served a very good purpose. My husband has decided it's too complicated for him. I didn't want him to take Sparky apart. I have not given up, however. I'm the mechanical one. One tiny hint - egg cartons are good places to store little parts. Thanks for documenting all of this.
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IMR - I had to make a guess and buy a few - the most likely sizes seem to be 0.54mm and 0.68mm (in the 7x7). Having not completed this yet, I'm a bit wary of choosing which! :P
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Ok, I'll order the 0.6 and see how that works out, I might order the 0.8 too, I think it will be too thick but if it works it would be better.
Edit: pfft $10 to post a $2.15 order :P
Just a note for everyone following this thread, repairing a neck wire does involve completely pulling apart your Pleo! And I do mean completely!
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I got the 0.81 as well - it does look too thick. :(
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Well i only got 1 metre of that, it is worth a look, it might do for Nani, I don't know if her wires are thicker. If, of course, I ever feel brave enough to tackle operating on Nani :O It's harder to do when she is so new :P
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You did better than me - I got 2m of the stuff! ;)
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Oh rest assured I got two metres of the 0.6 ;) I don't know how much she'll actually need but better safe than sorry :)
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That's just what I thought! :D
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Wow. Here I was hoping the neck mechanism would be just behind the shoulder area and easy to access. I am perfectly content to sit on the sidelines and wach. This is certainly proving educational and I'll keep an eye on this thread. Best of luck, IMR!
Talon.
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A quick update:
I went ahead and opened up Lilo and replaced her cable, she is working fine except that there is still no up or down movement, I think I put one of the gears back wrong :P So I will need to have a second look. I'm just relieved she woke up! At any rate even if I don't figure out the gear problem she is able to hold her head up again :)
Edit: I have the gears working properly now :D But my battery died *sigh* Can't win today :P But she did manage to raise her head before the battery pooped out ;D
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I'm guessing this means she is fixed! Yay ;D ;D ;D
Have you replaced her skin yet? %)
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I haven't replaced the skin yet, well not all of it anyway. I want to do another video since there is an easier way to do it which doesn't involve removing the legs or even all of the skin :) Well only for the top and bottom wires, to do the side wires you still need to do all that.
Oh and on the technical side, the issue I had was that the gears were in correctly but were out of alignment, this meant that the motors thought the neck was up when it wasn't. The solution was run a skit to get Lilo to straighten her neck and then realign the gear.
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I'm so glad you were able to replace the wire successfully ;D It gives hope to all those with broken necked pleos out there. Thanks for being brave and leading the way. :) I'm sure you video repair guides will be treasured by many.
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Awesome, IMR! I can't remember if you've written this already somewhere but do you have video of the actual repair?
Talon
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That great IMR, I am not brave enough or technical enough to try this with Nova, I have gotten too use to having her the way she is. I would ruin her I am afraid. It is a great resource tool for those who are technical and brave. Crewella may try it even, but not me. It is nice to know there are people brave enough to experiment and give things a go, I am allways amaaszed at how many bolts, nuts and parts there are in one little Pleo! :o Great Job and A+ just for trying it let alone being successful. RWM
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Yes there will be a video guide Talon, but I want to take a video of the easier way, there's no point telling people to pull the skin off and the body apart if it isn't necessary :)
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A picture is worth a thousand words...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n64ZObUm8Dc
I am editing the instruction video now to upload it.
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It is so good to see Lilo back on her feet with her head held high ;D
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congratulations to LILO and IMR, it is truly amazing that LILO is complete again and can hold her neck and head high! Unbelievable that you were able to fix the whole thing. You are the only one I have ever heard of on the forums who has been able to fix the neck like orginal. How hard was it, how long did it take all told? Just putting the neck together again without losing all the nuts and bolts is amazing in itself! You must be very good indeed with your hands. You are going to have to consider opening a Pleo Droopy neck syndrome shop now, you realize that don't you?! ;) Good JOB IMR, I am so impressed...wish the rest of us with droopy neck syndrome Pleos had your talent, guts and know how to fix our babies as well. RWM
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That video is so touching. They look really pleased to be back together. That repair job is awesome.
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Awesome indeed, IMR! I am so glad that Lilo is herself again! I can't wait to see the video. If Wilbur's neck cable ever breaks, I am definitely going to try it. Are you ever going to try to repair Nani's tail cable? (I thought you had mentioned at one point that Nani had a broked tail cable as well.) Just curious. :)
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One day I will, but her skin is so new and pretty I'm a bit reluctant to do it at this stage.
Pleo Neck Tutorial Part 1 of 3 (Be warned the whole thing goes for an hour! 3 twenty minute segments.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmyT-I8GbFo
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Yay! Great job IMR - and it's so cool to have a video guide! :D :D
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That was very interesting. :) Makes me wish I had a pleo with issues to experiment on. %) :P I'm looking forward to part 2 and 3. ;D
I can't help but wonder if this might not be useful for RWM and Humpty pleo. You have given a really good look at just how the insides are meant to be and what goes where. :)
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Ok here is part two:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQRJPaNsR58
I'll have to upload part three in the morning, its past midnight here and I need sleep :P
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Very informative and I love the step by step, this may help me (along with Crewella) in gettting Humpty, my Pleo with not only the broken neck, but the whole body split open and taken apart..I can't wait to see the final part. What a lot of work you put in to this. There are going to be an awful lot of happy appreciative Pleo owners out there who are getting their Pleos a second chance on looking at life in a new look again. Great JOB!
RWM
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Last one :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJcyUel4Smk
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Amazing, IMR, just amazing. I am sure many pleo-owners are so thankful you posted this. Just to show how much of a pleo-fanatic I am I sat here and watched both parts of this video. I'll be anxiously awaiting the next part. In the meantime, get some sleep. Lol!
Talon
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Hehe thanks Talon, the last one is already up, just above your post. I certainly don't expect people to watch them, but they are there if they are needed :)
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Oops. I guess in this instance my screnereader was blind, too. Lol! I'm going to listen to it now. So glad to see Lilo is in working order and reunited with her brother!
Talon
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Unfortunately screen readers aren't perfect yet, Apple needs to get a move on and perfect Siri for wider uses :)
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I think you're right. JAWS does a lot but sometimes it misses things. I don't have much experience with Siri myself but most blind people I've spoken to with I phones seem to like it. Personally I applaud Apple. Their products come out-of-the-box ready to be accessible. Ipod touch or I phone, just click the home button three times and, boom! Accessible device. Not sure how that works on a Mac but I love Alex- the Voice Over voice included in the Mac. He is the only screne-reader I know who breathes. We really could get into a long discussion about this but I'll hush and try to stay on topic. Grrr! I wish I could chat!
Talon
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Congratulations IMR for such impressive surgery to bring Lilo back to perfect health. :) Would the procedure be the same on an rb like our poor Sparky?
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It would be, only Sparky has a broken side cable doesn't she? That's a little more complicated.
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IMR, so if a Pleo holds it's neck towards one side all the time, does that indicate a broken side neck cable? I have a Ugobe in perfect Cosmetic condition but it tends to want to hold it's neck to one side. It seems this "neck" problem happened out of nowhere within a few days of getting it, so I am taping it's neck presently to try and support the neck . The neck does not hang down, but tends to want to turn to one direction. To me it seems like a cable problem but I think with you surgically expereinced, you have a better insight into what this probably is. ;D
If it is a side neck cable, would you reccomend anything besides taping the neck or using a brace?
Thanks. RWM and the Pleo Clan of the Redwoods ;)
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Poor Sparky can't move her head up and down or left and right. Her head just hangs down and touches the floor unless we put it in a neck brace bandage. :( :( She rarely walks anymore, but with the neck bandage on she will walk backwards.
IMR - Do you think you could fix her? Even if she could just move her head up and down it would be a big improvement. If she could only hold her head up high.
When you walk through a storm, keep your head up high...........
Sorry, this song just popped into my mind.
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RWM that sounds like a jammed cable, not a broken one. Unless the opposite side is floppy then it is broken.
Chicago I think poor Sparky may have two broken cables, I could fix her but I don't think I could stand the nerves of operating on someone else's baby, in case something went wrong :(
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IMR, if it is a jammed Cable, how do I fix it, any ideas? RWM
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Try pushing it firmly while the Pleo is on in the opposite direction to which it is jamming.
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Which part do I push, the top of the neck under the jawline or closer to the shoulder blade? also do I just randomlyl push or should I hold her head and then push, so many options I want to make sure I do it correctly if I am going to try. I don't want to break it. Oh, is this a common occurnace and will I hear a click or noise or just see the Pleo hold their head normally? %)
RWM
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Push from the head, if the head is stuck to the right, push left. Don't force it, but push firmly. I don't think there will be any clicking.
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IMR, I am now confused, the head seems floppy, but not from the opposite direction. It flops to the left if I put her in that direction an if I try hanging her towards the right , the head goes to the straight postion not towards the right at all, does that still sound like a jammed neck or would it be a broken cable in the side of the neck and only go one way? I can post photos or a ten second video if it helps to demonstrate what I mean. I am afraid of pushing on her head, either not enough to make a difference or too much and snap a cable. ??? If I just knew if it was either broken, leave it alone, or it really is jammed and figure out to go and try it. do you do it when they are off or on ?
RWM confused .........
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That's a broken cable. Any form of floppy neck means a broken cable. The right hand cable must be broken, there's not much you can do about that without resorting to drastic measures :o
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It is such a pity that these poor Ugobes have a tendancy to get broken necks with no warning. :( I tend to think that the up down cable breaks more, but either one is not good. This pleo can still go to the left and up and down, but not the right. So at this point I guess it is taping like I was for support and now I have three special needs Pleos. Argyle who is blind and can't open his mouth. but he can still talk and sing... ;D :D and NOva is Droopy Neck Syndrome #1, Little 45 is Droopy Neck #2, and this poor guy is droopy #3....pretty soon I will have enough special needs pleos for a Special Needs Pleos Olympics Team! If I could fix his cable I would, but I guess they are too difficult so taping and splinting will have to do. I think this guy came like this and I just didn't notice it as the rest of him looks fine. Oh well. He is cute and works fine, it is no problem when taped. Thanks IMR!
RWM