Technical: Step-by-Step
Remanufacturing the Lexmark T650 Series Toner Cartridge
- By Mike Josiah
- Sep 01, 2009
First introduced in March 2009, the Lexmark T650 series is based on the Lexmark T650 1,200 dpi engine. Depending on the model, the print speed is from 45-55 pages per minute. As with all of Lexmark’s new heavy-duty machines these machines are loosely based on the older Optra S machines, but these are much faster. Due to the speed and fuser characteristics, the toner is completely different and unique to this series.
The machines currently available based on the T650 engine are:
Lexmark T650dn
Lexmark T650n
Lexmark T650dtn
Lexmark T652dn
Lexmark T652dtn
Lexmark T652n
Lexmark T654dn
Lexmark T654dtn
Lexmark T654n
As with the T640 machines, these cartridges have killer-type chips installed in the Prebate or “Return Program” cartridges that will not allow the cartridge to be used again until the chip board is replaced. As with other Lexmark cartridges, the non-Prebate or standard cartridges will work without replacing the chips. Replacement chips are currently being worked on and at the time of this writing (July 2009), are not available. They should be available as you read this.
Lexmark has also released cartridges for different areas of the world. The Americas are one region; Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) are another; Latin America is the third; and the Asia Pacific region is the last. As in the past, most likely the only difference in the cartridges besides the part numbers is the chips.
These cartridges have a huge profit potential. They are slightly different than previous versions, but still easy and very worthwhile to do.
The Americas Lexmark part numbers for these cartridges are as follows:
- “Return Program” 7K* cartridge: T650A11A, list $153.99**
- “Return Program” 25K* cartridge: T650H11A, list $430.99**
- “Return Program” 36K* cartridge: T654X11A (T654 series only), list $455.99**
- Standard 7K* cartridge: T650A21A, list $206.99**
- Standard 25K* cartridge: T650H21A, list $483.99**
- Standard 36K* cartridge: T654X21A (T654 series only), list $508.99**
Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Lexmark part numbers for these cartridges are as follows:
- “Return Program” 7K* cartridge: 0T650A11E
- “Return Program” 25K* cartridge: 0T650H11E
- “Return Program” 36K* cartridge: 0T654X11E (T654 series only)
- Standard 7K* cartridge: 0T650A21E
- Standard 25K* cartridge: 0T650H21E
- Standard 36K* cartridge: 0T654X21E (T654 series only)
The Asia Pacific Region Lexmark part numbers for these cartridges are as follows:
- “Return Program” 7K* cartridge: T650A11P
- “Return Program” 25K* cartridge: T650H11P
- “Return Program” 36K* cartridge: T654X11P (T654 series only)
- Standard 7K* cartridge: T650A21P
- Standard 25K* cartridge: T650H21P
- Standard 36K* cartridge: T654X21P (T654 series only)
The Latin America Region Lexmark part numbers for these cartridges are as follows:
- “Return Program” 7K* cartridge: T650A11L
- “Return Program” 25K* cartridge: T650H11L
- “Return Program” 36K* cartridge: T654X11L (T654 series only)
- Standard 7K* cartridge: T650A21L
- Standard 25K* cartridge: T650H21L
- Standard 36K* cartridge: T654X21L (T654 series only)
* Yield based on ISO/IEC 19752
** List prices current as of July 2009
There are also two label cartridges, the T654X04A and the T650H04A. For Europe change the “A” to an “E”, for Asia change it to an “R”, for Latin America change it to an “L”.
Lexmark only lists the extra high-yield cartridges (36K) for the T654 series. If these EHY cartridges are installed in the T650/652 machines, you will get an “unsupported cartridge” error.
The T65x series of cartridges are slightly different physically from all the rest in the Optra and T series. Since all of the cartridges from the Optra S on are somewhat similar, we are showing all the different cartridge versions here. See Figures 1-8.
It should be noted that because of the play between the toner hopper and the OPC drum, a shipping lock should be installed in every cartridge. This holds true even if you are going to hand deliver the cartridge. This lock keeps the pressure off the developer rollers and helps prevent flat spots form occurring during storage.
Machine cartridge/troubleshooting as well as how to run test prints will be covered at the end of this article.
Required Tools
1) Toner approved vacuum.
2) Small screwdriver (common style)
3) Phillips head screwdriver (number one)
4) Needle-nose pliers
5) Spring hook
Materials Needed
1) T650 toner
2) Drum padding powder
3) Cotton swabs
4) Isopropyl alcohol
5) Cotton pads
6) Long-life OPC drum (optional)
7) Wiper blade
8) Shipping lock
9) Recovery blade (optional)
10) Retaining blades (optional)
1. Vacuum the exterior of the toner cartridge. Be careful of the drum!
2. Place the cartridge on the bench drum side up (Label face down), with the toner supply toward you.
3. With a spring hook, remove the two springs from each end of the cartridge. See Figure 9.
4. There are two plastic posts from the hopper that fit into the cartridge shell. Pull the edge of the shell out to release the posts, and lift up the hopper so that the posts are free. See Figure 10.
5. Slide the hopper to the right, and remove from the cartridge. Pull it out so that the large white bearing comes free. Place the hopper aside. See Figure 11.
6. Remove two small screws from the drum axle plate. See Figure 12.
7. Press the drum axle plate out from the inside of the cartridge. Hold the small helical gear while pulling it out so that the drum is not damaged in the process. Note the location of the spring. See Figures 13 and 14.
8. On the opposite side, turn the locking ring until it spins freely. Carefully pry off the locking ring and white drive gear. Gently lift the drum up and out of the cartridge; if you are going to reuse the drum, place it in a light protected area. See Figures 15, 16 and 17.
9. On the wiper blade, remove the contact spring. Remove the two screws on either end of the wiper blade. See Figures 18 and 19.
10. Place the cartridge so that the waste bin is face-up. Take a razor blade and cut the foam seal that runs along the back edge of the wiper blade to separate it from the cartridge. Make sure to cut along the plastic/foam, and not the blade. See Figure 20.
11. Hold the cartridge so that it is upright (Standing up with the waste bin on the table). With one hand, hold the laser shutter open, and with the other hand, remove the wiper blade. Work the blade off carefully so that the alignment pin does not break. See Figures 21 and 22.
12. Make sure that the two end foams are clean and in their proper place. See Figure 23.
13. Pad the new wiper blade with your preferred WB lubricant; replace the blade and two screws into the cartridge. Install the WB contact spring. See Figures 24 and 25.
14. Place a piece of clear tape along the edge of the wiper blade. If the tape does not stick well, the area should be cleaned with alcohol. It is very important to get a good seal with the tape, otherwise the cartridge will leak. Trim away any excess tape. See Figure 26.
Be careful not to allow any tape into the laser port opening!
15. On the supply hopper, take a pair of needle nose pliers and gently pry off the encoder wheel. Make sure you pry it off from the center shaft so that the wheel does not become damaged. Also take great care to work off the wheel. If it is pulled straight off, the shaft may pull through the clutch gear on the opposite side of the shaft. Place the wheel in a safe place. Remember, this wheel tells the cartridge what type of cartridge it is, Prebate or non-Prebate. The chip is what tells the machine what type of yield the cartridge has. If this wheel becomes damaged, it must be replaced. See Figures 27 and 28.
16. Remove the fill plug from the hopper. Dump out all remaining toner. See Figure 29.
17. Turn the developer roller drive gear to unlock it. (Hold the other gears when doing this). Remove the drive gear from the developer roller shaft. See Figures 30 and 31.
18. Remove the doctor blade spring by pressing down on the center of the spring. See Figure 32.
19. Remove the developer roller cover by releasing the tab on the left side, and sliding out the right from the pins. See Figures 33 and 34.
20. On the left (fill plug) side of the static roller there is a small metal bushing. Press down on the metal spring, take a small screwdriver and pry the bushing up so that the tab on the bushing is facing up. This action will release the bushing, and developer roller. See Figure 35.
21. Remove the developer roller. Note that there are no spacers on these cartridges. See Figure 36.
NOTE: Always remove the doctor blade spring before removing the developer roller. Failure to do this will cause the doctor blade to slide down from its original position and possibly ruin the alignment.
22. Vacuum/blow the toner hopper clean.
23. With a cotton swab dipped in alcohol, clean the developer roller seals located on either end of the static roller section. These seals are made of a white plastic. Also clean the electrical contact that touches the developer roller shaft. See Figure 37.
24. Carefully vacuum or blow off the developer roller, Be careful not to touch the roller with your hands, or to damage this roller in any way.
25. Remove the doctor blade by sliding the blade down out of the track. See Figure 38.
26. Inspect the inner and outer retaining blades. If they are bent in any way, they must be replaced as they will leak. See Figure 39.
27. Clean and install the doctor blade. Make sure the contact spring is on top of the blade. See Figure 40.
28. Place the longer keyed end of the developer roller into the cartridge, and install the roller. See Figures 41 and 42.
29. Install the bushing onto the developer roller shaft, turning it so that the tab is facing down. This will lock the roller in place. See Figure 43.
30. Install the doctor blade spring. See Figure 44.
31. Fill the hopper with the appropriate amount of toner. Remember, the amount of toner that can be placed in the cartridge is controlled by the chip. Install the fill plug. See Figure 45.
32. Install the developer roller cover. Make sure the pins are aligned correctly in the cover. See Figure 46.
33. Install the encoder wheel. See Figure 47.
34. Take the OPC drum and lightly coat with your preferred Lexmark drum lubricant.
35. Place the OPC drum into the cartridge with the long thin axle on the contact or nonchip side of the cartridge. Make sure that the spring is in the proper position! See Figure 48.
36. Install the drum axle plate and two screws as shown. See Figure 49.
37. On the opposite side of the cartridge, install the black plastic bushing. Turn it until it locks. Press on the white gear inside the bushing. See Figure 50.
38. Take the toner hopper and install it left side first. Make sure that the left side post and the white bearing are in their proper slot. See Figures 51 and 52.
39. On the right side of the cartridge, pull the cartridge shell out so that the right side post falls into its slot. See Figure 53.
40. With the spring hook, replace both springs on to the toner supply chamber. See Figure 54.
41. Re-install the developer roller drive gear. Hold the gear train and turn the gear until it locks. It’s a little hard to get on now than if installed before, but it’s easier to install the hopper this way. Either way is fine though. See Figure 55.
42. Replace the chip by removing the screw and sliding the chip out. When replacing the chip keep the contact side facing the cartridge. See Figure 56.
43. A shipping lock must now be installed. This lock should be used even if you are going to hand deliver the cartridge. It will prevent the toner hopper from coming in contact with the OPC drum, and causing damage to either the drum or the developer roller. Press the two red tabs into the sides of the cartridge as indicated in the picture supplied with the lock. See Figure 57.
Cartridge Troubleshooting
Cartridge repetitive defect chart:
OPC drum 94mm
Developer roller 62mm
PCR (in machine) 38mm
Machine error codes
Most of the error messages appear to be in text, and do not need an explanation. No numeric messages are listed in the user guide except for the following:
42.xy This is a cartridge region mismatch. The x = the printer region, and they = the cartridge region. Both must match each other.
Region codes are as follows: (See text at beginning of article.)
0 = Worldwide
1 = America
2 = Europe region
3 = Asia region
4 = Latin America
9 = Invalid region
Taking test prints:
Printer menu:
Press the “MENU” key
Press the DOWN ARROW until “CONFIG MENU” shows on the display
Press the “Select” button
Press the DOWN ARROW until the check mark is next to “Prt Quality Pages”
Press the “Select” button
Included on these pages is:
Device information
Printer revision
Cartridge information
Printer margin settings
Minimum stroke width
This article originally appeared in the September 2009 issue of Recharger.