Lately I have been working on a MOC and I wanted to add fiber optics to it, but I discovered that the element is not working. Since TLG doesn't make these things anymore I thought I try to fix it instead of throwing it away. However I have no idea how to take it apart. Since TLG has put this together there must be a way to dismantle it and hopefully without having to superglue everything when putting it back together. Has anybody tried to do this before and succeeded? I could really use help.

Lately I have been working on a MOC and I wanted to add fiber optics to it, but I discovered that the element is not working. Since TLG doesn't make these things anymore I thought I try to fix it instead of throwing it away. However I have no idea how to take it apart. Since TLG has put this together there must be a way to dismantle it and hopefully without having to superglue everything when putting it back together. Has anybody tried to do this before and succeeded? I could really use help.

I have not tried taking it apart, however a friend of mine did have some problems with his so i attached to a 9v ungeared motor and let it spin for a while to clean up the contacts and surprisingly it worked. I don't know if it'll work for you but you could try that first.

I have not tried taking it apart, however a friend of mine did have some problems with his so i attached to a 9v ungeared motor and let it spin for a while to clean up the contacts and surprisingly it worked. I don't know if it'll work for you but you could try that first.

Unfortunately my 9v engine isn't working either at the moment, but i have some tests to do before i can tell if it is broken or not. Meanwhile I guess i could attach a technic axle to a usual electric drill and rev it very slowly.

Edited October 6, 201014 yr by spitfire

Unfortunately my 9v engine isn't working either at the moment, but i have some tests to do before i can tell if it is broken or not. Meanwhile I guess i could attach a technic axle to a usual electric drill and rev it very slowly.

Have you tried cleaning all the electrical contacts, including the ones on your wires?

Lately I have been working on a MOC and I wanted to add fiber optics to it, but I discovered that the element is not working. Since TLG doesn't make these things anymore I thought I try to fix it instead of throwing it away. However I have no idea how to take it apart. Since TLG has put this together there must be a way to dismantle it and hopefully without having to superglue everything when putting it back together. Has anybody tried to do this before and succeeded? I could really use help.

Whatever the problem is, I don't think you'll fix it by taking it apart. The most likely problem is that the external electrical contacts are dirty. Clean them with a wire brush. The internal electrical contacts could also be dirty. Clean them by spinning the input axle at high speed for a while. If the bulb is burned out, you can't fix it. I suppose you could solder in a new bulb, but you may as well just order a new fiber optics unit from Bricklink at that point.

Have you tried cleaning all the electrical contacts, including the ones on your wires?

I have a long and a short wire. The short one is definitely fine, i used my tester to check it. The long one is definitely broken, i can tell this by just looking at it. But since i lent the tester to my friend i can't check if the motor is fine or not.

Whatever the problem is, I don't think you'll fix it by taking it apart. The most likely problem is that the external electrical contacts are dirty. Clean them with a wire brush. The internal electrical contacts could also be dirty. Clean them by spinning the input axle at high speed for a while. If the bulb is burned out, you can't fix it. I suppose you could solder in a new bulb, but you may as well just order a new fiber optics unit from Bricklink at that point.

Well if the bulb is burned out then yeah there is nothing to do. I'm hoping the problem is that the internal contacts are dirty, because i used sandpaper to clean the external ones.

Edited October 6, 201014 yr by spitfire

I have a long and a short wire. The short one is definitely fine, i used my tester to check it. The long one is definitely broken, i can tell this by just looking at it. But since i lent the tester to my friend i can't check if the motor is fine or not.

Well if the bulb is burned out then yeah there is nothing to do. I'm hoping the problem is that the internal contacts are dirty, because i used sandpaper to clean the external ones.

I remember something about an LED being in there; those things rarely burn out.

Does anyone have an exploded view of the part? I find it hard to believe that they stuck only one LED in there on a rotating disk, rather than putting in eight LEDs and a rotating disc with a single hole in it.

Edited October 6, 201014 yr by Kaijuu

Anyway using electric drill did the job and my fiber optics element is now functional again.

I opened mine up a few months ago. It's a bit tricky, but not hard. It just snaps together. There is indeed only one very small LED that spins around. It's a clever mechanism.

If you all would like, I'll take it apart again and take a picture.

I opened mine up a few months ago. It's a bit tricky, but not hard. It just snaps together. There is indeed only one very small LED that spins around. It's a clever mechanism.

If you all would like, I'll take it apart again and take a picture.

Yes, I would like!

I opened mine up a few months ago. It's a bit tricky, but not hard. It just snaps together. There is indeed only one very small LED that spins around. It's a clever mechanism.

If you all would like, I'll take it apart again and take a picture.

Sweet, just don't break it

Ok, here are a few pictures I took. Sorry the lighting isn't the greatest.

The guts. Notice the round circuit board has two round rings around it. One ring is ground and the other is hot. The rings contact the two metal tabs on the backside of the case (pictured on right)

And the LED:

Edited October 9, 201014 yr by dhc6twinotter

Ok, here are a few pictures I took. Sorry the lighting isn't the greatest.

Thanks for posting those nice pics dhc6, before today I had no idea what that element did!

Me neither. I really thought there were just eight LEDs on a circuitboard and a rotating disc with a hole in it.

Would have been a lot less prone to damage, if you ask me. :)

Thanks for sharing; perhaps Blakbird can add this to the Technicopedia?.

Me neither. I really thought there were just eight LEDs on a circuitboard and a rotating disc with a hole in it.

Would have been a lot less prone to damage, if you ask me. :)

Thanks for sharing; perhaps Blakbird can add this to the Technicopedia?.

8 leds costs more, and would consume much more power, this way, one led is powered, and the only losses are the electrical resistance caused by the rotating wire/disk's internal resistance.

Thanks,

Noam

Thanks for the pictures. I always like seeing this kind of stuff works.

I'm glad I could take those pictures for you all. I'm glad I was finally able to contribute something useful to this great forum.