Changing to a v6 style hotend on the i3 mega series

Hey everyone! Heres a guide on how to change the default v5 style hotend to a v6 style hotend on the i3 mega. Wouldn’t necessarily call it an upgrade if it’s not the genuine e3d v6 hotend but just in case anyone is interested. Currently about 24 print hours with the v6 clone setup and things are working well.

Advantages:

1. Lighter print head: with this set up you can get about 60 grams off which means less momentum when printing at a high speed (This is arguable: the original i3 comes with a rigid metal casing locking everything in place, whereas the new part cooling fan shroud I have designed is locked only by 2 screws so it “might” have some wobble although I have been experiencing less ghosting printing at 80 mm/s comparing to the original V5 style).
2. About 1 cm more of Z axis printing volume
3. Better flex filament support? This is a v5 to v6 feature but I haven’t tried it out yet.

Disadvantages:

1. Potential clogging comparing to the stock v5 j-head due to poor manufacturing of the V6 clone heat break  Need some working around the heat break if it is not the genuine one
2. Most v6 clones come with cables that are too long for the i3 and they usually have a bigger 2 pin connector that won’t fit by default. You need to do some rewiring for the thermistor and the heat sink fan.

Please download the PDF for detailed procedures.