@whackyhack Great link ! Thanks !!
@JP_Roy I got mine from http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Black-Factory-High-Quality-Precision-Reprap-Prusa-i3-DIY-3d-Printer-kit-with-2-Rolls-Filament/32357171936.html
The part on the hob that was loose was the set-screw in the hob that keeps it from sliding on the stepper motor axle. On mine, I stopped getting traction because the hob had slid far enough down the axle that the filament wasn’t being grabbed by the notches cut in the hob. The spring seems to hold the hob tightly enough to the filament in the other axis.
@Eric_Davies Can you confirm that you also have no mechanical adjustment for tension between the hob and the bearing on your printer !?
@JP_Roy Confirmed. Just the screws from either end to keep the spring from flying out. No mechanical adjustment for tension.
I buy the same kit, and prints for a month or so…the problem lies with the spring, it pinch the filament causing it to deform, I use automobile hight temp silicone (easy to get…just about any cities) to glue in the nozzle and throat on the heatblock, but I’d use teflon tape if you still have teflon tube inside the throat, I’d buy extra tubing for just in case, but since I upgraded to stainless steel throat I don’t need it anymore, you have to change the steps/mm on the extruder to make it work
I upgraded mine to work with the taulman618,645 nylon, @250°c,with unprocessed canvas infused with two parts epoxy as the bed (just clip on as you would borosilicate glass), might suits you for small parts and better (but more flex than pla) I urge you to change the nozzle throat to all metal, otherwise your nozzle would jam, I print countless pla, hips, abs, & nylon rolls, and no jams whatsoever
Hi! i use to have a Budashnozzle but recently i change it for a Chinese MK8.
I think the Chinese MK8 a good option, it is cheap because of it lack of documentation.
The first thing you have is to be sure when the hotted is off your temp reading is ok with respect to ambient temp.
The second thing you should configure is the PID, because if you put attention during the printing you will see the temp varies from 10 degrees to 15 degrees with respect to set point. I have Marlin Firmware and it have autotune PID, you can google it.
Finally in your pictures i have doubt about if your bed leveling is ok, you can check it.
Give more opportunities to the Chinese MK8, it is DIY technology, if it don’t have any part broken the problem must be just configuration.
@Aria_C_Bramanta I read that you should have the PTFE tubing if you want to print PLA. Supposedly because it is more subject to stick to the metal. You do not agree with this ?
@Nathan_Walkner I have to admit that I was thinking of trying these all-metal throats to compare although all that I had read so far pointed to a higher clogging potential.
What about the length of the PTFE vs the length of the throat or barrel ?
And should the PTFE contact the nozzle base ? or even extend into it ??
@Nathan_Walkner Mine is actually set in the barrel by about 1,5 mm and is not even cut square. It looks like somebody cut it to length with his teeth !! OK… just kidding here… but it is not a clean cut… 
Note that I did not do that, I received it as is !!
I have the same model with auto level and had a similar problem for a while. My particular issue was the initial z height, I was being super precise setting it, it turns out it is better to be a little bit higher than lower.
If the initial height is a bit low the extruder may lack force to push the filament against the surface and do the characteristic click even though the layer seems about right.
The problem may not even be in the first layer but higher up, calibrate your Z if that happens in higher layers.
Also I learned to calibrate the height when the components are hot, I guess there may be some slight expansion of the metal when the temperature raises and if you are near the limit it may affect you.
I’ve been reading your fight and it reminds me of myself in my early days of 3d printing. Many issues and many problems but lots of reading, videos and learning certainly helps. I think you have been getting great advice so far. Let me ask, from what I’ve read so far it sounds like your unit is a direct drive and does not use a bowden tube. Am I correct? So I would first start by eliminating the feed mechanism and hand feeding. Do you have access to a optical non touch thermometer that goes to 250C? If so measure your hot end temp. If not you can try starting with a hot end temp of 170C and go up 2 degrees at a time. At about 195C it should start pushing out and extruding by putting some pressure on the PLA feed. If it happens much above or below that, chances are your temperature is wrong. If you have the ability to measure, the temp at the tip should be the set temperature and should drop off quickly as you get even just 5mm above the heater element.
@JP_Roy I print PLA just fine (with no problems), as well as HIPS, Nylon, and many other filament except wood and fiberglass-carbon, though you should pid autotune your printer at 1st run, temp overshoot is worse with the kit heat block setup (I think they use random aluminum) I replaced my heatblock with duralumin (saw it myself from airplane carcass enough for dozens of replacement) if you use repetier host, I’d be happy to send you my configuration
Hi @Rob_Taylor1 , yes it is a direct drive. I kinda understand the Bowden system and can’t imagine trying to push filament remotely through a tube with my constant partial clogs and jams. I do not have the thermometer you describe but I may have a friend that does, I will contact him and ask now. Anyways, I will definitely follow the procedure you suggested. Thanks for the hint. Will report back !!
Hi @Aria_C_Bramanta , I do use Repetier host. Thanks for the offer, but I am unable to extrude half decently using only the printer’s front panel controls.
I simply position the hotend inches off the hotbed, set it to 200°C, wait for temp to settle, push buttons to extrude 1mm at a time and I do not get good extrusions so new Repetier configs will not help me now but maybe later…
@JP_Roy I will say this. When you are finally fed up it may be worth while to spend the 70 to 80 extra to get an E3D all metal hotend. I personally would go for the bowden system but either way works. I think that would cure a great deal of your issues.
@Rob_Taylor1 I knew I was likely to open a can of worms when I purchased this cheap kit but still hoped I would get lucky !! My biggest problem is a lack of basic 3D printer knowledge but that is slowly improving thanks to practical experience on that kit and of course comments and suggestions within this forum and elsewhere on the net. When I bought the kit I had already noticed the very positive reviews on the E3D V6 and figured I could/would upgrade to it if necessary. I guess I am not sufficiently fed up for now…
I feel I must sort out why I am getting such bad results with this MK8 considering that I have read positive reports by others that have purchased the same or very similar kits.
Anyways, I still have hope and if nothing else I should learn more about what makes extruders/hotends tick, or stick !!
Hi @Nathan_Walkner , I actually found a Prusa i3 Upgrade Kit sold by E3D that appears would do the trick but… The advertised price is 97,50 pounds and by the time I pay shipping and duties, the darn thing would be more expensive than that kit !!!
@JP_Roy that is exactly why everyone tells people not to buy the cheapest Chinese printer you can find… They simply cut corners in the important areas…
A cheaper, but still good hot end is the ubis hot end. Or the e3d lite… But really you will be fighting this printer For a long time.
Next you will find your steppers skip, or you have wobble while printing, or you your bearing stick. I am sorry that we didn’t catch you before you purchased your kit, but I don’t think there is a good printer for under $300. The parts just cost that much.
@Camerin_hahn I fear you are right about everything here but… thinking positively… I am getting a reasonably priced ‘crash course’ on 3D printing !!