Fix a LitterMaid Mega (The under $15 Better Version)

This goes with my other instructable. Fix a LitterMaid Mega for under $5

I was not satisfied with how the motor was running. Sometimes stopping whenever it hit a big "cake".

This one cost more then the other one, but it now has more power when it hits a "cake".

Step 1: Safety Safety Safety (Don't do what I did.)

'This involves electricity(low voltage)and a hot soldering iron.'

I burned my thumb and index finger on my left hand trying to switch hands with the soldering iron(35W). grabbed the metal end and started to solder with out knowing I grabbed it.

I know I burned my hand, but I don't feel anything. I will throw a picture up later if it starts to blister.

No blister. The part of the soldering iron that I did grab was the area that is black from the heat.

Comments

[griffgraff]

We have the Mega and the motor gear is turning but the axle is not turning the outside gears. Any ideas?

[griffgraff]

The rake will move by hand but the axle still does not move. Does the big gear drive the axle? Also, one side of the tiny pin that is on the big gear came out, we put it back in and nothing is engaging the axle. And when we opened the casing 2 small springs came out. Any ideas? This is a wonderful site for resources. Thanks for answering so promptly.

[Rob K]

Sorry late response. I know that the 2 springs are for the metal rod that is on the back of the rake. If you look at the video I removed it . I'm not to sure on the inside of the rake itself since it has been a while.

[tamara6]

Rob, I regret not having gone to electrical engineering in college. I went with chemistry and them in computer science.. bummer bcs I want to put a more powerful motor in my littermaid and unfortunately and don't really understand your instructions :(
Do you think there would be a way that I could do it as in electrical repair for dummies?? or am I just hopeless??

Thanks,
Tamara

PS; my gears were shot and I was able to repair that so maybe I'm not that hopeless

[Rob K]

I'm not sure about changing the motor out. Might have to cut to make room. I was going to do a version 3 o the littermaid fix but the one that i got from my brother was in a basement flood and everything was shot in it. I just gutted it and made just a plain litterbox. Version 3 I was going to do with an arduino.

[Rob K]

you might have the axle gear stripped. Can you move the screen by hand on the track? Also could be that the axle gear slid to the side of the motor gear.

[Momma Diver]

If anyone is interested, I have 3 non-functioning Megas with parts that are usuable (I did not find the instructable for fixing and have had a very bad string of luck with them!). None of them have battery covers; 2 of them have power cords and the rake cords are intact (to get warranty replacements, you have to send them the cover and a piece of the cord)

[user18]

Check here:
http://mcs.uwsuper.edu/sb/Electronics/LitterMaid/

[hammer9876]

Gee, I hope the LitterMaid people are reading these intructables. Maybe they could figure out how to keep them from breaking so often.....

[gamer]

Look, I'm really sorry to say this, but whenever an Instructable is full of spelling mistakes, i stop reading. maybe changing "safty" to "safety" and "latter" to "later" would help, and I only read the first step.

[Rob K]

I don't spell that well. English has never been one of my better subjects. Thank you for correcting me.

[gamer]

I'm a little picky about spelling, because it is one of my best subjects. Always glad to help people spell correctly. -gamer ps. There is a spell check built into firefox, in caser you use that, and there is also a spell check built into Instructables

[GorillazMiko]

Nice! I like the use of the small items. Any project using small items from RadioShack are just awesome. Great job, you soldered very neatly and stuff! You have my vote! (And rating).

[Rob K]

thank you. Good thing I had burned my fingers working on that tiny DPDT switch after I did everything else or the soldering would have been messier.