ALL ABOUT: 2000 Sheet Feeder Units

WX Vertical Transfer Unit The vertical transfer unit (VTU) is an important part of the various optional feeders (2000-sheet and 2 X 500-sheet) for the HP LaserJet 5Si, 8000, and 8100. It is the "door" attached to the side of the feeder, and is responsible for moving paper from the feeder into the main body of the printer. Like all paper-moving assemblies, it contains several sets of rollers (which eventually wear out), as well as the drive mechanisms (gears, clutches and solenoids, etc.) that control these rollers. An old VTU with worn rollers or gears can be a major cause of paper jams when the optional feeder is the paper source. The VTU is easy to remove and install, but it's important to realize that there are three different versions, corresponding to the three different types of feeders. The three are not interchangeable. The RG5-2175 VTU is for the old-style (5Si) 2000-sheet feeder (C3763A); the RG5-3854 VTU is for the new-style (8000/8100) 2000-sheet feeder (C4781A); and the RG5-4403 VTU is for the 2 X 500-sheet feeder (C4780A, for the 8000/8100 only). If you're not sure which type of 2000-sheet feeder you have, it's easy to tell by inspecting the cables that connect the VTU to the feeder. On the old-style feeder, there is only one cable, with purple-colored wires. This VTU often comes with a male-female adapter on the connector, which can be removed if the gender of the connectors doesn't seem to match. On the new-style feeder, there are two cables, one with white wires and one with multi-colored wires. The 2 X 500-sheet feeder has three cables, all with white wires, and they are part of the feeder (on the other two, the cables are part of the VTU). Removing the VTU is (almost) as simple as opening the door and removing the two screws that attach the hinges to the feeder. However, on each hinge is a plastic cam that must be put into the "safe" position before removing the screws (and remain in this position until after the screws are put back in and screwed down). Failure to do this can cause injury, as well as making it very difficult to re-attach the VTU. On both versions of the 2000-sheet feeder, these cams rotate around the shaft; on the 2 X 500-sheet feeder, they slide along the shaft. The safe position is the opposite of the position of the cam during normal operation. If this seems confusing, there is a simple rule of thumb: when the cams are in the safe position, you will not be able to close the door all the way. Once you have both cams in the safe position, remove the screws and lift the VTU up and away from the feeder. Even with the cams in the safe position, the hinges may snap when they are removed, so keep your hands clear of the hinge area during removal.