Flashforge Dreamer (NX) - Replacing Printhead & Nozzle plus switching to a Silicone Sock - Part 1

I was having problems with extrusion again so took the nozzle out of the printhead to see what was going on with the heat-break tube.

About a month ago, I tried to replace the heat-break tube while the printhead was still hot and ended up stripping the threads on the nozzle & printhead. Big mistake!

The printhead is made of aluminum and the nozzle is nickel-plated brass. Aluminum will get soft when it gets hot.

Anyway, I needed to replace the printhead and the nozzle, so I decided to go ahead and try using a silicone sock for the insulation of printhead instead of the thin fiberglass (I assume) tape that surrounds the stock printhead, held on with Kapton tape.

Part 1 covers diagnosing the problem and removing the nozzle from the old printhead.'
Part 2 covers disassembling the printhead including removing the insulation, thermocouple, and heat rod.
Part 3 covers reassembling the printhead using Boron-Nitride thermal paste for better heat connectivity
Part 4 finishes the reassembly of the printhead, installing the silicone sock, and testing the printer.

Link to replacement printhead:
https://flashforge-usa.com/collections/parts-accessories/products/extruder-aluminum-block

Link to Micro-Swiss nickel-plated brass 0.4mm nozzle:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01BDL4NKM

Link to Authentic Capricorn PTFE Bowden Tubing (1 Meter) XS Series for 1.75mm Filament with PTFE Teflon Tube Cutter on Amazon:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PS3NH82/

Link to Slice Engineering Boron Nitride Thermal Paste
https://www.matterhackers.com/store/l/boron-nitride-thermal-paste/sk/MRH0MS03

These are the spatulas I used to help remove the pieces from the print bed:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B075SLTY8B/

These are the tweezers I used to help remove dripping filament from the print head:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0845SKD7Z/

The wire brushes I use are no longer sold on amazon, but here's something similar:
https://smile.amazon.com/ABN-Inch-Detail-Brush-3-Piece/dp/B0195PCMF6/

Flashforge Dreamer NX on Amazon:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DPBRCYZ/

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Link to my Etsy Store:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BetaCygniDesigns

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End Screen Video Acknowledgement: Cosmic Reef Video produced by NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI).
https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/videos/2020/16/1277-Video