8043 Excavator - Lego update

[efferman]

Hi, i am building currently the second series of the 8043 excavator. it includes the new LAs but the building instruction didnt include the Track Fix. During the building proces i asked me at book 1,page45, step 36: Why the heck they dont use a axle 5? During to thumb through the books i noticed that a axle 6 would be better. It is right that it is the track fix?

Did TLG forget to fix the instruction book? for me it is no problem. i know the problem and its solving, but what is when a newbie is building the excavator?

should i write TLG a mail?

[Cookie]

Hi, i am building currently the second series of the 8043 excavator. it includes the new LAs but the building instruction didnt include the Track Fix. During the building proces i asked me at book 1,page45, step 36: Why the heck they dont use a axle 5? During to thumb through the books i noticed that a axle 6 would be better. It is right that it is the track fix?

Did TLG forget to fix the instruction book? for me it is no problem. i know the problem and its solving, but what is when a newbie is building the excavator?

should i write TLG a mail?

My son is building the set purchased at amazon Germany two days ago. There is no axle used in book 1, page 45, step 36 nor anywhere near it. There is only the use of pins. Check out the instructions available for download at lego Lego instructions. If you have a different set of instructions, let me know and put a pic here to compare.

Thanks,

Chris

[Cookie]

As far as I know the only way to see this is to check the serial number at the bottom of the linear actuator (near the orange axlehole); the new actuators have code 36X0.

Hi,

what´s the code of the old actuators? Ours are coded 38X0 and I am thoroughly confused by now. We just purchased the excavator at amazon.de, where it was not available for some time and just got back in stock. Whilst there are new parts on page 41 of our manual (the black two-whole and two blue pins) there is apparently no change of parts or assembly on page 45. The only difference between my manual and page 45 of the service pack seems to be a slightly different arrangement on the page since the original manual does not have to have the red circle in the top left as the replacement page from the Service Pack has. From the pictures in the link above it is unclear to me, where the sand-coloured pin is used, which is provided in the SP. Maybe I´m just dense, but any hint is appreciated.

Thanks

Chris

Edited October 23, 2010 by Cookie

[efferman]

i talk from this page. to be exact, i have the axle in understep 4 replaced through a axle 6.

my instruction is the same, hich is online available

Edited October 23, 2010 by efferman

[JunkstyleGio]

New (and improved) La's have 36x0 and up...

(t.i. 37x0, 38x0 and so on...)

[Cookie]

i talk from this page. to be exact, i have the axle in understep 4 replaced through a axle 6.

my instruction is the same, hich is online available

Thanks for the clarification to both of you. However, seeming to be a bit dense, I still fail to recognize a difference between the old and the new instruction page 45. Whilst I am able to identify the place for the black two-hole part and the two blue pins on the new page 41, where does the sand-coloured pin go which is in the service pack as well? Is it used as a replacement part for the situation you are describing on page 45, i.e. instead of the part you have been replacing with an axle 6?

Thanks, have a good weekend,

Chris

Edited October 23, 2010 by Cookie

[S.I]

Thanks for the clarification to both of you. However, seeming to be a bit dense, I still fail to recognize a difference between the old and the new instruction page 45. Whilst I am able to identify the place for the black two-hole part and the two blue pins on the new page 41, where does the sand-coloured pin go which is in the service pack as well? Is it used as a replacement part for the situation you are describing on page 45, i.e. instead of the part you have been replacing with an axle 6?

Thanks, have a good weekend,

Chris

It replaces a tan pin on step 45, and should then fit into the newly added black part.

[DLuders]

If you want an opportunity to ask the Lego Technic designers about the 8043 Motorized Excavator, Conchas has a thread going in TechnicBRICKS:

"Now that the new 8043 Excavator problems have been solved and the model is again available to ship from LEGOshop.com, it is time to do something that has been in the pipe for awhile.

Once more TBs is going to run an interview with the LEGO Designers. This time about the 2010 LEGO Technic flagship model, thus with Anders Gaasedal Christensen (Goose Valley) who designed the model and Ricco Rejnholdt Krog, Design Lead for the LEGO Technic team.

We decided however to accomplish some kind of innovation and involve our readership in the process, i.e. also let you submit your own questions to the Designers, about this model and respective design process.

Please feel to ask as many questions as you like, by dropping them as comments to this post.

In the meantime we will prepare our own questions and wait till Sunday (31.Oct) to gather all your inputs."

Edited October 24, 2010 by DLuders

[MrDummy]

i have order on Bol.com (116,99 Euro - with 27% off much cheaper and free shipping action to NL) and it's not in stock. They wait for new boxes at 1 november 2010, thus i receive over one week new box.

I can preview the new box and give you the box codes. :)

Have old PDF manuals to compare both differences.

[jantjeuh]

i have order on Bol.com (116,99 Euro - with 27% off much cheaper and free shipping action to NL) and it's not in stock. They wait for new boxes at 1 november 2010, thus i receive over one week new box.

Yep, I ordered two =) Great discount and the free shipping is ofcourse a nice bonus..

Edited October 26, 2010 by jantjeuh

[dr_spock]

My 8043 service pack has finally arrived in the mail from overseas. I contacted Customer Service back on 2010-08-26. Not bad, only 2 months.

[rjk1977]

still nothing , has anyone from the Netherlands the servicepack???

oooh and i tried to get hold of the customerservice but... the phonenumber isn't in use anymore. Last week i've send an email and still no reply

strange strange strange

[nemu]

still nothing , has anyone from the Netherlands the servicepack???

oooh and i tried to get hold of the customerservice but... the phonenumber isn't in use anymore. Last week i've send an email and still no reply

strange strange strange

I doubt they'd take the phonenumber out of service. Did you try it with a different carrier? Some carriers simply don't allow you to call the number (or atleast, that's what it said for the danish number).

[rjk1977]

I doubt they'd take the phonenumber out of service. Did you try it with a different carrier? Some carriers simply don't allow you to call the number (or atleast, that's what it said for the danish number).

i phoned them about 1 1/2 month ago and with the same phone ,no prblems back then ,now i get the message on my phone "number not in use"

[Jetro]

i phoned them about 1 1/2 month ago and with the same phone ,no prblems back then ,now i get the message on my phone "number not in use"

I get that ever so often when calling my family and they certinly haven't changed their number (or are they trying to avoid me ) But seriously, it probably just means your carrier has more traffic than it can handle. Just try at a different hour.

[rjk1977]

today finnaly TLC on the phone................

They didn't send them yet , but they are availeble, they send it as soon as possible ,so she said it will take 7 to 10 days i will have the new LA's

[mrklaw]

Hi,

Quick question if I may - I've just reserved this at Argos for pick up tomorrow. But is there any way to know whether it'll be the new revision or not? Any tell-tale signs (ideally on the outside of the box, but inside if necessary).

thanks!

[DLuders]

@ mrklaw: Welcome to the Eurobricks Technic Forum! To answer your question, there are two previous posts in this thread that talked about their 8043 set's code numbers on the box. In this post, TechnicFan68 said "The numbers are "Item: 4560806" over the barcode, and 125778 under it. The barcode itself is 570201460135," but he wasnt' sure whether it was an "old" 8043 set or the "new" (improved) 8043 set.

In this post, "sted" reported that his NEW 8043 set (bought from Lego Shop At Home) had:

"item# 4560806

barcode# 5702014601635

other # below barcode 125778"

My OLD 8043 (bought from Toys R Us USA on July 15, 2010) has this written on the box:

Item: 4567590

Barcode Number: 73419 12937

Other (tiny) number below the barcode: 125778

It would appear that TechnicFan68 bought the NEW 8043 (since the numbers match sted's box, and DON'T match my Old 8043 box's numbers).

So, it would appear that if you see these numbers on the box you want to buy, you will have the NEW 8043 set:

"item# 4560806

barcode# 5702014601635

other # below barcode 125778"

Once you open the box, your four Linear Actuators should have one of these codes (to indicate that they are the NEW design): 36X0, 37X0, or 38X0. Any other numbers mean that they are the OLD (pre-Service Pack), unlubricated Linear Actuators (and thus, the OLD 8043 set).

Edited November 5, 2010 by DLuders

[mrklaw]

wow, many thanks for your comprehensive answer. I'll check and report back, hopefully reinforcing or disproving the hypothesis :)

update: Box has the 'correct' numbers. Haven't opened it up yet...

Edited November 5, 2010 by mrklaw

[Virar]

So, it would appear that if you see these numbers on the box you want to buy, you will have the NEW 8043 set:

"item# 4560806

barcode# 5702014601635

other # below barcode 125778"

Those numbers match the numbers on my non-US box, purchased via bricklink in July. So I'd say they're an unreliable indicator.

[MrDummy]

Confirmed barcode and another codes from my box, ordered by bol.com to the Netherlands.

[TechnicFan68]

@ mrklaw: Welcome to the Eurobricks Technic Forum! To answer your question, there are two previous posts in this thread that talked about their 8043 set's code numbers on the box. In this post, TechnicFan68 said "The numbers are "Item: 4560806" over the barcode, and 125778 under it. The barcode itself is 570201460135," but he wasnt' sure whether it was an "old" 8043 set or the "new" (improved) 8043 set.

In this post, "sted" reported that his NEW 8043 set (bought from Lego Shop At Home) had:

"item# 4560806

barcode# 5702014601635

other # below barcode 125778"

My OLD 8043 (bought from Toys R Us USA on July 15, 2010) has this written on the box:

Item: 4567590

Barcode Number: 73419 12937

Other (tiny) number below the barcode: 125778

It would appear that TechnicFan68 bought the NEW 8043 (since the numbers match sted's box, and DON'T match my Old 8043 box's numbers).

So, it would appear that if you see these numbers on the box you want to buy, you will have the NEW 8043 set:

"item# 4560806

barcode# 5702014601635

other # below barcode 125778"

Once you open the box, your four Linear Actuators should have one of these codes (to indicate that they are the NEW design): 36X0, 37X0, or 38X0. Any other numbers mean that they are the OLD (pre-Service Pack), unlubricated Linear Actuators (and thus, the OLD 8043 set).

Well, that's true, and yet not accurate.

I have bought two copies of 8043. The first one is definitely an old version, bought in late july, and the second one is the new version.

I believed for a long time that the second copy were an old version also, because I looked at the wrong place for LA number (on the side instead of the bottom), but now I know the truth.

However the barcode and the numbers above and below are identical on the two boxes, so they can not be used to determine the version of the 8043.

Both copies were bought at TRU in Oslo, Norway.

DLuders old box is apparently made in Sweden (!) which really puzzles me...

[DLuders]

Well then, I guess the old surefire way to tell the "old" 8043 from the "new" one is by looking at the Production Codes stamped on the Linear Actuators (LAs). The "new, improved" LAs have either 36X0, 37X0, 38X0, 39X0, or 40X0 stamped on them. Any LA numbered 36X0 and higher means that it's the new design. I thought one could tell the difference by looking at the barcode on the unopened box. If TLG's Customer Service can't supply definitive numbers either, how could they know which version to "pull" from their shelves?

Edited November 8, 2010 by DLuders

[zyrex]

Finally, today, I received my service pack for the 8043. I also got an Indiana Jones keychain minifig, as an apology for taking so long..

Now, my 8043 has been moved, so I won't bee able to test this until next month or so. But woohoo!

[gotoAndLego]

I've looked around but didn't see this mentioned so here is my problem. After working for an hour now my mode switch, changes from movement to the bucket arm, sticks and doesn't change without my pushing on it physically. It will change one or two clicks, but not all the way; it has a harder time moving the arm forward (to movement) than rearwards (bucket arm). It has nothing to do with the LAs. Is anyone else having this issue?

Cheers

Edited January 10, 2011 by gotoAndLego