Ankoku

So, as far as I can make out, this is the original Akiyuki pivot point. Quite a few modifications had to be made to revert the design back to the original. I have used the 5.5L Axel with Stop just like the original. You could probably get away with a 5L, but the connection may be hanging off slightly. The main piston rod has been changed from 20L to 19L in complete length. I used the "Technic, Plate 1 x 5 with Smooth Ends, 4 Studs and Center Axle Hole" which Akiyuki used, just because I did have them kicking around spare. A 6L Plate would be fine. I have gone with a 11L and 7L lift arm. Akiyuki went for a 15L and 3L, thus far, I haven't seen any reason for using those particular lengths. One bonus with using the plate to connect the two lift arms, is that the connection is rick solid, so you no longer have the wobble of the altered version. As you can see on the right, the connect on the end of the 8L axel is flipped. In the ReBricker instruction video, he has it this way round and then adds a later correction to show it the other way around. This way round is the way it is in the Akiyuki video and it is required to make this pivot point work.

The service is back in action, but sadly the stock on some most wanted items is not. Does anyone have any experience in regards to their restocking practices? Do they only restock items which are included in currently being made sets? (I know B&Ps supports pieces of sets from the last 5 years.) As an example, I want to get the front tyres from the Batmobile: The Tumber (76023) which is also present on the dragster (42050) and sadly still not a part of any 2018 set for either H1 or H2. They are on B&Ps, but they are sold out. They were sold out before Christmas when it closed and after when it reopened. Are they ever going to come back in stock? Or will they only return once they start producing them again for some new set?

You can buy the black one directly from LEGO if you are bothered about it. It is from this set: 70163-1 so it should be available from Bricks & Pieces at LEGO. It is closed over the Christmas period, but usually opens back up in February. https://www.lego.com/en-sg/service/replacementparts Anyone know why the link is missing all of a sudden? Normally it is just greyed out over the Christmas period. All of a sudden it is now gone. Managed to get into it via this: https://www.lego.com/en-gb/service/replacementparts?chosenflow=3 The part you are interested in is currently out of stock, it might make it back though. I am not entirely sure how part stocking works for LEGO themselves.

His pivot point placement is different to that of Akiyuki. I will give it a try. Thanks.

If you look here on the timing video just after the 5:42 mark, you can hear it clicking and the piston bouncing back a little bit in both directions as the piston doesn't have enough movement to allow the tread to pass without some bending involved. Considering how you want as little friction as possible across all mechanisms, so as not to tax the motor too much, surely this isn't desirable? Does anyone have the instructions/layout for the Akiyuki pivot point?

That is the video I was using for the timings. The timings aren't the issue. The issue I am facing, is that the 4L approach doesn't seem to be offering the travel required for the piston mechanism to clear the tread part of the chain. The lack of travel means it jams. So I am trying to work out why it was changed from 5.5L with Stop Axel to a 4L axel. Also, with the 4L, is there some technique to get it to work?

So, I am trying to set the timings on the Ball Factory and when it comes to the piston which slides barrels along, there isn't enough travel for the pistons to work. When I look at the Akiyuki video, he is using a 5.5L Axel with Stop at the pivot point, where as the instructions I have been following it just uses a 4L Axel. Is there any reason it was changed? How do I get enough travel on the piston with the 4L Axel? (The limited travel stops the tread part of the chain from clearing.)

There isn't a cheap way, it just depends on what you want for your money. In the end, I bought various sets which contained them off eBay. This set is a cheap one and contains 4: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=6568-1#T=S&O={"iconly":0} I donated the rest of the set to a friend's kid.

I will give that a shot!

I was just surprised at how non-viable 11L were. Maybe mine have shrunk with age. I will most likely cannibalise some 15L or something I seem to have a lot of those.

I have been busy building the Akiyuki Ball Factory v2.0. I have gotten to the spiral lift part and have been having issues with the Hose, Ribbed 7mm D. 11L. I have both 12L and 11L, but neither fit well. 11L is tight enough that it pulls in the two columns and makes the central column rub against both the fixings and the tubes themselves. 12L fits well, but is not close enough to the central column to stop balls dropping through at certain parts. Have people cut/modified their tubes to get them to fit properly? (My 11s are from set: 8466 and my 12s are from an NXT set.)