Thank you very much for the detail description of the repair. I have discussed this with some factory colleges. They general consensus is the ratchet is a separate part due to paint. The panel the ratchet is seated into is painted but the ratchet cannot be painted. If they were molded together and the panel was painted but ratchet was left unpainted, the paint would start to chip and peal. If the ratchet was painted or clear coated, it would start to chip and peal... So it was made a separate part. Do not use cyanoacrylate (aka super glue). It will eventually crack and could damage the joint even more. If you have already done this, then just pay attention for when the bond fails and be sure to clean out all the cyanoacrylate debris. The parts themselves should remain intact so long as you clear it out right away and do not manipulate the joint. You can then attempt another repair. Gorilla glue might be slightly better but you need to score/rough up the surfaces to be glued and it could fail in the future. To do this for a long term fix, you need to chemically fuse the parts. Use Bondene (acetone solvent) to weld the parts together. There are 2 types of Bondene. One for just styrene (typical model kits and such) and one for styrene and ABS (which is a little stronger so be careful applying it). Get the styrene and ABS type. Brush in a little on both parts. Do not use too much as it will melt the part and you are going to apply layers anyway. Wait a few minuets. Brush in another layer or 2, being sure to wait between layers. This will start the chemical reaction. BE EXTRA CAREFUL not to let the Bondene touch anything painted on the exterior, it will destroy the paint/clear coat. With the final layer, put the parts together and apply a gentle pressure for 5-15 minuets. If done correctly, this will fuse the parts into one part almost as strong as if it were molded as one part.
@@TMan978 I should add, that if you are not comfortable with using acetone, please do not do this. It is literally melting the parts together and there is a fine line between success and permanent damage. I am not going to do this myself until I notice problems.
Yeah when he said what type of glue he was using, I couldn't help but think plastic cement would be most effective. Dangerous, but effective. I think in this case, should the piece be damaged, regular glue would likely lose it's effectiveness over time while plastic cement wouldn't since it fuses it into one part. Like you said though this fix comes with a great risk. It just kind of sucks since you pay as much for it as you do (even in the ballpark of 300 this is a stupid design.) Hell, even 100 bucks it's still stupid, but slightly more forgiving. Man, if Takara isn't careful they may very well lose the Transformers market to 3rd party companies with some of these issues they have been having.
what about a couple of pieces of Green Stuff used in games like Warhammer 40k? As far as I remember, it works fine as gluing/putty too. And the plastic used for those miniatures is kinda easy to ruin with aggressive glues, so if that stuff works fine, it should do the work here as well. I remember I used it to do a fix on my Generations Blitzwing years ago.
@THE DRAGON KNIGHT SLAYER64 Unless there's a knockoff MP-44 that DOESN'T have that kibbly mess of a transformation and that godawful backpack, I'll just stick to TE-01 when I get one, thanks. The MP-44 and -45 molds will never be worth my money, knockoff or otherwise.
@THE DRAGON KNIGHT SLAYER64 You think I DON'T like complicated transformations? MP-36 is good complicated. MP-44 is bad poo-poo stinky complicated. No amount of upgrade kits will change that. And since I have absolutely no interest in CHUG, that idea is useless to me. Besides, last time I checked, the only upgrade kit made for MP-36 didn't even hold on to him very well, and I'm fine with the kinda messy back and shoulders. Hell, MP-39 Sunstreaker is the same, and I still love that figure and want it in my life. And I'm not "bootlicking" Transform Element. It's just that I haven't seen any 3rd-party "Masterpiece" Primes since TE-01 that I give a shit about. I'm not gonna get into proportions here, because that's a whole other can of worms that I don't really care about. I also don't care too much for KO stuff, aside from a couple KO Bayverse Prime figures I've had my eye on for a while. It would also help me if I knew where to find this supposed KO MP-44 so I know what you're talking about.
Kudos man your video helped me greatly. I just dug out my MP-44 last week and tried it out for the first time to transform it because I thought I would mess it up. I tried your fix 2 times and this is what I found: 1) The L Shaped piece that sticks out is a pain in the butt and this fancy locking mechanism is what causes all the trouble. Even when I managed to slide it completely into the knee rail, the ratchet still would not click. 2) After I glued everything up, I slid the L Shaped piece into the rail and my knee was stuck. I did not want to force it, so I took the knee apart again. The glued-up part ended up splitting as well. 3) After I re-glued everything, I found that the knee join could work just fine BEFORE i put back the other part of the knee back (9:42 of your video). 4) I found no point in keeping the L Shaped plastic since all it does is locking (which doesn't even work!) and giving stress to my glued-up piece. I clipped that part away and put back the knee easily (10:45 of your video, there is no need to accommodate the L shaped plastic anymore). Now the knee joints don't have to interact with one another, they can move independently and in whatever order you want. No more stress to the glued-up pieces too, although I did lube the whole ratchet up. I compared this with my MP-49 and found that Takara has taken out the locking mechanism entirely. For those who are scared to clip away parts of your toy, I would just say go for it. The lock does nothing but mess up this otherwise fantastic figure. That said I am just going to order a KO version and use it for practice and spare parts. If these knees fail again, I would just plug the KO ones in, which are re-designed like the MP-49...
Yeah, mine is fixed now! I had to do one of my knees like that after 3 attempts. Like you said, that piece that you push down with the spring has to pushed in all the way when you tighten the screws back in. The other leg with the working ratchet was easier to fix than the warped one. Both are fixed and working properly. Thanks for the tutorial!
I've been thinking about designing transformers in the near future, and videos like these are really helping me understand the problem with thin, high torque plastic parts.
I don’t speak Japanese, but hearing OP’s tone in some of those sound bytes, there maybe appropriate clips from the move where he is dying and handing over the matrix. 😜
Didn't need to use the super glue man, I've had that issue in the past, all you had to do was just cuttin' that knee spring a lil bit and woalla, still that fix you pulled would work perfectly, the Spring cuttin' also works on hard ratchets, great video man!!!
Wow man, thanks for putting this together. I'm not getting this prime but I would def. follow these instructions to take care of the knees. And that's one handsome bot in the background too!
Clear-as-day explanation. Thanks! And yes, I watched it till the end. I find that not securing that yellow paint is just bad practice. 1001 ways that could've been addressed in the factory. I find it curious how as the Masterpiece line progresses we see less and less silly issues (like Megatron's infamous rusting) and more and more the "what the actual FFFF" issues like this. I mean... How do you screw a knee joint up!? Glad the fix is relatively easy! And I expect a Masterpiece to be nigh flawless. Especially a new "holy grail" in the line, namely a cartoon accurate Prime. As long as damning flaws like paint, breaking and failing parts persist, it's either second hand/KO or nothing for me. Thanks again, TMan
Thanks for the tutorial! I saw another reviewers video (palm in your face!) and he showed why the breakage was happening. I think this is a bad case of Takara over-engineering something that could have been kept simple. Even though I know how to avoid it I may still perform this surgery! Thanks again!
I was one of those who thought my mp-44 had no knee problem until a few play with the knee ratchet later the plastic was warping without me knowing. Had to cut the L tab to prevent the plastic cap from stressing. And thanked God, no more problems. Even after forcing Prime to do dozens of squats. :)
I'm noticing a trend regarding paint on not only Transformers figures but other toys like Hot Wheels as well. The clear coat on the paint for these figures seems thinner when compared to older figures. Take the silver paint on DOTM Deluxe Topspin and compare it with any silver paint from this generation of Transformers figures, and I can assure you that most of the paints from this generations toy line tend to rub off easier, even in the Masterpiece figures, which is a shame. I also noticed this trend with the aforementioned Hot Wheels, especially the mainline cars in which the tampos seem more... for a lack of a better term... fragile when compared to a mainline from 10 years ago.
Very great tutorial for fixing the joints. Unfortunately, this shouldn't have occurred in a $450 figure meant for collectors. Also, it seems that the legs alone are too over engineered as there are numerous components that might fail. I'm glad you were able to find an easy and cheap solution for this issue.
Thanks for this you could spray yellow car paint onto decal paper then when dry cut to shape and slide onto the panels that way you get a perfect finish and exact fit. Use micro sol and micro set to adhere
Kinda hoping they do a re-release that figure with fewer accessories to lower the price. I saw a collector saying he won't be using the extra accessories often.
If the collector jumped off a bridge, would you jump off a bridge? Lol. In all seriousness they're probably going to wait awhile before they do that. They're going to want this set to sell. Going off the price, I'm thinking he would still be over $200 which I don't think is worth it for just the Optimus. Optimus, his axe, ion blaster, and The Matrix should be $150 tops.
Yo TMan! Speaking from lots of painting experience, make sure the surface being painted is free of any oils from your hands and rough up that shiny surface with some fine grit crafting sand paper before you begin. I would run some painters tape around that specific yellow block too as you don’t want to screw up any more factory paint. If this were my figure, I would see about using a small can of modeling spray paint (air brushing is preferable). Last but not least, make sure you don’t put on too thick of paint coats/ clear coat, as you might have clearance issues with transformation and screw up your fresh paint job!!! Good prep is key! Good luck!
To be honest there not made in Japan anymore I wish they were there made in China where China tries to use the cheapest material possible it's an unfortunate truth but you did a nice repair job very nice
I saw this video in my recommended list, started watching it and thought “I’m so glad that my figure doesn’t have this issue.” Then I picked it up, bent the knees and “click click click!” Ah, that feels good. Now time to straighten the knees back. No sound. FaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAKKKK!!!!! Well, I’m glad you made this video!
Wasn't able to get Prime this time around. Hopefully they do a fix on the 2nd run. But then again I'm hoping the same for the 2nd run dinobot I preordered.
Amazing video! You're the only one to show the mechanical design flaw in the knees. You need some kinda award for this video! Does MP-49 make that one solid knee piece? It isn't painted so they could do it.
I hate myself for waking up so early today. Now I'm yawning and sleepy, fighting sleep and can't sleep, nothing could be worse other than if I owned mp-44: that would just be one more [very expensive] problem to face.
Just got mp49 and I been handling him very good and I haven’t have a single problem I know there 2 different figures but I think they fix the problem that mp44 had
@@nulicenul5117 be careful. Just cutting off the spring will leave a pointy part that could scratch the plastic on the long term. I did a similar fix to my Titan Class Triptycon when the issue came out, and I used a cardboard disk to avoid any eventual scratch on the plastic.
When I superglue, I let it set for a full day, just to ensure the glue has fully cured. I had a loose pin on the TransCraft (like TC-02 I wanna say?) Bumblebee's foot, some piece that's on a slider pin. Just dab a little on, let it set a full day, just to eliminate all user error. It's worth it for your own peace of mind.
I hope a second gen of this figure has A. A cheaper price with the same amout if stuff and B. A diecast inner leg steut like you were talking about, with the two pieces fixed too each other.
I'll probably do this to mine as soon as I get it. I bet they didn't make the knees die-cast because they just wanted them to be blue and didn't want to try to paint die-cast. Either way, it's unacceptable for a $450 figure.
Good fix. As soon as you explained everything and removed the parts, I knew you'd recommend superglue to fix that problem. I'm just thinking a tiny bit of shock oil in the ratchets would go a long way in preserving your work here, and keeping the ratchets working fine.
@@TMan978 Just a tiny drop on the ratchet teeth. Then move both ratchet teeth pieces over each other a few rounds to spread the oil thinly over all teeth. This helps the teeth to slide over each other as u bend the knee
Emgo just mentioned to bend first the upper portion of the knee then the bottom part and that way it doesn't break. He said it hasn't broken on him yet. I wouldn't bend the knee at all.
1st of all that thumbnail is f’ng epic. 2nd, you mechanic skills are quite impressive. Impressive indeed, amazing. 3rd, that is way too much money to spend on a product to have to perform an operation on so early. However, it’s sooooooo worth it. Lastly, I’ve purchased the upgrade kit for Siege Ultra Magnus and two pieces require glue. What is the name of that glue you used?
Great video, TMan. That knee fix was stressful to watch, I was afraid the spring would shoot out. Don't buy crafting paint to fix the crotch paint. Use hobby paint for a premium look. 1) Clean and Sand it down Remove the yellow paint or at least level the plastic with the paint scrape, 70% Alcohol on cotton buds will do, then use high grit sandpaper like 800 or 1000 / or extra fine sanding stick to level it. 2) Masking Carefully mask around the yellow part with good masking tape. A just use Scotch and make sure only the part to be painted is exposed. Press the tape thoroughly on the areas to be masked to avoid some paint particles to go through. Double inspect your masking. 3) I suggest Tamiya Laquer Spray cans Don't use hardware paints. Use Tamiya Camel Yellow (TS-34). If you have removed the white paint via sanding, you might have to primer it first (Tamiya Fine White Primer), let it cure, then spray with the Camel Yellow. Let it cure. Top coat it with Tamiya Gloss Clear (TS-13), let it cure before handling.
@@TMan978 Been good ! Collecting and gaming you know me 😉. I stayed far away from this piece personally when I saw that pricetag , I'm good with with old prime lol . Maybe in the future we will see a price cut I'll grab him but these mp's seem to be getting more and more out of my price range .
I just got around to transforming mine today and didnt have any knee problems. Mainly in part due to I knew what to look for and was cautious. I rotate the upper knee joint first before rotating the lower knee joint which has that blue tab hanging out behind as I rotate the lower knee theres a tab sink in grove area just above and I push the tab down into that groove area to help secure it from any possible breakage, especially if displaying your mp44 for various articulation, posing transforming etc be mindful of that area for sure. However I do agree takara should've used metal instead of plastic for that specific ratchet area. I'm glad I don't buy alot of takara mps due to the ridiculous prices, I mainly will purchase just the leaders or commanders for takara, & rest I go 3rd party. Ya I got mine on amazon jp aswell, around 38,000 yen, however when you pay in Canadian it's always a rape lol.
A ton of people who did this method still had the breakage anyway. I knew about this as well and it still happened first it was the right leg and soon after it was the left. You've been lucky this far hopefully that doesn't run out. As I demonstrated that plastic is very weak it's almost inevitable if not inevitable
@@TMan978 dam I guess I did get lucky. That is as long as I dont transform it very often, I'm usually one and done. However thanks for the upload, if or when I do experience this I will definitely refer to your vid to help aid me into fixing this issue. I hope maybe a 3rd party metal knee replacements can be made I definitely would jump on that, I guess my Mp44 would be like a hybrid of steve austin at that point with the bionic knee pad thing he has going on lol. Thanks again brother for the vid👍
This is the similar problem i had with my generation toys op ex. Only problem with op ex is that i couldnt get the gears to sit in even with crazy glue
I don't personally have an interest in this figure but that thumbnail and the intro are hilariously awesome. And should I get this figure at least I can work on the problem now😁
I don't expect you to read all the comments but someone else who apparently knows people that works in factories says it was designed like that because the inner peace is painted but the part I glued is just plain plastic. If they would have made it a solid piece like I was suggesting oh, they would have had to leave it unpainted and I guess they didn't want to do that. So they opted to put a small unpainted piece of plastic there
Intense Mark Steel 3P companies might be able to simply produce a whole part to replace the two individual pieces. They've certainly produced smaller upgrade kits or fixes for TF figures, I'm sure.
Being honest I bought mine a month ago from a retail store, and as they had on a window transformed on robot mode they "damaged" the knee, I didn't notice as is not a notable damage, I saw this video and I notice that is already making no sound when moving the second articulation, but sincerely, I haven't have any stability issues, loose articulation or anything that actually affects the figure on more than bending a piec of plastic that is covered on more plastic, I know the point is that it shouldn't happen as you pay a lot of money, but it kinda fixes the main problem, I mean it happens because is not stuck there but sticking it there will make it brake again and keep repeating unless you use a more effective repair like acetone but that can cause more bad than good if not used to ir
I explain in the video that the more you keep bending it, the more warped the piece appears to becomes. So it's up to you. There could be stability issues down the line because the piece is too far gone or maybe there won't be and we're all worried for no reason. Play with it often and come back with the results. I'm curious.
Being honest this whole month I literally take it down and play with it every day to take pictures and really it gives no problem yet, and it was exhibited in the window for over 7 months and every month they changed the pose, I took a look with some colleagues and they have the same issue but far more time than I have an no problem has been given yet, it looks like even if the plastic warps the articulation can't go further than that and as if is covered by two pieces and an screw it doesn't loose
@@TMan978 yes I think I will try if it gives problems so far it actually makes it easier to pose, I will share you some pics on Instagram and a quick vid I you don't mind
T I’m wondering if Amazon Japan was the problem. Maybe the cheaper figures are cheaper quality. I wonder if we can get testimonials from those that ordered through BBTS or Tfsource or the like.
....what? All the mp44 that were released at the end of last year were the same figure from the same factory. It didn't matter that Amazon put a discount on it. Everyone who has purchased this figure has had the same issues and even the knockoff version has the same knee issue . The added joint in the leg was poorly designed.
Great job TMan! And awesome intro pic, though I doubt that Ratchet is up to the job of fixing that ratchet. And the springs shooting off would kill Spike and his dad 😜
This is the second masterpiece figure that has such an issue to half or a third of the line. The first is mp 9 rodimus. I have the legs of my rodimus hiding behind my fanstoys hoodlum.
Rodimus had too many problems. His knees were breaking all the time, his legs didn't stay together, you can't articulate his arms without his body coming apart....a mess
@@TMan978 yeah, the black version had the same issues as well. My copy is sitting on a shelf in car mode with both of his knees basically broken right out of the box.
Here's the problem from where I can see it. I try to explain it in this video. The knee still works and I would not have known that I was broke if my viewers didn't tell me that it's supposed to have a ratchet clicking sound. The problem though is if you keep bending it, you could potentially keep wearing and stressing The joint down to the point where it is loose. The knee I fix in this video had way more plastic shavings inside because I let it go for way longer than the right knee.
@TMan978 - I have a question for the Bay Former Jazz MP-9 The knee joint is loose. What can I use to tighten it up? Because it just wants to fall back and then the whole robot just falls backwards.
@@TMan978 If you know anyone that does or repairs their own toys. Like your friend that told you what to do and how that one pice on your OPtimus should have been one piece made of metal. Any help would be great. Ask like it was your own toy.
For the price you pay for this figure they should have used better materials and better engendering for the mp 44 knee joints I'm serious they should for the price you pay you shouldn't have to do this but I do thank you for this video I'm gonna try and do my modifications to my mp 44 now
Here's a trick i use 4 some paint on my transformers you paint it then you use elmers glue yes elmers glue that we use on paper you take it drop it on the paint and put it over the whole paint and when it gets hard it turns clear and it will protect paint underneath it for a long time I have one of my original dinobots gold paint wore off I had to repaint it some model paint then I use elmers glue as a clear coat it works try it once see if you like it and if you don't then that's OK too
I may well do this when mine arrives, also TMan did you see my final reply on your review that what is left when you take off the combat deck is a stand for him?
Lmao! So far from what I can tell, you basically lose the ability to use the ratchet joints once it "breaks" but like I'm explaining in the video, it's not really break per say. It's warping the plastic. I imagine that continued warpage would stop you from being able to do this fix. Everything is screwed together so it shouldn't make the leg fall off.
Shocking QC across the board. You shouldn't have to fix the knees, but at least it's relatively simple to patch things up. That paint, however, is so prominent it looks terrible when it flakes and not everyone is skilled in model painting..
Thank you very much for the detail description of the repair.
I have discussed this with some factory colleges. They general consensus is the ratchet is a separate part due to paint. The panel the ratchet is seated into is painted but the ratchet cannot be painted. If they were molded together and the panel was painted but ratchet was left unpainted, the paint would start to chip and peal. If the ratchet was painted or clear coated, it would start to chip and peal... So it was made a separate part.
Do not use cyanoacrylate (aka super glue). It will eventually crack and could damage the joint even more. If you have already done this, then just pay attention for when the bond fails and be sure to clean out all the cyanoacrylate debris. The parts themselves should remain intact so long as you clear it out right away and do not manipulate the joint. You can then attempt another repair. Gorilla glue might be slightly better but you need to score/rough up the surfaces to be glued and it could fail in the future. To do this for a long term fix, you need to chemically fuse the parts. Use Bondene (acetone solvent) to weld the parts together. There are 2 types of Bondene. One for just styrene (typical model kits and such) and one for styrene and ABS (which is a little stronger so be careful applying it). Get the styrene and ABS type. Brush in a little on both parts. Do not use too much as it will melt the part and you are going to apply layers anyway. Wait a few minuets. Brush in another layer or 2, being sure to wait between layers. This will start the chemical reaction. BE EXTRA CAREFUL not to let the Bondene touch anything painted on the exterior, it will destroy the paint/clear coat. With the final layer, put the parts together and apply a gentle pressure for 5-15 minuets. If done correctly, this will fuse the parts into one part almost as strong as if it were molded as one part.
I'm going to pin your comment to the top.
@@TMan978 I should add, that if you are not comfortable with using acetone, please do not do this. It is literally melting the parts together and there is a fine line between success and permanent damage. I am not going to do this myself until I notice problems.
@@jamawebb13 yes you should add that. Lol. Thank you.
Yeah when he said what type of glue he was using, I couldn't help but think plastic cement would be most effective. Dangerous, but effective. I think in this case, should the piece be damaged, regular glue would likely lose it's effectiveness over time while plastic cement wouldn't since it fuses it into one part. Like you said though this fix comes with a great risk. It just kind of sucks since you pay as much for it as you do (even in the ballpark of 300 this is a stupid design.) Hell, even 100 bucks it's still stupid, but slightly more forgiving. Man, if Takara isn't careful they may very well lose the Transformers market to 3rd party companies with some of these issues they have been having.
what about a couple of pieces of Green Stuff used in games like Warhammer 40k? As far as I remember, it works fine as gluing/putty too.
And the plastic used for those miniatures is kinda easy to ruin with aggressive glues, so if that stuff works fine, it should do the work here as well.
I remember I used it to do a fix on my Generations Blitzwing years ago.
After 35yrs, Prime has bad knees. Relatable. 😅
Also 5min epoxy will last much longer (possibly forever).
As much as I want this figure, if I’m paying over $500CA, I shouldn’t have to make fixes or be concerned about breakage.
Just get Transform Element's Prime. I've seen reviews of it, and DAMN is it a good figure! Way less expensive than MP-44, too.
@THE DRAGON KNIGHT SLAYER64 Unless there's a knockoff MP-44 that DOESN'T have that kibbly mess of a transformation and that godawful backpack, I'll just stick to TE-01 when I get one, thanks. The MP-44 and -45 molds will never be worth my money, knockoff or otherwise.
@THE DRAGON KNIGHT SLAYER64 You think I DON'T like complicated transformations? MP-36 is good complicated. MP-44 is bad poo-poo stinky complicated. No amount of upgrade kits will change that. And since I have absolutely no interest in CHUG, that idea is useless to me. Besides, last time I checked, the only upgrade kit made for MP-36 didn't even hold on to him very well, and I'm fine with the kinda messy back and shoulders. Hell, MP-39 Sunstreaker is the same, and I still love that figure and want it in my life.
And I'm not "bootlicking" Transform Element. It's just that I haven't seen any 3rd-party "Masterpiece" Primes since TE-01 that I give a shit about. I'm not gonna get into proportions here, because that's a whole other can of worms that I don't really care about. I also don't care too much for KO stuff, aside from a couple KO Bayverse Prime figures I've had my eye on for a while. It would also help me if I knew where to find this supposed KO MP-44 so I know what you're talking about.
@The Other Dragoon Fighter 64 , On TFW, someone just got it, and said they didn't fix the knee problem. :(
Ugh... That comment makes me want to turn off the comments
Kudos man your video helped me greatly. I just dug out my MP-44 last week and tried it out for the first time to transform it because I thought I would mess it up.
I tried your fix 2 times and this is what I found:
1) The L Shaped piece that sticks out is a pain in the butt and this fancy locking mechanism is what causes all the trouble. Even when I managed to slide it completely into the knee rail, the ratchet still would not click.
2) After I glued everything up, I slid the L Shaped piece into the rail and my knee was stuck. I did not want to force it, so I took the knee apart again. The glued-up part ended up splitting as well.
3) After I re-glued everything, I found that the knee join could work just fine BEFORE i put back the other part of the knee back (9:42 of your video).
4) I found no point in keeping the L Shaped plastic since all it does is locking (which doesn't even work!) and giving stress to my glued-up piece. I clipped that part away and put back the knee easily (10:45 of your video, there is no need to accommodate the L shaped plastic anymore). Now the knee joints don't have to interact with one another, they can move independently and in whatever order you want. No more stress to the glued-up pieces too, although I did lube the whole ratchet up.
I compared this with my MP-49 and found that Takara has taken out the locking mechanism entirely. For those who are scared to clip away parts of your toy, I would just say go for it. The lock does nothing but mess up this otherwise fantastic figure.
That said I am just going to order a KO version and use it for practice and spare parts. If these knees fail again, I would just plug the KO ones in, which are re-designed like the MP-49...
Thanks for your comment. I'm thinking of trying this on my MP-44. Do you have any updates or faced any issues since you made this comment?
I’m getting an MP-44 this week, so thank you for doing this video for the community.
Thank you for watching it
Yeah, mine is fixed now! I had to do one of my knees like that after 3 attempts. Like you said, that piece that you push down with the spring has to pushed in all the way when you tighten the screws back in. The other leg with the working ratchet was easier to fix than the warped one. Both are fixed and working properly. Thanks for the tutorial!
No prob
I've been thinking about designing transformers in the near future, and videos like these are really helping me understand the problem with thin, high torque plastic parts.
I'm quite surprised that MP-44 didnt come with a Megatron gun accessory.
If you collect Masterpiece long enough you should have a couple
@@TMan978 I want everyone in my collection holding a Megatron hand gun. Preferably one in each hand, TBH.😖
What a hot mess. I'm glad I preordered TE-01. Great vid tho and will surely help others
Thx
That is one amazing thumbnail. Good video too!
Thank you. It took me a freaking hour to take that dag on picture. Lol.
I couldn't help but think of the music they used in the '86 Movie when Prime died playing in the background lol.
I don’t speak Japanese, but hearing OP’s tone in some of those sound bytes, there maybe appropriate clips from the move where he is dying and handing over the matrix. 😜
Didn't need to use the super glue man, I've had that issue in the past, all you had to do was just cuttin' that knee spring a lil bit and woalla, still that fix you pulled would work perfectly, the Spring cuttin' also works on hard ratchets, great video man!!!
Tman M.D. has crossed over into orthopedic surgery. Nice fix.
Lol
Wow man, thanks for putting this together. I'm not getting this prime but I would def. follow these instructions to take care of the knees. And that's one handsome bot in the background too!
Lol
You got the touch you got the power
Thanks for the tutorial! I may preemptively do this to mine when it arrives, just to avoid the problem altogether.
Might as well. You could also bend the lower knee extra extra slowly and pray
thank you i probs now wait for a knock of version now as its to much money for the official one and hoping the knock off one will fix that problem
Clear-as-day explanation. Thanks! And yes, I watched it till the end. I find that not securing that yellow paint is just bad practice. 1001 ways that could've been addressed in the factory.
I find it curious how as the Masterpiece line progresses we see less and less silly issues (like Megatron's infamous rusting) and more and more the "what the actual FFFF" issues like this.
I mean... How do you screw a knee joint up!? Glad the fix is relatively easy! And I expect a Masterpiece to be nigh flawless. Especially a new "holy grail" in the line, namely a cartoon accurate Prime.
As long as damning flaws like paint, breaking and failing parts persist, it's either second hand/KO or nothing for me.
Thanks again, TMan
This video is a real service
Thx for watching
Thanks for the tutorial! I saw another reviewers video (palm in your face!) and he showed why the breakage was happening. I think this is a bad case of Takara over-engineering something that could have been kept simple. Even though I know how to avoid it I may still perform this surgery! Thanks again!
You might have to because I was already knowledgeable about how to bend the knees and the legs still broke
I was one of those who thought my mp-44 had no knee problem until a few play with the knee ratchet later the plastic was warping without me knowing. Had to cut the L tab to prevent the plastic cap from stressing. And thanked God, no more problems. Even after forcing Prime to do dozens of squats. :)
You deserve a medal for this helpful video!
Thank you I'll just take shares and likes
T man you’re a legend 🙌
Thanks brother and I watched till the end because I appreciate you doing this
I've had him for a few days and just haven't bent the knees because I'm too scared lol
I'm noticing a trend regarding paint on not only Transformers figures but other toys like Hot Wheels as well. The clear coat on the paint for these figures seems thinner when compared to older figures. Take the silver paint on DOTM Deluxe Topspin and compare it with any silver paint from this generation of Transformers figures, and I can assure you that most of the paints from this generations toy line tend to rub off easier, even in the Masterpiece figures, which is a shame. I also noticed this trend with the aforementioned Hot Wheels, especially the mainline cars in which the tampos seem more... for a lack of a better term... fragile when compared to a mainline from 10 years ago.
Thank u oh wise one🤘👍Just fixed my Prime's knee.....I say knee because one is perfectly fine. Your supreme guidance worked like a charm.
Keep your eyes on the perfectly fine one.
Takara should send out replacement parts with that piece molded together or like you said die-cast.
Thanks for posting! just used it to fix my prime who broke out of the blue yesterday!!!! made sure i went all the way on the video.
Glad I could help
Very great tutorial for fixing the joints. Unfortunately, this shouldn't have occurred in a $450 figure meant for collectors. Also, it seems that the legs alone are too over engineered as there are numerous components that might fail. I'm glad you were able to find an easy and cheap solution for this issue.
Thanks for watching
Thanks for this video!! This careful tutorial is just what I needed to feel confident to undertake this repair. I really appreciate it.
Thanks for the kind words
reminds me of the metroplex thigh fix , not too bad of a repair,
You are the MAN! I hope this works on the KO too. Great job. Bless you!
No prob.
Thanks for this you could spray yellow car paint onto decal paper then when dry cut to shape and slide onto the panels that way you get a perfect finish and exact fit. Use micro sol and micro set to adhere
Kinda hoping they do a re-release that figure with fewer accessories to lower the price. I saw a collector saying he won't be using the extra accessories often.
If the collector jumped off a bridge, would you jump off a bridge? Lol. In all seriousness they're probably going to wait awhile before they do that. They're going to want this set to sell. Going off the price, I'm thinking he would still be over $200 which I don't think is worth it for just the Optimus.
Optimus, his axe, ion blaster, and The Matrix should be $150 tops.
@@TMan978 I'm just one of the guys who don't need some of the extra accessories, that's all.
Yo TMan! Speaking from lots of painting experience, make sure the surface being painted is free of any oils from your hands and rough up that shiny surface with some fine grit crafting sand paper before you begin. I would run some painters tape around that specific yellow block too as you don’t want to screw up any more factory paint. If this were my figure, I would see about using a small can of modeling spray paint (air brushing is preferable). Last but not least, make sure you don’t put on too thick of paint coats/ clear coat, as you might have clearance issues with transformation and screw up your fresh paint job!!! Good prep is key! Good luck!
Thank you.
Sorted Prime’s knees this afternoon. He’s got perfectly ratcheting knees again...
To be honest there not made in Japan anymore I wish they were there made in China where China tries to use the cheapest material possible it's an unfortunate truth but you did a nice repair job very nice
I saw this video in my recommended list, started watching it and thought “I’m so glad that my figure doesn’t have this issue.”
Then I picked it up, bent the knees and “click click click!” Ah, that feels good. Now time to straighten the knees back. No sound.
FaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAKKKK!!!!!
Well, I’m glad you made this video!
Lol. I believe this is an inevitable at least with this first batch
Wasn't able to get Prime this time around. Hopefully they do a fix on the 2nd run. But then again I'm hoping the same for the 2nd run dinobot I preordered.
😣
Amazing video! You're the only one to show the mechanical design flaw in the knees. You need some kinda award for this video!
Does MP-49 make that one solid knee piece? It isn't painted so they could do it.
I'm not sure. I don't own that one but I do remember hearing it's different
Thank you for this video! Really appreciated. Extremely informative.
I hate myself for waking up so early today. Now I'm yawning and sleepy, fighting sleep and can't sleep, nothing could be worse other than if I owned mp-44: that would just be one more [very expensive] problem to face.
Gotta love having to perform maintenance on your $500 USD transforming truck robots. Realism clearly never left the Masterpiece line!
the paint looks good like battle damage or good weathering. paint chips look good Tman.
Lol
this should have a lot of views man. Thanks on behalf of a lot more ppl XD
Thank you for sharing
Wow yr G1 Wheeljack voice is spot-on :)
Tman the doctor waiting to operate. Good tutorial.
Thx
You're welcome.
Your wheeljack voice is on point
Lol. Thanks
Great vids just curious how many optimus primes do you have since you got back into collecting a few years ago.
I've been collecting for 21 years I have a lot of them
@@TMan978 I wouldn't doubt it your collection must be huge, I agree I've been collecting off & on for about the same amount of time.
Thank you for this fix Tman! It really worked!
I used a spudger to help me get the thigh spring back in place. I used a pointed one, and pushed back the spring from the inside
Just got mp49 and I been handling him very good and I haven’t have a single problem I know there 2 different figures but I think they fix the problem that mp44 had
I think the spring is also part of the problem, making it "very" tight, causing too much force for the ratchet joints
I'll back you up on that.
do you think cutting off the spring to reduce its strength a bit would help prolong the ratchet?
Possibly. It is a powerful spring
@@nulicenul5117 be careful. Just cutting off the spring will leave a pointy part that could scratch the plastic on the long term. I did a similar fix to my Titan Class Triptycon when the issue came out, and I used a cardboard disk to avoid any eventual scratch on the plastic.
When I superglue, I let it set for a full day, just to ensure the glue has fully cured. I had a loose pin on the TransCraft (like TC-02 I wanna say?) Bumblebee's foot, some piece that's on a slider pin. Just dab a little on, let it set a full day, just to eliminate all user error. It's worth it for your own peace of mind.
I could have sworn that was the advice I gave but this video is like 4 years old now
Great tutorial my man. I agree it should have been one piece and diecast. That sucks about the paint though.
I hope a second gen of this figure has
A. A cheaper price with the same amout if stuff
and
B. A diecast inner leg steut like you were talking about, with the two pieces fixed too each other.
Doubt
I'll probably do this to mine as soon as I get it. I bet they didn't make the knees die-cast because they just wanted them to be blue and didn't want to try to paint die-cast. Either way, it's unacceptable for a $450 figure.
Good fix. As soon as you explained everything and removed the parts, I knew you'd recommend superglue to fix that problem. I'm just thinking a tiny bit of shock oil in the ratchets would go a long way in preserving your work here, and keeping the ratchets working fine.
Where should the shock oil be applied?
@@TMan978 Just a tiny drop on the ratchet teeth. Then move both ratchet teeth pieces over each other a few rounds to spread the oil thinly over all teeth. This helps the teeth to slide over each other as u bend the knee
@@xcorpeo thx. I'm dreading unscrewing that thing again tho.
@@TMan978 I feel ur pain 😅
Emgo just mentioned to bend first the upper portion of the knee then the bottom part and that way it doesn't break. He said it hasn't broken on him yet. I wouldn't bend the knee at all.
I did the same thing it's only a matter of time. I mentioned it in my review as well if you want to take a look.
Thanks so much for doing this!
Thank you so much for making this video!
No problem
Great tech support.
1st of all that thumbnail is f’ng epic. 2nd, you mechanic skills are quite impressive. Impressive indeed, amazing. 3rd, that is way too much money to spend on a product to have to perform an operation on so early. However, it’s sooooooo worth it. Lastly, I’ve purchased the upgrade kit for Siege Ultra Magnus and two pieces require glue. What is the name of that glue you used?
I actually don't know. Get some generic glue that came to me with an action figure from China.
Great video, TMan. That knee fix was stressful to watch, I was afraid the spring would shoot out.
Don't buy crafting paint to fix the crotch paint. Use hobby paint for a premium look.
1) Clean and Sand it down
Remove the yellow paint or at least level the plastic with the paint scrape, 70% Alcohol on cotton buds will do, then use high grit sandpaper like 800 or 1000 / or extra fine sanding stick to level it.
2) Masking
Carefully mask around the yellow part with good masking tape. A just use Scotch and make sure only the part to be painted is exposed. Press the tape thoroughly on the areas to be masked to avoid some paint particles to go through. Double inspect your masking.
3) I suggest Tamiya Laquer Spray cans
Don't use hardware paints. Use Tamiya Camel Yellow (TS-34). If you have removed the white paint via sanding, you might have to primer it first (Tamiya Fine White Primer), let it cure, then spray with the Camel Yellow. Let it cure. Top coat it with Tamiya Gloss Clear (TS-13), let it cure before handling.
Thank you. I meant to say hobby but my brain wasn't functioning after this ordeal.
Thank you, TMan for this video. It’s a shame that we have to do this, but ya gotta take care of what you paid for.
Right
How have you been brother ? Good video yeah , lot's of folks are having issues with this it's gonna help many 👍
I'm good. You?
@@TMan978 Been good ! Collecting and gaming you know me 😉. I stayed far away from this piece personally when I saw that pricetag , I'm good with with old prime lol . Maybe in the future we will see a price cut I'll grab him but these mp's seem to be getting more and more out of my price range .
Ha ha loved the intro ! Thx a lot for this much needed video !
No problem
I just got around to transforming mine today and didnt have any knee problems. Mainly in part due to I knew what to look for and was cautious. I rotate the upper knee joint first before rotating the lower knee joint which has that blue tab hanging out behind as I rotate the lower knee theres a tab sink in grove area just above and I push the tab down into that groove area to help secure it from any possible breakage, especially if displaying your mp44 for various articulation, posing transforming etc be mindful of that area for sure. However I do agree takara should've used metal instead of plastic for that specific ratchet area. I'm glad I don't buy alot of takara mps due to the ridiculous prices, I mainly will purchase just the leaders or commanders for takara, & rest I go 3rd party. Ya I got mine on amazon jp aswell, around 38,000 yen, however when you pay in Canadian it's always a rape lol.
A ton of people who did this method still had the breakage anyway. I knew about this as well and it still happened first it was the right leg and soon after it was the left. You've been lucky this far hopefully that doesn't run out.
As I demonstrated that plastic is very weak it's almost inevitable if not inevitable
@@TMan978 dam I guess I did get lucky. That is as long as I dont transform it very often, I'm usually one and done. However thanks for the upload, if or when I do experience this I will definitely refer to your vid to help aid me into fixing this issue. I hope maybe a 3rd party metal knee replacements can be made I definitely would jump on that, I guess my Mp44 would be like a hybrid of steve austin at that point with the bionic knee pad thing he has going on lol. Thanks again brother for the vid👍
Awesome repair I don’t have my 44 yet but really good to know hey how about a link to amazon Japan my 44
Amazon.jp once you get there, you can search for it. I hear it's finally out of stock.
This is the similar problem i had with my generation toys op ex. Only problem with op ex is that i couldnt get the gears to sit in even with crazy glue
I don't personally have an interest in this figure but that thumbnail and the intro are hilariously awesome. And should I get this figure at least I can work on the problem now😁
Thank you for clicking
I have a feeling that something else will brake after gluing that part. It was design in 2 pcs for a reason.
I don't expect you to read all the comments but someone else who apparently knows people that works in factories says it was designed like that because the inner peace is painted but the part I glued is just plain plastic. If they would have made it a solid piece like I was suggesting oh, they would have had to leave it unpainted and I guess they didn't want to do that. So they opted to put a small unpainted piece of plastic there
@@TMan978 I see. Third party companies will have a chance to fix this issue.
Intense Mark Steel
3P companies might be able to simply produce a whole part to replace the two individual pieces. They've certainly produced smaller upgrade kits or fixes for TF figures, I'm sure.
Being honest I bought mine a month ago from a retail store, and as they had on a window transformed on robot mode they "damaged" the knee, I didn't notice as is not a notable damage, I saw this video and I notice that is already making no sound when moving the second articulation, but sincerely, I haven't have any stability issues, loose articulation or anything that actually affects the figure on more than bending a piec of plastic that is covered on more plastic, I know the point is that it shouldn't happen as you pay a lot of money, but it kinda fixes the main problem, I mean it happens because is not stuck there but sticking it there will make it brake again and keep repeating unless you use a more effective repair like acetone but that can cause more bad than good if not used to ir
I explain in the video that the more you keep bending it, the more warped the piece appears to becomes. So it's up to you. There could be stability issues down the line because the piece is too far gone or maybe there won't be and we're all worried for no reason.
Play with it often and come back with the results. I'm curious.
Being honest this whole month I literally take it down and play with it every day to take pictures and really it gives no problem yet, and it was exhibited in the window for over 7 months and every month they changed the pose, I took a look with some colleagues and they have the same issue but far more time than I have an no problem has been given yet, it looks like even if the plastic warps the articulation can't go further than that and as if is covered by two pieces and an screw it doesn't loose
@@geektron_prime great. I hope it stays good. Once I opened mine and saw it first hand, I rather fix it.
@@TMan978 yes I think I will try if it gives problems so far it actually makes it easier to pose, I will share you some pics on Instagram and a quick vid I you don't mind
Fire away
T I’m wondering if Amazon Japan was the problem. Maybe the cheaper figures are cheaper quality. I wonder if we can get testimonials from those that ordered through BBTS or Tfsource or the like.
....what? All the mp44 that were released at the end of last year were the same figure from the same factory. It didn't matter that Amazon put a discount on it. Everyone who has purchased this figure has had the same issues and even the knockoff version has the same knee issue . The added joint in the leg was poorly designed.
Great job TMan! And awesome intro pic, though I doubt that Ratchet is up to the job of fixing that ratchet. And the springs shooting off would kill Spike and his dad 😜
Lol
Superglue and shock oil...a transformer collector's best friend.
A little super glue and a lot of luck.
BTW, some Tamiya or Testors yellow Acrylic paint should fix up and probably adhere better than what Takara used.
@@MrUniq than you
T Man The Technician👍🏾
Never thought I would be in the how to business
Tman978 is the Doc McStuffins of Transformers...Yaaaaaay🤗
Smh
dude ! i like the thumbnail, freakin just like a cartoon, thats awesome, im at work :/ right now.. imma watch your video later
Thank you so much
Said it before, I’ll say it again. For $449 this shouldn’t be happening
You're right. This is bad luck on their part or maybe, karma for charging so much. Lol.
This is the second masterpiece figure that has such an issue to half or a third of the line. The first is mp 9 rodimus. I have the legs of my rodimus hiding behind my fanstoys hoodlum.
Rodimus had too many problems. His knees were breaking all the time, his legs didn't stay together, you can't articulate his arms without his body coming apart....a mess
@@TMan978 yeah, the black version had the same issues as well. My copy is sitting on a shelf in car mode with both of his knees basically broken right out of the box.
Lol I for one am glad you made the videos
You're welcome. Thx for watching
Oh for the paint I would use and acrylic paint but I'm not Sure of its super durable
one important question about this issue is how much does it affect the figure?
Does the knee still work like a swivel joint or is it too loose?
Here's the problem from where I can see it. I try to explain it in this video. The knee still works and I would not have known that I was broke if my viewers didn't tell me that it's supposed to have a ratchet clicking sound.
The problem though is if you keep bending it, you could potentially keep wearing and stressing The joint down to the point where it is loose. The knee I fix in this video had way more plastic shavings inside because I let it go for way longer than the right knee.
Thanks man, appreciate this..
Thank you for the help
No problem
@TMan978 - I have a question for the Bay Former Jazz MP-9
The knee joint is loose. What can I use to tighten it up? Because it just wants to fall back and then the whole robot just falls backwards.
I don't own that Figure. I don't wanna tell you wrong
@@TMan978 If you know anyone that does or repairs their own toys. Like your friend that told you what to do and how that one pice on your OPtimus should have been
one piece made of metal.
Any help would be great. Ask like it was your own toy.
For the price you pay for this figure they should have used better materials and better engendering for the mp 44 knee joints I'm serious they should for the price you pay you shouldn't have to do this but I do thank you for this video I'm gonna try and do my modifications to my mp 44 now
Should I do this right out of the box? Don’t really plan on transforming and playing with him. Display case only lol.
Too much hard work for a collector of action figures these days. lol
The name of that paint is called Mr. Hobby top coat . Get the gloss finish and the matte. Just spray the whole dam figure .
Lol. Thanks
Thx for the great review you think takara will come out with a 2nd addition of this figure that will fix this?
Or an upgrade kit
Unless they don't give a crap I imagine they will fix this
Awsome video bro
Sir; I would like to ask if there are any fixes on mp 44 waist articulation wobble?..Thanks and more power
The fix is to not wobble him. Put him in a pose, set it down, make it stable and don't wobble it
Thanks for the video and tried the fix that you instructed on my mp 44 knees and I'm so happy with result....again thanks sir.
Tman978, if both knees are broken, do you still do the same thing to both of the knees?
Legend, thanks for the vid👍
No, thank you for sharing!
Here's a trick i use 4 some paint on my transformers you paint it then you use elmers glue yes elmers glue that we use on paper you take it drop it on the paint and put it over the whole paint and when it gets hard it turns clear and it will protect paint underneath it for a long time I have one of my original dinobots gold paint wore off I had to repaint it some model paint then I use elmers glue as a clear coat it works try it once see if you like it and if you don't then that's OK too
Thanks!
I may well do this when mine arrives, also TMan did you see my final reply on your review that what is left when you take off the combat deck is a stand for him?
Yes I filmed that. But haven't put it on my channel
Ah, that’s cool, glad you know about it as you sounded disappointed in the review that it didn’t do it
I'm still disappointed because it doesn't work well
I wish hastak would put in some extra work on their stuff so things work as intended
I just got this so if the leg does break is it still transformable ? Or does the lower leg just fall off completely
Lmao! So far from what I can tell, you basically lose the ability to use the ratchet joints once it "breaks" but like I'm explaining in the video, it's not really break per say. It's warping the plastic. I imagine that continued warpage would stop you from being able to do this fix.
Everything is screwed together so it shouldn't make the leg fall off.
TMan978 phew that’s a relief lol if the “break” happens I’m gonna be right back here
Shocking QC across the board. You shouldn't have to fix the knees, but at least it's relatively simple to patch things up. That paint, however, is so prominent it looks terrible when it flakes and not everyone is skilled in model painting..
Been stood on my shelf for over 12 months. Knee was fine when I put him up there. Toom him down yesterday to show my grandson, left knee has gone 🤔