g2 magic motion taken apart

[babyblueducky]

want to know how to take one apart and what it looks like? well, i did it earlier tonight. it wasnt really easy to do, but i did it. :LOL: didnt take me too long to do.



first pop the head off, either run it under hot water to soften it up or put some muscle into it.

next you will have to cut into the neck like you would a g4 to pry the plug loose. you do have to cut pretty deep down the neck.

after its loose here is the tricky part, get a good strong pair of pliers, needle nose would be best to grip the plastic ring of the plug base. again either run it under hot water or use your muscles.

then you have to wedge the pliers inside the body to either pull the plug out or shove it up the neck to pop out.

be careful when you are pulling it out from the piece that goes in the head, they can break and then you will have to try harder or a different technique if that happens. you can glue it once its removed.


this is how magic motion sundance looks


her neck piece with her twisting tail attached



this is how magic motion ivy looks


how the neck plug looks before out


pop her leg off first


what the neck piece looks like with the moving leg piece


everything removed

 

[Crumpet]

That's really interesting! I didn't know they worked like that inside X3

 

[dragonkiss207]

How cool! Thanks for taking the time to show us all!

 

[Raemarie]

well, i did it earlier tonight. it wasnt really easy to do, but i did it.

Yeah, I don't like taking G2s apart. I think that's why I try and stick to mainly the ones that don't have all the gimmicks.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Chainsawbot]

Internal musings

want to know how to take one apart and what it looks like?

This thread helped me get the nerve up to take apart a kicking pony... well, almost. Cutting was not necessary to break through the glue and although I was unable to get the mechanism fully out I was able to get enough clearance to remove her ol' stubby tail and insert a new one. Rooting new bangs wasn't much more difficult than the other G2s I've done. I could see the grommet causing problems for rooting hair further down the neck.

I had an absolute devil of a time getting the kicking leg back on, however. Heating, prying and cutting just did not help. What I did find out is that the mechanical housing 'box' has little seams where it fits together. It can be gently prised open and the rod with the gears which the leg is usually connected to can be safely removed. That rod seems to simply intersect with the rod and gear used for the head turning motion. It was way, way easier to get the leg back onto the mount with the rod removed. Reinsert rod/gear, glue closed and stick the head back on. I wish I'd known how simple the innards of the kicking mechanism were before trying to force the leg back on with a giant set of pliers. Sorry for not having pictures of the box/mechanism but I was tired and just wanted everything over with.

She looks okay except for a scrape on one side while trying to use a set of pliers to get that dang leg back on. I know for next time and frankly its worth her having a tail and bangs. I know that this thread is a little old and thus thread necromancy but there aren't many resources for G2 restoration and customizing for regular figures, let alone those with action features.

 

[Ligress]

I have one mid taking apart and this thread actually has made me scared to go further! Aaa but that custom at the end makes me conflicted since ooo pretty!!

 

[Chainsawbot]

I have one mid taking apart and this thread actually has made me scared to go further!

If it's a bait G2 go for it. You don't really need to remove the entire mechanism for the kicking ponies- removing the leg and gently breaking through the glue along three sides and directly beneath the moving leg should offer enough clearance for a new tail. Pop the box, remove the leg rod, fight to get the leg back on, reinsert, glue the box seams and put on some bandaids if you slipped with the screwdriver.

I don't have one of the moving tail ones but those should be way easier to just pop out. The mount for the leg on the kicking ones make it hard to remove... although if you pop the box and remove the mounting rod first you could probably get it out with less trouble.

Poor Sweet Berry. Your scar will save future magic motion ponies from the trauma you went through. But, y'know, she still works. Not quite as well as before, but you can't make an omelet without breaking a few legs, right?

Kick kick.

 

[babyblueducky]

glad to help out however i can. i have yet put them together or turn them into a custom. maybe i should just sell them as bait.

 

[Chainsawbot]

glad to help out however i can. i have yet put them together or turn them into a custom. maybe i should just sell them as bait.

I did! The kicking leg ones are... tedious. Getting enough clearance to remove an old tail or insert a new one is totally doable but I do not advise removing the mechanism. Cracking the case is pretty much a necessity to remove the leg mount and reinsert it into the leg. Doable, but not something to be done for fun.

The twisty tails are much, much easier to manage. Just never, ever assert force on the stem of the head mount- if you can get a flathead screwdrvier and raise the machanism just a little bit out there's a flat ring on the mechanism's body that is perfect for gripping. The plastic can still get a bit mangled by the teeth of the pliers but it's not worth worrying about too much. There are two rules to follow regarding reinserting the mechanism, however.

1) Once it's in, it's in. It is extremely hard to get a removed mechanism out a second or third time. It can be done but the damage to the mechanism's casing is usually significant. Try to get everything right the first time.

2) That plastic sleeve for the rotating tails was there for a reason. Simply slipping it on again doesn't help. It's there to promote a stiff, solid piece going over the hook which hold the tail on, whatever you're using to collar the tail and the tail itself. I don't know how well the original plastic sheath responds to, say, heat shrinking, so I've got some electrical heatshrink tubing to try and replace it. That means taking the figure apart for the fourth time. Ugh. Will report with the results, whatever happens.

Do note that the head can be incredibly difficult to get back on. This is in part due to my method of rehairing which leaves little tied knots along the inside- machine hair sits flush in comparison so the added bulk makes full insertion of the mount difficult along the back of the neck. Edit: Do not attempt to crack the case. The plastic is too malleable to get apart cleanly and the 'weak point' is about as far from the glue holding it together as it can be.

 

[LightningMana-MLPcustoms]

*drools* Gorgeous~

 

[WaterRaven]

What a wonderfully informative thread. Thank very much everyone for sharing your advice and experience!