Problem with extruding

I bought a folgertech prusa i3 and I'm having trouble getting it to print anything. When i try extruding filament manually(pushing it down the motor through the extruder) it takes some force and I do see it melted filament coming out of the extruder. When I try to extrude using repetier nothing happens. It makes a noise as though it wants to work, but then doesn't. If i try to reverse the extuder motor it works fine and the filament backs out, but only when I'm trying to extrude forwards (as in to print) do I get these problems.

My extruder does not have a tension spring or screw, it's just a pulley and a gear. I've tried running it without the gear as well, and I am getting similar results. If I try to print and feel the motion of the filament, i can tell that it's going up and down. I've already replaced the stepper, increased feed rate, increased stepper voltage, decreased stepper voltage, and reversed the wires connecting to the RAMPS board.

My main assumption is that the hot end is clogged, or similar but since I have not had the chance to print anything I don't know what anything should normally feel like, and how it should run. If this can be easily remedied I'd really appreciate some help. If not, can someone please refer me to a quality extruder and hot end that won't give me these problems. (I'll be needing to print PLA as well as ABS). Thank you.

edit: my problem with the extruder looks to be very similar to this video (how the filament seems to jerk back and forth):
[www.youtube.com]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2016 03:29PM by AmazeCPK.

Can't any of those videos help you ? Try removing just the nozzle then the filament should come out when you extrude no heat needed if the filament comes out no problem then hold the nozzle with pliers and heat it red hot till filament drips out and burns off the nozzle then check it over a light you should be able to see the pinhole at the tip if not only two choices replace tip or run proper diameter drill in the end. If no filament comes out without the nozzle then the heat break tube is clogged and can be cleared with a drill bit filament size. Set first layer temp at 200 for pla and try. Actually watch the next video after your link from dustin. Make sure the extruder cooling fan is always running.

I would first try to un-clog it the way Roger said above. A lot of people have issues with the direct drive extruders. I honestly never got mine working, i jumped ship and went to a greg-wades extruder within a couple weeks of fighting the cheap one that came with my printer. defeatism aside, you might want to check your feed rate, your steps/mm and make sure that your stepper drivers are seated well. double checking the current you're sending to your motors never hurts either.