Trying to improve print quality and avoid clogs

[pg353060]

I'm brand new on the 3D printing game and just got put in charge of my company's new 3D printer (we basically drew straws...), a MakerBot 2X.

After having a huge number of issues, including a massive, unclear able clog in the thermal tube after only one print, we got our replacement printer and I'm curious about how to improve the print quality that I'm getting so far. I suspect that the printing temp (230C for each extruder) might be too high, as I'm getting leakage from the idle extruder that gets stuck to the print as the extruder moves over it, but I'm not sure what the minimum printing temp for ABS (MakerBot brand) is. And I'm desperately trying to avoid a clogging situation, which may have resulted from a high temp, like last time.

I'm also getting a sort of rippled pattern on the surface of the print instead of smooth. I recently relieved the bed to give the nozzles a little more distance from the bed, but is this surface texture a sign that they're still too close?

Any tips for a first timer would be appreciated!