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Post by NCCR 2580 on Mar 17, 2009 15:33:21 GMT -5
Hello, folks... Doas any one have any ideas on how to get into a Proto SD45? I recently picked up three in a deal and I need to get inside, but having no luck. These are great looking units and great shells. I know they are typical of proto construction, but they are very very tight fitting... they did not come in the factory boxes. So I don't have the sheets to go with them. After removing the screws and such it still seems these well made units do not want to part from the frame... Any suggestions are very much welcome! Thanks a bunch!
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dtinut
Chairman
Modeling the DT&I of the 60's & 70's
Posts: 661
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Post by dtinut on Mar 17, 2009 16:33:11 GMT -5
As I recall - there are a set of screws, kinda buried under the trucks - you have to swivel the trucks to access them (using a small phillips screwdriver) - once they are removed- and you have taken off the coupler boxes - then the shell should slip up, and off the drive. There is the usual large cast metal weight under the hood, so it might be kind of tight, but I don't recall having any real issues getting the shell off after removing the screws and coupler boxes.
Regards,
Brian
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Post by Randy Earle on Mar 17, 2009 16:48:55 GMT -5
Brians right, the one that's hard to get to is the one under the rear truck. The guy I got my P2K SD-45 from busted the shell because he didn't remove those screws.
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Post by NCCR 2580 on Mar 17, 2009 18:29:16 GMT -5
Hey, thanks for that tip on the rear truck screw! I never would have found that one I don't think. That was it... but then I had to find a screw driver small enough to get to it...It's been a while since I have had to pull those tools out and yes, I for got where they were... Came off with ease after that one...
Randy- I remember you saying something about that one you had bought... the guy never mentioned anything about the shell being broken? I'm assuming you were not able to safe it...
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dtinut
Chairman
Modeling the DT&I of the 60's & 70's
Posts: 661
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Post by dtinut on Mar 17, 2009 20:03:21 GMT -5
I didn't bother to re-install that hard to get at screw after I put it back together either.
I didn't want to have to try and do it again at a later date...
Brian
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2009 13:25:21 GMT -5
Best combination is the P2K SD45 shell/walkway on an Athearn SD40/45 chassis.
A little frame modification is needed, but the drive is good and matches up well with other models and the trucks are WAY better.
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Post by graftonterminalrr on Mar 19, 2009 16:47:36 GMT -5
I suppose it would work better if one were to adapt the P2K motor to the Athearn frame? You'd lose the "Blue-Box Growl".
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Post by Randy Earle on Mar 19, 2009 16:59:52 GMT -5
I suppose it would work better if one were to adapt the P2K motor to the Athearn frame? You'd lose the "Blue-Box Growl". Whatz wrong with a growl? |
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Post by graftonterminalrr on Mar 19, 2009 17:06:18 GMT -5
Not a thing.
There's quite a few people that feel that the RTR Athearn motors are hit-and-miss, and the Proto 2000 can motors are Kato clones. Brian feels that Athearn has the better trucks and sideframes. Just stands to reason, you can get the best of both worlds by installing the P2K motor on the Athearn frame and adding the P2K body.
This way, you would get a whisper-quiet SD45 that doesn't have weirdo gearing and has better detailed sideframes.
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dtinut
Chairman
Modeling the DT&I of the 60's & 70's
Posts: 661
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Post by dtinut on Mar 19, 2009 21:30:57 GMT -5
The P2K SD45 did suffer from the gear of the month surprise that the China builder designed to fit the specs P2K provided to them. I am not sure why LL allowed this, but it happened.
I tried many different motors in mine to see if anything would help it, but the motor had little effect on how it ran. It always ran fine, but the problem is that it is a jack rabbit. there really wasn't any slow speed crawl to it. You could have the nicest throttle in the world, and it still took off like a bat once it started moving. 0-30, and then it had an OK speed response.
I suppose if you put a kato on each side of it, they could drag it thru the slow speed, and it would catch up once the katos got up to speed...
Mine is gonna be a dummy...
Regards,
Brian
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Post by NCCR 2580 on Mar 22, 2009 21:45:46 GMT -5
Best combination is the P2K SD45 shell/walkway on an Athearn SD40/45 chassie, trucks are WAY better. I wish I could do that combo, you are right Brian, one of the first things I looked at was the trucks. To be honest with you, I was let down. How could they do this, after the tooling used on the SD9 trucks... They were very nice! I have three of these SD45s of which I just got them a part the other night and got them stripped. I doubt I'll be putting that screw back in above the rear truck! I can't afford the extra units that would be needed from Athern for these three. I wish I could... I came across a deal I could not turn down, two Athern 70MACs, three P2K SD45s, two Atlas GP40s, and two Stewart F units for $200.00... Yes, and in great condition... So that was all for now and the next good while. I just had a death in the family yesterday, So Lots of things on hold. |
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