Post by cbq2bn on Sept 16, 2010 9:36:40 GMT -5
I didn't know where the best place was for this, so if it needs to me moved, please do.
Just a write up i did in March of 2002 when I wasn't working and had allot of time for trains.
I was always going to do a re-write with pictures, but as you can see, that has not happened yet.
Hopefully somebody(s) will find it useful..
__________
This is how I do it, and if you have done
any Athearn work it only takes a little while at the bench to do this,
My Last one was finished "start to run" in about, 30 minutes or so, and a few
drinks of Hot Coffee, LOL
1- I use a pair of clip end jumpers wires, 2 needed,
2- you will need to take the Motor out of the unit, then Clip the leads to the
top and Bottom Brass
contact strips, run the motor in both direction "wait for it to stop before
changing direction"
If you have worked with these types of motors before, when you run it full
power, Listen to the wine
of the motor and feel if running, should have a slight winning sound as it
runs, and feel the
vibration of the motor, should not be hardly any.
--if you have extra motors, do the same with them until you find one that
will run very smooth and
have the less wine to it.
"if you know how to take the Armature out of the Motor, It Might and can help
to do take the motor apart an clean the shafts and bushings holes, Just make
sure you don' get it in a bind putting back together.
"I had one in a Close to new unit that locked up and was hotter then all get
out, Could not even touch it and the Flywheels were hotter yet. after it cooled
I took it apart. cleaned the Shafts and bushings, reassembled it oiled it,
dropped it in another unit and runs great, Got me??"
While you are running it, I use a black 400 grit sand paper and shine the
Brass one the
Commentator, "part the motor brushes run on" until it is nice and shinny
again, do this in both
directions then give it a good blow when it's clean,
I use my MRC 2400 Power supply to run mine.
Running the motor from a very very slow speed will also help you see how
slow it will run.
The Less Amp Draw it has the sooner it will turn, More Is Later.
3- I use a red oil that was for oiling 1/24 scale slot car motors an wheels for
the motor shafts, just
a drop or two is plenty,
4- Now we will work on the drive parts, take the shaft apart and look them
over, remove any burrs,
Remove any burrs or flash you find, the worst part on the shafts is the
knuckle on the Work gear,
this will make more noise then you can believe, just hitting the top of the
truck,
Make sure the Inner shaft that do the sliding are free to move, a little
sanding on them will free
them up and use a dry lube on these "I don't do it to all of mine but I
probably should"
5- When you are happy that the shaft look good and are free to slide around. we
need to take a
Dremal tool while we have the Drive apart "if you have one" and wire wheel
and shin up
everyplace the electric contact are, 'PLEASE wear safety glasses for this"
---On the Bottom of the chassis were the truck rides on the frame, the top side
of the touch where it
ride on the frame, the part of the trucks that the clips ride under,
inside the long strip the clips to
the top of the motor, the brass contacts on the
on the motor, and down inside the frame were the lower motor contact strip
ride.
---if you wise to, take the trucks apart and do this in the grooves were the
Axle Bushings contact
the trucks contact and if your very careful do the brass contact/bushings
on the axles.
" I take the wheel sets apart and put the bushings on a small screw driver
that fits in the holes,
But is not very loose"
6- This is in your own option if you want to do this or not, I say this as I
have done it by hand with a
Small Xacto file Triangle one, and did not work any better than ones I
have not"
---Use a Small file the is in a triangle shape that will fit in the teeth of
the gears and give each
space a few files to remove any burrs or flash, I mark the gear at one
space with a Knife blade
on the gear side so I know where I started. (edit: you can use folded 400 grit sand paper and swipe each gear face a couple of times, also lay the gear down flat on the sand paper to remove any burrs - uncle Jay, admin), when your finished, you should
wash the gears off,
soapy water or How ever you choose.
---The tooth Paste method I have not tried, but Have heard it from allot of
Modelers that have,
Pearl Drops they say to use, clean the gears and trucks for any oil or lube
that is there, add a few
drops of Pearl Drops the them after there together and run you unit about
an hour in both
direction, (30 mins is enough - uncle Jay, admin), then take them apart, clean the again and when dry put them back
in and lube to you
specs.
" I use white Lithium Grease for my gearing, small tubes at any part store,
Mine is about 3 time
bigger than a model car glue tube, this should last forever. (edit: other options are LaBelle lubes or Hobb-e-Lube for models - uncle Jay, admin)
5- after everything is back together, run your unit a little both ways with the
shell off, and if you
happy with how it runs then we can work on the shell.
---This is in my opinion the 2nd worst part of Athearn Noise, Like the old
western guitars these
Shells will make a little noise allot worse.
Ok, look around and find some of the foam used in the Athearn boxes to pack
there units, One
long piece is all you need, if your shell is all detailed please use care
--Now if you have a stock unit you will need to make sure the foam will fit in
the shell and hold itself
in Place, don't use a loose piece that will fall out on it's own.
Cut the foam so it will be as long as the long Hood,
"you might have to make it shorter if you have the Standard Athearn Lighting,
I take all of mine out and will add wired lights later"
When your foam is the length you need, push it in the top of the shell
starting and the rear, if it is to long it will push on the light and the shell
will feel like it is not going to fit.
I have used a ruler to show how it should be in Height, if it's to thick,
and you put in back on the tracks it might not go like one of mine did "What
the Heck" is the first thing you think, LOL
This should help in making them run more quite and will help run smoother,
Larry L Doub
Just a write up i did in March of 2002 when I wasn't working and had allot of time for trains.
I was always going to do a re-write with pictures, but as you can see, that has not happened yet.
Hopefully somebody(s) will find it useful..
__________
This is how I do it, and if you have done
any Athearn work it only takes a little while at the bench to do this,
My Last one was finished "start to run" in about, 30 minutes or so, and a few
drinks of Hot Coffee, LOL
1- I use a pair of clip end jumpers wires, 2 needed,
2- you will need to take the Motor out of the unit, then Clip the leads to the
top and Bottom Brass
contact strips, run the motor in both direction "wait for it to stop before
changing direction"
If you have worked with these types of motors before, when you run it full
power, Listen to the wine
of the motor and feel if running, should have a slight winning sound as it
runs, and feel the
vibration of the motor, should not be hardly any.
--if you have extra motors, do the same with them until you find one that
will run very smooth and
have the less wine to it.
"if you know how to take the Armature out of the Motor, It Might and can help
to do take the motor apart an clean the shafts and bushings holes, Just make
sure you don' get it in a bind putting back together.
"I had one in a Close to new unit that locked up and was hotter then all get
out, Could not even touch it and the Flywheels were hotter yet. after it cooled
I took it apart. cleaned the Shafts and bushings, reassembled it oiled it,
dropped it in another unit and runs great, Got me??"
While you are running it, I use a black 400 grit sand paper and shine the
Brass one the
Commentator, "part the motor brushes run on" until it is nice and shinny
again, do this in both
directions then give it a good blow when it's clean,
I use my MRC 2400 Power supply to run mine.
Running the motor from a very very slow speed will also help you see how
slow it will run.
The Less Amp Draw it has the sooner it will turn, More Is Later.
3- I use a red oil that was for oiling 1/24 scale slot car motors an wheels for
the motor shafts, just
a drop or two is plenty,
4- Now we will work on the drive parts, take the shaft apart and look them
over, remove any burrs,
Remove any burrs or flash you find, the worst part on the shafts is the
knuckle on the Work gear,
this will make more noise then you can believe, just hitting the top of the
truck,
Make sure the Inner shaft that do the sliding are free to move, a little
sanding on them will free
them up and use a dry lube on these "I don't do it to all of mine but I
probably should"
5- When you are happy that the shaft look good and are free to slide around. we
need to take a
Dremal tool while we have the Drive apart "if you have one" and wire wheel
and shin up
everyplace the electric contact are, 'PLEASE wear safety glasses for this"
---On the Bottom of the chassis were the truck rides on the frame, the top side
of the touch where it
ride on the frame, the part of the trucks that the clips ride under,
inside the long strip the clips to
the top of the motor, the brass contacts on the
on the motor, and down inside the frame were the lower motor contact strip
ride.
---if you wise to, take the trucks apart and do this in the grooves were the
Axle Bushings contact
the trucks contact and if your very careful do the brass contact/bushings
on the axles.
" I take the wheel sets apart and put the bushings on a small screw driver
that fits in the holes,
But is not very loose"
6- This is in your own option if you want to do this or not, I say this as I
have done it by hand with a
Small Xacto file Triangle one, and did not work any better than ones I
have not"
---Use a Small file the is in a triangle shape that will fit in the teeth of
the gears and give each
space a few files to remove any burrs or flash, I mark the gear at one
space with a Knife blade
on the gear side so I know where I started. (edit: you can use folded 400 grit sand paper and swipe each gear face a couple of times, also lay the gear down flat on the sand paper to remove any burrs - uncle Jay, admin), when your finished, you should
wash the gears off,
soapy water or How ever you choose.
---The tooth Paste method I have not tried, but Have heard it from allot of
Modelers that have,
Pearl Drops they say to use, clean the gears and trucks for any oil or lube
that is there, add a few
drops of Pearl Drops the them after there together and run you unit about
an hour in both
direction, (30 mins is enough - uncle Jay, admin), then take them apart, clean the again and when dry put them back
in and lube to you
specs.
" I use white Lithium Grease for my gearing, small tubes at any part store,
Mine is about 3 time
bigger than a model car glue tube, this should last forever. (edit: other options are LaBelle lubes or Hobb-e-Lube for models - uncle Jay, admin)
5- after everything is back together, run your unit a little both ways with the
shell off, and if you
happy with how it runs then we can work on the shell.
---This is in my opinion the 2nd worst part of Athearn Noise, Like the old
western guitars these
Shells will make a little noise allot worse.
Ok, look around and find some of the foam used in the Athearn boxes to pack
there units, One
long piece is all you need, if your shell is all detailed please use care
--Now if you have a stock unit you will need to make sure the foam will fit in
the shell and hold itself
in Place, don't use a loose piece that will fall out on it's own.
Cut the foam so it will be as long as the long Hood,
"you might have to make it shorter if you have the Standard Athearn Lighting,
I take all of mine out and will add wired lights later"
When your foam is the length you need, push it in the top of the shell
starting and the rear, if it is to long it will push on the light and the shell
will feel like it is not going to fit.
I have used a ruler to show how it should be in Height, if it's to thick,
and you put in back on the tracks it might not go like one of mine did "What
the Heck" is the first thing you think, LOL
This should help in making them run more quite and will help run smoother,
Larry L Doub