Need help with a e unit

[northernpike]

Got a 2036 in a junk bin.  Eunit causing trouble.  Engine would go forward, reverse sometimes.  Mostly stuck in neutral.

Took eunit apart, new fingers.  Drum appears ok, shined it up with skotchbright pad.  Got it back together, still stuck in neutral.  Drum appears to spin, makes the clicking sound when all is ok, just wont reverse or go forward.  Nothing is locking wheels, they spin well.  Engine smokes well (out of stack)  Pawl goes up and down.  I have rebuilt eunits before with no trouble, but am baffled.  What am I missing?

Thanks

Northernpike

[cwburfle]

Look closely at the e-unit. Sometimes the replacement fingers are not properly shaped, and miss the metal contact area on the drum. If so, the fingers can be rebent to work properly.

Double check to make certain the drum is acutally turning.

Will the motor run if it is hardwared without the e-unit?

[ADCX Rob]

cwburfle

Will the motor run if it is hardwared without the e-unit?

This is a necessary test!

[northernpike]

Might be dumb question, but what is the best way to hardwire temporarily to bypass eunit?

Thanks

Tom

[cwburfle]

No offense intended, but if you have to ask how to "hardwire" a motor, then it is also possible that you mixed up the wires from the e-unit to the motor. (I've been repairing Lionel trains for more years than I care to mention, and I have mixed up the wires from time to time)

To check the motor:

Set up a pair of test leads by hooking two wires to a transfomer set to about 10 volts.

disconnect the wires from the e-unit to the motor (2 brushes and 1 field wire)

Connect a jumper from the field wire to either brush holder
The second field wire should already be grounded to the frame of the motor
attach a test lead with transformer power to the frame of the motor
touch the second test lead to the other brush holder
The motor should run.

Exchange the wires on the brush holders
The motor should run in the opposite direction.

 

[northernpike]

Got it going-

Engine test worked without e unit.  Went back to e unit and took apart.  One of the lower fingers was slightly bent.  Runs like a watch now!

Thanks for the advice-

Northern