I bought a postwar 1666 at a train show two years ago, but it just gave up the ghost. I cleaned it, but it sounds like a electric drill malfunctioning and the wheels slip on the track. I polished the armiture, cleaned the end of the brushes, removed the grease from inbetween the copper plates, and relubricated the gears and armiture ends, and it runs better, but it's much noiser and I wanted to know if that is how it should sound. I think it was the first time that anyone had cleaned it since it left Iverington. (Help?)
The 1666 is not equipped with magnatraction so the wheels have a tendency to slip. Try starting off with as little power as needed to get rolling increasing as speed builds up.
The electric drill sound may be a worn bearing somewhere. Did you oil the axles ?
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Thanks. I didn't oil the axles, but once I can find a bottle of the stuff, I will try that.
Don't forget a "little" oil on each end of the armature. Also relube the gears.
I've got a track cleaning car that is getting noisy. I believe that the upper armature bearing is getting worn. Last time I had it apart, I used a drop of 30 weight oil motor oil on the upper bearing. That quieted it down for a while. The noise is back, so the heavier oil was only a band aid. The real fix will probably be a new bearing plate for the top of the motor.
Good luck.
Did you oil both ends of the armature and the gears and axle bearings?
What are you using for lube? I recommend 5/10W-20/30 motor oil. Cheap and never dries out. It sounds like you missed some of the bearings when you lubed the engine. Oil everything that moves, slides, turns, rotates, meshes, etc.
DO NOT put any oil on the brushes, or on ANY part of the reversing unit.
Actually, oiling the brushes is a good idea. I have done it for 5-6 years with no problems. If you don't think you should oil the brushes, what about oiling the axle bearings where the electrons go to get to the wheels and thus to the outside rails. I also oil the rollers on my ZWs and KWs.
I haven't tried oiling an E unit as they give so little trouble that I don't see the point in it.
I do oil the sliding contacts and the solenoid plunger on my 022 switches.
servoguy Actually, oiling the brushes is a good idea. I have done it for 5-6 years with no problems. If you don't think you should oil the brushes, what about oiling the axle bearings where the electrons go to get to the wheels and thus to the outside rails. I also oil the rollers on my ZWs and KWs.
Over the past forty plus years I've repaired lots of trains that needed service because a well meaning individual put oil (or grease) where it didn't belong. Show some documentation that recommends oiling brushes on trains. Carbon rollers should not be oiled either. Once again, show some supporting documentation.
What I think you will find is that using anything but motor oil will cause problems with the commutator. Put 3 in 1 oil on a commutator, and it will get gummy. Put Lionel Lube on the commutator, and it will get gummy. Use motor oil, and it doesn't get gummy.
I used 1956 Lionel lube from a large box of old tubes. I used my manuals from 1955 and 1986 for what to do, and they all said lube the armiture axles and pilot truck where it swivles, and oil the axles. I didn't oil the axles due to a lack of the proper supplies. Could I use a WD-40 soaked Q-Tip? Also, I didn't oil the brushes. The E-Unit is acting iffy, though, and the layout it acts up on is powered by a 1990's 40 Watt transformer from a 11173 New York Central Flyer Set. The other one has small curves and it works nearly fine on that one, and it's powered by a 1033. Should I wire it so I can run the second layout with the 1033 or can I use the 40 Watt? I want to avoid the 1033 option (because the 2nd layout is 15 feet away and I can barely work with it as it is), but it seems to be the only one I can see. Any help?
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