Lionel motor thrust bearings

[irontooth]

I took my Lionel Budd car motor apart to find out why it was noisy, now I have managed to forget which way the flat side on the thrust bearings should face top and bottom please help.  Thank you all.

Irontooth

David

[KRM]

David, What is the number of the car? Maybe I can look it up for you.

[ADCX Rob]

irontooth

...I have managed to forget which way the flat side on the thrust bearings should face top and bottom please help...

[irontooth]

It is Lionel Budd Car 400 Thanks David

[irontooth]

Thanks for picture looks like the flat side goes down to me.

Thanks

David

 

[lionelsoni]

I don't see how it could matter.

[ADCX Rob]

Yes, it looks like it doesn't matter.

[David1005]

If you put the open side up it helps keep the grease in.

[cwburfle]

David1005

If you put the open side up it helps keep the grease in.

 

For years I never thought about which way should be up, and just reassembled my motors with the bearing race oriented randomly.
Once I read a similar comment on another board, I started assembling my motors with the bearing's open side up. I figured it couldn't hurt.

But I don't think it really matters. The grease I use is thick enough not to migrate significantly.

[lionelsoni]

The same bearing is used in locomotives with horizontal armature shafts, so loss of lubricant must be unlikely.

[irontooth]

Thanks everyone for all the input , the Lionel 400 RDC Budd Car is up and running

 

David

[irontooth]

When I looked at the thrust bearings, it did not look like there was any grease at all in the bearing. What type of grease did you use? 

Thanks

David

[ADCX Rob]

I use the Lucas Red 'N' Tacky #2.

[KRM]

 

Mobil 1 Full Synthetic Grease, one $9.00 tube will last your trains a lifetime.