Help with 2344 Restoration?

[Chris F]

My first project for the new year is restoration of a 2344 NYC F-3. Although I've done other PW locos, this is the first time for one with horizontal motors, and I'm requesting some advice regarding some items unique to these units.

1. I can't get the worm shaft out of the rear power truck because the worm bearing is trapped below the rear coupler plate. Is there a trick to removing the shaft, or do I have to get out my Dremel tool to start cutting rivets?[:(]

2. The grease used in the trucks is different than the current Lionel lube. Do I need a special grease (and if so, what do you recommend)?

3. The motors have a small hole on top, between the coil and the mounting holes. Looking down through this small hole, you can see the motor shaft turning. It appears to be for adding oil, but David Doyle's book, "Standard Catalog of Lionel Trains, 1945-1969" (the only reference I could find that discusses this) says to use grease. There was no evidence of grease in the shaft area. Should I use oil or grease?

Any tips here would be greatly appreciated![:)]

[ben10ben]

I can't help with the first one, but I'll take a shot at the other two.

Lionel always supplied a compound called "Lionel Lubricant", which(I assume) was just vaseline. Vaseline is what I use for grease on all of my postwar engines, and it works just fine.

The service manual just says to lubricate at that point. When I took apart the motor on my 681, which is basically the same, everything in that space seemed to be oil. I replaced it with 3-in-1, and it has done just fine.

[Anonymous]

I just checked two of my F3 rear trucks, and I couldn't get the worm shaft out. You can probably cut off the rivets and tap the holes #4-40. I think I have done this in the past. The secret is to use a screw with a low-profile head, such as a panhead screw, for the top screws; otherwise, the heads will hit the crosspiece of the rear steps. Screws will facilitate disassembly in the future.

I use oil in the middle hole and a gear grease on the gears.

Be sure to keep the axles lubricated. The worm gears exert quite a bit of force on the brass axle bushings, and once they wear, you will have problems with the engagement of the worm shaft and worm wheels.

[daan]

I use lithium grease on the wormgears and the rest is normal 3in1 oil. The motor axle turns too fast for grease to lubricate it. I use the oil in spraycan's with a small tube on it. With that you can reach almost every part and bit in the engine.
Clean the collectors of the motors as well, it will give better performance and less powerdraw. (click on the homepage-icon and jump to my site to see pictures of it under "motoronderhoud" on the right side).

[Chris F]

Thanks for the replies, gentlemen![:)]

1. The rivets are "toast", but I got 50+ years of gunk and dirt out of the trucks. Off to the hardware store tomorrow to find some #4 (or smaller, hopefully) bolts and nuts.

2. Vaseline, gear grease, or lithium grease - sounds like I don't have too much to worry about if I use the white grease with Teflon I already have, right?

3. LaBelle oil for the motor shaft - got it.

Thanks again!