Not only do the new GG1's have the above mentioned lack of oil and grease, but there are numerous serious mechanical assembly problems as well. There are problems with the bushings too far to one side causing a magnetized wheel to rub against the chassis, some trucks have excessive slop because the wheels were not pushed on far enough causing the non flanged wheels to rub badly against the flanged wheels, this also causes the idler gears to ride up on the gear shaft at an angle and cause binding with the nearest wheel. Then there is the over heating of the E units caused by lack of heat sink compound and improper design of the aluminum heat sink piece that crosses over to each set of components. Some units also have the shiny metal spacer missing that goes under the motor to space the truck away from the frame and this causes bad binding against the frames.
In my opinion, Lionel has very poor quality control right now. If you buy one of these conventional classics and its not right, send it back! Most dealers will swap it out if they have more in stock. If you try contacting Lionel right now you will see that they are swamped with people trying to reach them now.
Roger
LOL... yeah I tried this and you still get the same engine with the same problem... at least the quality is consistant. Nope best to alert the troops and fix it yourself. I returned one to the service center and got it back with a nice scratch and a few host of other problems. Thanks for the heads up! I have a new 4-8-4 FEF in layaway. The Hobby shop will exchange for a new one with-in 14 days if anything is wrong. So I intend to oil it, and run the heck out of it, check and re-check it. Buying from a good hobby shop helps in being satisfied...
From other posts I have read, this appears to be a general systemic problem with this batch of new GG-1s. I think that the smart thing to do is for eveyone to return their engine to Lionel so that it can be properly oiled and greased.
Why let them get away with poor manufacture? They have a warranty and should be made to live up to it. Trying to fix the problem yourself could void the rest of the warranty, for that matter. Why risk it? Send 'em back!!
I agree on oil before running. I have gotten instructions with Williams engines stating they left certain things dry to prevent oil seepage during shipping. I agree having to pull a motors to check the worm gear for grease is taking it a bit far. Manufacturers in most cases are good with internals for this reason.
No matter who made it, it's always been a practice for me to check all the lubrication points on a new or used engine much like checking oil, coolant, and trans fluid in a car. You can never be 100% sure with these things and it's cheap insurance to check them.
If it does not go beyond shell removal, it is not a difficult task to check these things. If a person is not inclined with any of this, he is best off buying from a full service retail store that checks everything before it goes out the door. Things of this nature is common with all manufacturers. The automotive industry calls it dealer prep. Don't expect this from a discount dealer, they don't make enough profit to perform this service. Only the tooth fairy gives stuff for free.
It only needs enough grease to be slippery. If it was not dry it had enough grease.
"IT's GOOD TO BE THE KING",by Mel Brooks
Charter Member- Tardis Train Crew (TTC) - Detroit3railers- Detroit Historical society Glancy Modular trains- Charter member BTTS
Not sure if that problem is due to possible oil leaking during shipping or what, but most companies will send a new engine without lube. Just be glad it runs and don't fall apart like some older K-Line truck assemblies on their GG1's.
Quality seems to be lacking with just about all companies, it is a matter of dollar verses quality control. Have to remember you need to pay a person to do quality control job, it could be an economic issue, in other words it is cheaper to replace a new item under warrenty than to inspect the new items.
Lee F.
sir james,
I can understand not putting oil on external parts before shipping, but the fact that the lubrication of internal parts was not done at the factory bothers me. There was hardly any grease in either power truck, and the bearings on both motors were bone dry.
You should not have to remove the motors on a new engine to grease it. However all mfg's of engines send them oil dry. Read anybodys instructions and it will say OIL BEFORE RUNNING.
Brent,
I know, I don't think this type of repair should be needed on a brand new product either. I considered sending it back for warranty repair, but the I figured that they would send back another with the same defects. From what I have seen and heard, quality control is lacking to say the least. I never thought a brand new GG1 would neeed more service than a 60 year GG1.
Jim,I kind of have a problem with this... not every person in the hobby is knowledgable enough to perform this type of work, and if you're paying money for something you shouldn't have to service it before you run it the first time. This is like buying a new car and having to fill it up with gas, have an oil change performed, and then top off the tranny fluid.Lionel should be ensuring this doesn't happen, yet I've had to lube and oil all of my 'new' engines before I run them... and these are items that have just come out, not stuff that has sat on LHS shelves for 1+ year.
I had some problems with my new GG1, and I'd like to pass along my findings. Be sure to check the brush plate screws, as well as the ground screw on each power truck. All of mine were somewhat loose, which could explain why the one motor stopped occasionally. Make sure theoil wick in each brush plate is touching the armature shaft and is satuarated with oil. Mine were dry and not even touching the shaft. Also, remove each motor and add more grease to the gears, as well as oiling the lower motor bearing. Those of you experiencing the slowdown issue may want to check the transistors on the reverse board. Some heatsink compound applied between the tab on the transistors and the heatsink might be the solution. I haven't tried these, but it might be worth a try.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.
Get the Classic Toy Trains newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month