I opened my original F3 horn today and don;t really know what im doing inside. Any idea what usually goes wrong and how to repair? If the coil winding is open, can't it be rewound?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update / Edited 2/1/2010
Ok guys here is how I fixed it. I beleive this will work with all lionel horns.
-Remove the lid by using a pocket knife to pry the crimps away.
-Remove the vibrator disc from the lid.
-Sand the outer rim of the horn with 600 grit sand paper, then again with 1200 grit. It should shine and be free from the corrosion that was present. Wipe with QD Electronic cleaner or alchohol.
-On the coil arm, look for the contact rivit, sand this with 1200 grit sandpaper until it shines. Then blow out the horn with compressed air or canned air to rid the dust created by the sand paper.
-Inspect the rivit in the center of the vibrator disc for loosness, if loose strike with a p r i c k punch on the topside while resting the bottom on a nice clean, flat surface.
-Spend some serious time cleaning the vibrator disc, this contact with the horn body is very critial, not to mention i'm sure it looks nasty by now. I used 600 grit first and cleaned both sides, then 1200 grit to remove the sand scratches, then I used a metal polish to really make it shine. After, I sprayed it with QD electronic cleaner to wash off any wax the polish left as you do not want that on there.
-If you want, go ahead and clean the lid, however it doesn not need to be cleaned.
-This is the hardest part, placeing the vibrator disc and lid back on and getting it tight. Here is how; place the vibrator disc onto the horn body with the flat part of the center rivit on the bottom towards the coil arm (if you forgot its orientation or someone else screwed it up). Install the top lid, crimping the tabs with a pair of larger pliers. This will not be enough, you will need to hold the horn on its side, resting one tab on a flat surface, then slightly hammer the opposite tab, keep rotating the horn around and keep hammering them until that all are bent inwards like they were. Then re-squeeze with pliers to assure they stayed tight. Having a tight lid is ABSOLUTLY necessary to make it work, this is where I had a hard time, I just squeezed with pliers which was not enough.
-Now after all that, the adjustment WILL BE OFF, you will need to play with it for a bit. I recommend using about 3v-4v DC in 5 sec blasts to get the insides moving good. Then make your fine adjustment with a D battery cell.
-Congrats, you have fixed your non working horn. Use it a lot after you fix it before putting back in your train. This way you can get it adjusted perfect.
You can buy aftermarket horns really cheap. Some guys have had luck by applying more DC voltage to the horn for a few seconds. This free's them up somehow. Are you sure the relay that sends the 1.5 volt dc from the battery is working properly?
Roger
My horn is not even on the train, I am testing it manually with a D cell. I have an aftermarket horn and it sounds horrible.
Ok, I used a 3.6v ni-cad battery and it works. But it will not work with a new "D" battery.
Well, I've gone the parts route at York. I've always been told they're not repairable. They're temperamental is he*$# too. Most sellers won't guarantee a horn.
Repros don't sound right. There is a definite difference.
Mike S.
Did you adjust the screw to make it work? Sometimes that will work.
Bruce Baker
Ford.....Sounds like you had a long but productive night! How do you like the sound?
Jack
IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.
About 11:30 or so actually.
The sound is so much better than the repro horns. I am *** I spent the $10 on it.
Anyone have a F3 horn or GP horn they want to send me to get fixed? I want to put some pics in with my instructions but don;t feel like taking mine apart again. I will fix it for free.
How on earth did you ever get those tabs bent? I tried about a year ago and I couldn't budge a single tab. I gave up and bought a replacement horn.
Earl
A pocket knife blade you don't care about. It bends them like cake. Just do not have your other hand near it or when you slip, you will slice your finger. You will slip on a few tabs. Bending them back is not hard if you have a hammer and flat surface, like the flat part of your bench vise.
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