American Flyer 322 Motor

[diremaker]

Anyone here know how to re-attach the springs to the bushings on the 322 motor?  Its not the type i'm used to....i.e. the one with the cover over the long spring.  This has the spring 'arm' that clips? into the bushing that has a line perforated.  Its been driving me nuts trying to figure it out.  Thanks.

[richhotrain]

diremaker

Anyone here know how to re-attach the springs to the bushings on the 322 motor?  Its not the type i'm used to....i.e. the one with the cover over the long spring.  This has the spring 'arm' that clips? into the bushing that has a line perforated.  Its been driving me nuts trying to figure it out.  Thanks.

diremaker,

I have the same spring configuration on my #312.  That indentation in the back of the brush is intended to position the spring clip.  When I replaced the old brushes with new ones last year, I put the old springs back in place because they were still in good shape,  I cannot recall exactly how I did it but I do recall that it is fairly intuitive.  Just take a close look before you release the spring and then reverse the procedure to put the spring back into place.  The one thing that I do recall is that after placing the new brush in the tube, you have to rotate or position the brush so that the indentation matches the position of the spring clip.  Otherwise, the spring clip won't fit into the indentation in the brush.

Rich

[diremaker]

Thanks Rich. Everything you've described iv'e gotten to that point. Just can't get the clips to lock or stay into place. Any advice? I do not see how its done and I don't want to force anything. I took apart the field motor and never took notice how the clips were in place...my fault there. And it is truly frustrating cause the train is otherwise ready to run! Thanks again.

[richhotrain]

diremaker

Thanks Rich. Everything you've described iv'e gotten to that point. Just can't get the clips to lock or stay into place. Any advice? I do not see how its done and I don't want to force anything. I took apart the field motor and never took notice how the clips were in place...my fault there. And it is truly frustrating cause the train is otherwise ready to run! Thanks again.

Let me see if I can explain this without a photo or diagram.

The spring is mounted on top of the field coil.  The coiled part of the spring (i.e., the top of the spring) fits around the top of the field coil.  In other words, the small arm on top of the field coil slips inside the coiled part of the spring.  Since two of the wires from the tender are soldered on the left side and right side of the field coil, the springs cannot be removed or reinstalled unless these solder points are removed. 

The other end of each brush spring (i.e., the bottom of the spring) forms a 'V' shape.  When installed correctly, the bottom of the spring presses against the brush by fitting into the slot, or indentation. The open end of the bottom of the spring points away from the brush.

I hope this makes sense to you.

Rich 

 

[diremaker]

"The other end of each brush spring (i.e., the bottom of the spring) forms a 'V' shape.  When installed correctly, the bottom of the spring presses against the brush by fitting into the slot, or indentation. The open end of the bottom of the spring points away from the brush." Rich, Thanks again, but this where I'm stuck. I can't get the top end of the spring to 'stay' or 'clip' into place. The brushings are in. Springs are on, but dangling free. Can't get them to 'lock in' to stay put. Sorry this is so hard to explain... But I can turn the top of the spring upward to the bushing slot, forms the "V" but nothing "clips" in to lock them in place. So they dangle and that's all I've gotten in three nights of looking at it. Could I be doing this backwards? There's no tension on the spring when its in place, where it should be.

[richhotrain]

diremaker

"The other end of each brush spring (i.e., the bottom of the spring) forms a 'V' shape.  When installed correctly, the bottom of the spring presses against the brush by fitting into the slot, or indentation. The open end of the bottom of the spring points away from the brush." Rich, Thanks again, but this where I'm stuck. I can't get the top end of the spring to 'stay' or 'clip' into place. The brushings are in. Springs are on, but dangling free. Can't get them to 'lock in' to stay put. Sorry this is so hard to explain... But I can turn the top of the spring upward to the bushing slot, forms the "V" but nothing "clips" in to lock them in place. So they dangle and that's all I've gotten in three nights of looking at it. Could I be doing this backwards? There's no tension on the spring when its in place, where it should be.

diremaker,

If you sounded a little more desperate, I would remove the shell from mine and take a photo - - LOL

http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/afk5312/.mids/Spring4A.jpg

Take a look at this photo of a set of 4 springs, focusing on the spring on the right.   That upper coiled portion fits over the tab at the top of the field coil and the end of that coil (hanging downward toward the southwest, if you will), has to fitted into the field coil to provide tension and to keep the spring from hanging freely.  Once you have secured the top of the spring, the bottom of the spring fits into the slot or indentation on the brush (which, if it were in the photo, would be on the right of the spring at the bottom.  When installed correctly, the spring is under tension pushing the brush toward the armature and that tail at the bottom of the spring (leaning upward to the northwest, if you will) is leaning away from the brush.

I'll bet at this point you would kill for a photo of the real thing.

Rich

[diremaker]

Rich, Yea I would....i'm gonna get back to it tonight and see what else I can try.  I need to create the tension first and then snap into the bushing...at least I can go from there.  If anyone here has a pic....?