Forgive me if I've posted twice......Lionel Alaska GP-7 gear problem

[USAFGE44]

Please forgive me if I've posted the same problem twice, I thought I was on the "Classic Toy Trains" forum but I may have posted it on the Trains.com forum in error -- I'm new at this website, so please be patient with me.

Here is the problem.

I've purchased two Lionel O gauge Alaska Gp-7s (#1804) on line, and both have had problems with the plastic drive gears binding? On the first engine the very small upper drive gear was totally missing on arrival. On the second engine, the small upper drive gear fell off on the tracks as I was testing it.

Is there a DIY solution for the poor, plastic drive gear engineering problem?

I love the sound and look of this engine and just want to get it working.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Wayne

[rtraincollector]

goto www.ttender.com look for phone number I believe near the bottom call Jeff and he will tell you what you can do to fix them. He's very knowledgeable about things like that. Thats the best answer I can give you and see no one else has offered any ideas :)

[Roger Bielen]

There were a series of Lionel GP's that were notorius for plastic gear problems.  For a while replacement brass gears were being offered.  Your might contact  a local service station and check if your engine was among these and if they might have the gears that are needed.

[USAFGE44]

Update on my Lionel Alaska #1804 GP-7 gear slipping, binding problem.

Thanks to all those that replied with suggestions -- they were all very good, but I tried the cheapest, that is, keep the existing can motors and the plastic pinion gear and try to fix the problem with the parts that I already had.

What I did:

1.) I cleaned the inside channel or hole of the plastic pinion gear with toothpicks and water/dishwashing liquid solution -- let dry thoroughly.

 2.) I gleaned the canned motor shafts with a Q-tip dipped in acetone (nail polish remover).

 3.) I did dry runs of rapidly reinstalling the pinnion gears with a pair of hemostats (medical foresips) while the motors and other gears were still installed in the trucks.

 4.) I mixed JB Weld ("Steel Reinforced Epoxy") which can be used on " most plastics" and metal.

 5.) I pushed toothpicks covered with JB Weld into the gear hole,  cleaned the side facing the motor and installed the pinion gears with the foresips -- let try for at least 6 hours.

  Worked like a charm!!!  No more binding, no more slipping. How long? Don't know yet.

[laz 57]

USA44,

   I used the JB WELD on the Lionel Intermodal Crane, pinion gear and worked great.  I had NO slippage now for about 3 months.  So far so good, GOOD LUCK!

laz57

[gunrunnerjohn]

I have fixed literally 100's of things with JB Weld, it's one of my primary repair mediums.