Hello everyone. I've been reading posts on this forum for awhile; I just never joined in. I feel like I already know some of you. I like to collect Post War Lionel and American Flyer. I also have some Modern Era from several Manufacturers. I'm in the process of building my first permanent layout. I've been performing maintenance on my motive power. I have several American Flyer operating cars that work by solenoid. It's been years since they've operated and some of the solenoids seem to be sluggish or sticking. Is it okay to oil the solenoid rods ? Is there any other maintenance I can perform on solenoids ? Thank you in advance for any help you can offer. I'm also happy to be a member of this forum.
By all means clean and lightly lube the solenoid rods. Keep in mind a solenoid is a very simple form of electric motor. That rod is akin to a piston, and if it's gummed up an sticky it won't work well.
I work on copiers, and those things have quite a few solenoids in 'em, so trust me on this one.
Welcome to the forum!
If the solenoids on accessories, as well as e-units on Lionel locos and reverse units on American Flyer locos are sticking or sluggish, the best practice is to remove the solenoid plunger and clean it and the coil core with naptha (available at your hardware store). There is enough clearance between the plunger and core for smooth operation when cleaned. There is no need for any lubrication at all of the plunger, and none was done at the factory. The operating mechanism may need to be cleaned and lubricated to give smooth operation, and the naptha will come in handy to remove all old oil and grease, and will not harm plastics, paint, or the insulation on motor and coil windings.
Larry
aboard!
Becky
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
Welcome aboard
Thanks Becky, I'm glad to be here.
Thanks for the welcome Dave.
Hi, I did reply to your post; I don't know why it didn't show up. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me. I will follow your advice.
Hi Larry, I did reply to your post right after I read it but it didn't show up in the forum. Thank you for answering my question. You've been very helpful. I will take your advice.
You are welcome. Let us know how it turns out after a good cleaning of the solenoid and mechanism. Everything should work smoothly.
Hi Larry, What a difference that made. I cleaned the solenoids with denatured alcohol. A little bit of oil and they work smoothly now. Thanks again for your input.
Joe
Glad you got your trains to work smoothly. If you oiled the solenoid plunger, watch out that the oil does not gum up over time and cause loss of performance again. Solenoid plungers are not tight fitting like pistons that need lubrication for a tight sliding fit. There is no friction that needs lubrication, as you have a metal plunger sliding loosely in a plastic core.
Thanks, I'll remember that.
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