Interesting to hear there are so many workarounds.
When all is said and done, replacement belts are cheap and easy to come by.
I can tell you this, after trying a bunch of fixes the best fix that has still worked was replacing the belt. Shoulda done that in the first place.
"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
Also there are two lengths of logs, one is 1/2 shorter. Use the shorter ones. They feed better.
Try spritzing the logs with satin clear spray can. Hold it far away and just mist them. You'd be aiming for the type of finish when you have spray paint overspray and it leaves a sandpaper finish. The kind of finish you're usually trying to avoid. Might just be enough "tooth" to grip the logs to the belt.
If the logs are smooth and shiny they may not have enough grip. Lionel did have unfinished logs which have a rougher surface.
You can put a fat rubber band on the pulley. That not only increases the diameter, but also gives a grip for the belt to travel on. You could wrap electrical tape around the pulley several times to increase the diameter and it also gives a little better grip than the hard plastic pulley. A thin coating of silicone caulk applied to the outside of the pulley would work. Anything to increase the diameter and/or give the pulley some grip will work. Also check the spring on the motor. There's a tensioning spring that puts pressure on the motor and pulley to keep the belt taught. Sometimes it's broken or not installed correctly..
Okay I'm really late to the party on this once, but here's my two cents. I've never worked with a 364, but I have worked with another kind of device that uses a rubber belt- cassete decks. And there's a trick people use to prolong (Temporarily) the life of an old belt. This only works on some belts, on others it won't help so much. The trick, is to boil the old belt in water (I've heard for somewhere around 10 minutes?), and it should shrink the belt down just a hair, as well as helping reduce any deformity in the belt caused by being stretched in the same position for too long without use. I've used the trick to save a few belts that were slipping on a portable tape recorder I have, though they will still eventually need replacing. Don't know if this is of any use, but I figured it might be better to put it out there than not.Hope you at least find it interesting!-E.
"Unless bought from a known and trusted dealer who can vouch otherwise, assume every train for sale requires servicing before use"
BigAl 956 It's like your car, belts wear and streatch out over time. If it's an original belt, it's time to replace it. They are easy to find and not very expensive. That being said, just like your car there is a tensioning fob that could be worn in need of cleaning. It's not a hard mechanisum to work on. I reccomend cleaning and a belt replacement.
It's like your car, belts wear and streatch out over time. If it's an original belt, it's time to replace it. They are easy to find and not very expensive.
That being said, just like your car there is a tensioning fob that could be worn in need of cleaning. It's not a hard mechanisum to work on. I reccomend cleaning and a belt replacement.
I made a mistake and have the number wrong. It's a 364 log loader and thank you for the input I'll take a look at that adjuster and pick up a new belt.
Without having to purchase a new belt, is there any trick in the Lionel book to increase the adhesion of the existing belt on the 164 log loader? Is it a cleaning issue? I cant solve it. Logs just sit in the tray with full contact to the belt as it goes round and round.
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