Lionel 763E bent axle

[misard]

Hi all. I am trying to bring my father's pre-war 763E back to life. I took it completely to pieces, cleaned, and reassembled it, and mostly things look good other than broken valve gear assemblies etc. The motor runs strong, and I can probably fix the e unit :) But... when the connecting rods are off and I spin the back wheels there is a slight eccentricity suggesting a slightly bent axle. Unfortunately it's enough that the connecting rods bind at two places in each revolution.

Is trying to remove the wheels and replace the axle a step too far for a home repair? I have seen comments on other posts that removing and replacing the wheels is better left to a pro, though no 763E advice specifically.

Thanks,

Michael.

[David1005]

If the wheel is eccentrict the bore is not centered. If the wheel wobbles, the axle might be bent. Those are large axles and fragle wheels. Seems like it would be hard to bend an axle. You should watch Don Hagar's DVDs on the 700e  befor you do anything. In there he gives the proper offset between the hub and the rim of the wheel. If this offset is not there the zinc center may be growing, which is restrained by the tire, and may blow apart if you try to work on the wheel. To do the work you would need a wheel press and proper wheel cups to get the new wheel on properly quartered. I would recommend that you have two new wheel and an axle before you start. There are wheels and axles being sold with the 700e part number that are oversized and will not fit your loco. Be sure you are getting the correct parts. 

[Flintlock76]

Considering it's a 763E, and a somewhat valuable piece, you may want to have the repairs done professionally, especially wheel and axle replacement.

I don't know what part of the country you're from, but I can recommend these folks...

http://www.henningstrains.com   They're in Lansdale PA.  I've bought some restored Lionels from them ( not a 763E though!) and they do good work.

You can also check with any hobby shops in your area to see if anyone does "heavy repairs" on Lionels.  If you don't have the right tools for wheel and axle replacement I wouldn't try it, you don't want to make things worse.

[misard]

Thanks for the suggestions! I am in San Francisco and Mike Raymond (a nearby Lionel repair specialist) has agreed to take a look at it.

I have a couple of other queries while I'm here:

Is there a part number for the cast body of the WS-85 whistle? The repair manual has numbers for all the parts except the body, and my body has a huge piece cracked off the side so while the motor spins fine, there's no whistle sound. I'm wondering if I need to replace the whole unit or can just find a replacement body.

Also, I have four Manhattan 2623 Pullmans, and on about half of the doorways the steps have broken off, but I still have most of the steps. Will standard superglue work on them? (I assume they are made of Bakelite?) I'm obviously not planning on refurbing them for sale, just want to reattach them for my family's use. And, one of the box couplers is missing the CP-2B hood and also the plate, but I don't know if the right replacement plate is CP-1S or CP-1L; any way to figure that out? I can't find a diagram or measurements for that coupler online and don't have the prewar manual unfortunately.

Thanks!

[Leverettrailfan]

Have you checked the Olson's Toy Train Parts site? They have a really nice library of part diagrams, which really can help out, I don't know if they have the answer to the correct part but if you haven't looked it's worth looking! As for the Madison cars, here's my 2 cents but I encourage you to wait for a second opinion just for safety's sake since they're very old and hard to find cars- If they are indeed made of bakelite, which I believe they are, superglue should not harm them. I use CA glue for repairing plastic things because it's proven time and again to be really strong stuff, but it can be annoying to use since it can get "messy" if you aren't very careful with it. Can't even count the number of times I've gotten more glue on my fingers than on the actual joint I was trying to make! It doesn't bond plastic parts instantly, so steady hands or a jig are a must.
I unfortunately think it's rather unlikely you'll be able to purchase a newly made whistle body, but you should be able to find a used whistle unit, or a prewar whistle tender to donate the whistle on the secondhand market. Unless of course somebody with a CAD program, 3D printer, and nothing better to do is able to lend you their services! I've had similar issues with another prewar whistle, with a broken part that I can't get a replacement for.

[misard]

Thank you! I may try some glue when I'm feeling brave. I haven't found the exact car on Olson but ended up just ordering both plates since they are cheap :)