Well, I just picked up a 364 log loader that looks sweet. All the parts and in great "looking" shape. It didn't run. I took it all apart, cleaned off the dust, cleaned out the grease (that coated everything underneath) and put it all back together. it now runs, and pretty well at that. However, it still smells a little like "an old motor fying electronics" and the contact points with the brushes glow a bright orange (inside the motor). Is this normal for a postwar motor? It is my first time playing with postwar accessories. My old "scout" steamer smells the same when it runs (so I don't run it much).
Also, the conveyor belt didn't survive storage that well and ended up tearing as I tried to clean it. Where can I get a replacement belt where I don't need to pay $20 for a $4 part? Every place I find that sells them wants $8 handling, plus shipping and tax. Crazy for only 1 part!!
Any help?
I don't know about the glow...doesn't seem right. As far as parts go http://www.georgetebolt.com/ He has a lot of parts original and repro. Also Olsens toy trains there seems to be a problem with their website as I haven't been able to access it but their phone number is 216 226 0444.
I don't know about shipping costs but one of these places shoud be able to help you.
underworld
As for the motor, it sounds like the brushes came in contact with oil, I'd replace these first and see what happens. Also, clean the commutator with a q-tip. Most hobby shops carry a spray alcohol-based cleaner made for removing commutator build-up for R/C car motors.
Not sure about the conveyor belt, though some others here may be able to help...
HopperSJ,
You did the right thing by getting the old grease out. I put disc brake bearing grease on the gears in my 364. Don't put too much grease in. Just make sure you pack in between the teeth. Oil the front and rear armature bearings as well as the all of the bearings for the gear shafts. I would suggest cleaning the commutator and brushes with contact cleaner or alcohol. Use a toothpick or a needle to remove any dirt that has accumulated in the commutator slots. You can polish the commutator by rubbing it with an ink eraser. Do not use sandpaper or anything other than an ink eraser. It is normal for these motors to smell during operation, that is just harmless ozone. It also is normal for the motor to growl somewhat when it is running under 14 volts. I recommend 14-16 volts for the motor. As for the belt, the part # is 364-11. I got mine from Jeff at The Train Tender. The belt is $4, and the shipping was $3.50. Jeff's website is:
www.ttender.com
If you need help changing the belt, or with anything else, please post here or send me an email. Let us know what happens.
statistician wrote:As for the motor, it sounds like the brushes came in contact with oil, I'd replace these first and see what happens. Also, clean the commutator with a q-tip. Most hobby shops carry a spray alcohol-based cleaner made for removing commutator build-up for R/C car motors.
The brushes definitely came in contact with oil/grease, the motor was dripping with it. The old grease seemed to separate into a thick chunky/pasty substance along with a sticky oilly liquid. What a mess. I cleaned everything off with alcohol, but I guess the brushes may have absorbed some of the oil? What are they made of, anyway? I expected them to be a solid metal contact but they are really soft (for a solid material that is). They almost seem to be a compressed material of some sort...
jimtrumpie wrote:You did the right thing by getting the old grease out. I put white Lithium grease on the gears in my 364. Don't put too much grease in. Just make sure you cover all the gears. Oil the front and rear armature bearings as well as the all of the bearings for the gear shafts. I would suggest cleaning the commutator and brushes with contact cleaner or alcohol. Use a toothpick or a needle to remove any dirt that has accumulated in the commutator slots. You can polish the commutator by rubbing it with an ink eraser. Do not use sandpaper or anything other than an ink eraser. It is normal for these motors to smell during operation, that is just harmless ozone. It also is normal for the motor to growl somewhat when it is running under 14 volts. I recommend 14-16 volts for the motor. As for the belt, the part # is 364-11. I got mine from Jeff at The Train Tender. The belt is $4, and the shipping was $3.50.
You did the right thing by getting the old grease out. I put white Lithium grease on the gears in my 364. Don't put too much grease in. Just make sure you cover all the gears. Oil the front and rear armature bearings as well as the all of the bearings for the gear shafts. I would suggest cleaning the commutator and brushes with contact cleaner or alcohol. Use a toothpick or a needle to remove any dirt that has accumulated in the commutator slots. You can polish the commutator by rubbing it with an ink eraser. Do not use sandpaper or anything other than an ink eraser. It is normal for these motors to smell during operation, that is just harmless ozone. It also is normal for the motor to growl somewhat when it is running under 14 volts. I recommend 14-16 volts for the motor. As for the belt, the part # is 364-11. I got mine from Jeff at The Train Tender. The belt is $4, and the shipping was $3.50.
Thanks for the suggestions. I pulled out all the "bad" grease but left a touch of the "fresher" looking grease in key areas (since I didn't have anything else on hand. Would the Lithium Grease react with the orginal grease if I left some behind?
Also, I love the Train Tender site. I'll order up a new belt and possibly some new brushes (if he has them) as well!
By the way, the brushes are graphite-not a whole lot different from pencil lead. That's why you'll often see it suggested to clean the commutator with a pencil erasor.
ben10ben wrote:By the way, the brushes are graphite-not a whole lot different from pencil lead. That's why you'll often see it suggested to clean the commutator with a pencil erasor.
Ahhhhhh. That makes sense....
I found out how to eliminate the growling noise. The problem is there is too much play in the output shaft of the gearbox, which allows the worm wheel to move away from the gear shaft. To fix this, you need to create a spacer to put between the worm wheel on the output shaft and the inside surface of the gearbox. It really doesn't matter what the spacer is made from, it just matters that the inside diameter of the spacer is close to the shaft diameter. I used part of a red straw from the local Dairy Queen. I just cut the straw to length. I made sure that when I was done the shaft could still move in and out slightly( a couple thousandths of an inch or so). The ensures that the worm wheel is always meshed properly with its corresponding gearshaft. Please note the grease change I made in my previous post.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.
Get the Classic Toy Trains newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month