I have a Bachmann Shay that has deleloped a high pitch whine. Bachmann tech says that it is the Motor. They do not have a replacment and want to replace it with a Climax which I know they had a problem with. I don't feel like buying a new motor unless I have to. The engine runs OK. Any tricks on what I can use to shut the engine up.
Harold
hwolf I have a Bachmann Shay that has deleloped a high pitch whine. Bachmann tech says that it is the Motor....I don't feel like buying a new motor unless I have to. The engine runs OK. Any tricks on what I can use to shut the engine up. Harold
I have a Bachmann Shay that has deleloped a high pitch whine. Bachmann tech says that it is the Motor....I don't feel like buying a new motor unless I have to. The engine runs OK. Any tricks on what I can use to shut the engine up.
First question: How willing are you to get into your engine? Taking the drive apart?
Second question: Define "runs OK". Have you measured the current draw? Does it run smoothly at very slow speeds? Or does it shudder at very slow speeds? Is the pulling power what it should be? Are there unusual vibrations at higher speeds? The 1st run Bachmann Shays were known for splitting and cracking the plastic bevel gears on the line shafts. NWSL makes metal replacement gears.
Third question: How do you know the motor is the problem? Have you verified the whine is coming from the motor? Does the pitch of the whine change with motor speed? Or with the wheel speed? Can you apply a quarter drop of oil to the motor bearings? Does the oil quiet the bearings? Is there play in the motor shaft compared to the motor case? A good test of a motor is to remove it from the model and place it in your hand while running it off a 9 volt battery. Does it vibrate too much to hold comfortably? Is it noisy when removed from the model?
As good as Bachmann Tech may be, trying to diagnose a problem from a subjective phone or e-mail description is difficult at best. If you can verify the problem is the motor, and oiling the bearings (ever so slightly) doesn't help, then only a motor replacement will cure the ill. If the whine is coming from somewhere else in the drive train, then you have a different issue.
Bottom line: a whine that wasn't there in the beginning but now is is probably a bearing issue or a change in gear mesh of some kind. In any case, you can develop your own trouble-shooting and "fix-it" skills, and be the better model railroader for it.
my thoughts, your choices
Fred W
I will get into it a little more and get back. One question. How do you measure the current draw? Use the KISS method for your answer as I have never done any of this before. Answer should include meter setting. The pitch of the noise changes as you increase the throttle. Thanks in Advance
hwolf I will get into it a little more and get back. One question. How do you measure the current draw? Use the KISS method for your answer as I have never done any of this before. Answer should include meter setting. The pitch of the noise changes as you increase the throttle. Thanks in Advance Harold
After thinking about your situation some more, measuring the current is a nice to do, but not really that critical in this instance. If you motor is not getting too hot to touch, the current is probably fine.
But having an idea of the current is not a bad thing. For the cheaper can motors Bachmann tends to use, I would expect a current reading of around 0.3 amps (300 milliamps) or less with the Shay running by itself. Much more than that - your motor is getting pretty hot and there's too much friction somewhere in the drive train.
Current is measured (assuming DC, not DCC power) by putting a DC ammeter or multimeter set to amps in line with one of the feeds to the track. You would want a 500 ma scale if your meter has one, next best would be a 0 to 1 amp scale. If the meter won't read anything switch the meter leads around - you got the polarity wrong.
On DCC, you need to use an AC amps scale, not DC. If you have NCE PowerCab, I believe the display on the throttle can measure the current. Or a special meter built to measure DCC current will be a little more accurate than a multimeter on AC current.
Best bet for initially finding the noise source is to run the Shay with the shell off. By listening closely, you should be able to determine if the noise is coming from the motor or somewhere else in the mechanism.
Hope this helps
Thanks Fred
That is exactly what I had planned to do. I will post a tread so soon as I HEAR something.
If you find that the motor is the problem I would replace it. The job isn't usually to hard and worth the exercise.
You might also want to grease up the worm gear. They tend to skimp on grease these days. Use plastic safe grease with pfte.
Springfield PA