I need new clips for my PK 2000 SD 7, old ones got hot and do not fit tight. Lost power pick to the rear trucks. Touch wires to the PC board and it runs, so it not the board or decoder.
I have extra clips from Athearn RTR, but they don't seem to want to fit. Will they fit and I am being a wimp, should I lube them?
Any tips on where to get them from if they are not the same?
Done with melting things Ken
I hate Rust
Dave, any tips on doing so?
Ken
Wll, I'm not Dave, but what works for me is a fine point 15 watt iron and small diameter rosin-core solder. I use this and it works well: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062717
Steve
What Steve said. I had a box full of those palstic clips from various (mostly P2K) locos because I wouldn't in a million years trust one of those to keep the decoder wires firmly attached. Solder is the best way. Decoder wire is usually stranded, so watch out for a stray strand which could short things out - twist the strands together and solder just the wire - usually referred to as 'tinning the wire' so you end up with a solid bit on the end instead of loose strands. Put it through the hole on the board and sodler it to the board. Definitely use the small, low power iron. This is no place for a 100 watt soldering gun! You think you've melted thing sbefore - soldering fine wires on a PC board with a giant soldering gun will cause a meltdown to exceed all meltdowns.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
What Steve and Randy said
Also tinning the wire, besides keeping it from fraying and causing shorts, makes for a better, faster soldering job. Tinning will help get the job done a little quicker and that means less heat applied to the board.
Too much heat from soldering can damage some electronic components and can even damage printed circuit boards. Using a low wattage iron is critical when soldering on PC boards.
EDIT: Also, whenever possible I try to use a heat sink to help protect heat sensitive components.
Throwing those clips away and soldering the wires is the first thing I do on both a decoder and the trucks, if they are used by the manufacturer. In December I purchased a P1K DL-109 at a train show. LifeLIke used clips to hold the wires onto the trucks, and two of them had pulled loose because the clips had jiggled off. I had to disassemble the locomotive in order to solder the wires onto the trucks, and I used a heavier gauge stranded wire, but I know I now have a more reliable connection.
And, as others have pointed out, used only a small wattage or temperature controlled soldering station, not a Weller gun or plumber's soldering iron.