I have 2 Athearn RTR locomotives, which are both properly lubed, but both run kind of loud. After a while, the motors are slightly warm and they both have an ozone smell too. I could also see some sparks from the bottom commutator on them when they travel backwards. What can I do to improve the performance of my motors to run more quiet and eliminate the ozone odor? is there any actual cleaning that needs to be done?
Check out my work here:
http://rmd-painting.weebly.com/
Old Athearn motor tricks:1). Reduce the spring force on the motor brushes by cutting the springs or cutting the rear 1/3rd off the brush (the "Jim Six Fix").
2). Clean (and if possible, polish) the commutator including the slots between poles. Start with a pencil eraser, then pick the slots with wood toothpick.
3). Lubricate the commutator with 2-26 Electrical Contact Lubricant.
4). Loosen the mounting screws and gently twist the motor ends while the motor is running. What you're looking for is a "sweet spot" where the bearings are in pefect alignment. You can tell when this happens by the sound and the motor speed. Once this is attained, glue the motor parts together with some 5 minute epoxy, then gently re-screw it to the chassis.
Paul A. Cutler III
Don't forget to lubricate the truck gears and all other moving parts instead of concentrating only on the motor.