Simmon, I stared to in stall a plastic washer between the mounting pin and the chassis, is that what you did? What stopped me from doing it is the threaded part of the pin would still ground the chassis. Am I missing something in your post?
Tiger, I should post a PIC of the manuel for the M1a, not a word said about screw's! Main reason I want the shell off now is to fix the ratteling nosie when I blow the whisle! On my other BLI I used electial tape on the tender shell to make a tighter fit, rattels are gone.
On the fix you posted, not sure I want to do that. Reason, would it void the factory warranty? My first Class J BLI went belly up with in 3 hours of run time. Something stripped in the drive and could not pull 3 cars. Luckly that came from K-10 Trains LHS and was replaced on the spot.
What I may do is make a plactic draw bar from stock, that way if I have to send it back they should honnor the warranty.
On the drive, being a car guy my self I will try some break in lub for a cam. Cuda part of the name is because of the 1970 Cuda.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
There are 2 phillips screws, about in the middle, remove those.
Next to the screws in the tender frame there is a slot where you can
stick a small flat tip screwdriver, and work it off from there.
Don't pull too far once you get it off as you only have a few inches of slack
in the wire harness. Also be careful not to damage the uncoulpling levers on
the rear of the tender.
As for the noise in reverse, that is just the binding action of the rods and valve gear.
Some will recommend Walthers # this or Labelle so & so.
At this time in the morning the LHS is closed and doesn't do you any good.
I have a better soution, being a car guy I'm sure you have some Dextron III
ATF laying around, a little of that on a Q-tip on the pivot points and all is good.
ATF is plastic compatible, I don't know how many rpm's a transmission
runs or the temp but I'm sure my trains run a little less. Been using it for years
without a problem.
Let me know how it goes.
Tiger thanks for the quick answer. Two more questions. How the heck do you get the !%&*". tender shell off! I have tried what the books says and it seems like it is glued on, says to gentely pull the shell out and it will come free. NOT! My other BLI will on the other hand.
Second, when ran backwards the M1a is now making a clicking sound and stall's a little when the sound happens! If it was a Proto I would say the center drive gear was cracked.
http://www.tonystrains.com/tonystips/2004/021204.htm
Try this, there is a problem with the sound poteniometer shorting out against
the reset jumper. I have 2 M1a's and neither of them have a back up light.
good luck.
Huston, there is a problem with the new M1a steamer.
When I ran it for the first time where the tie bar hooked to the tender sparks flew? Hum that is not good. Un hooked the tender but left the plug in and runs fine.
Used a plactic screw from a Kadee kit to join the tender to the engine and working fine for now.
I have contacted Dans Trains and waiting to here what he wants me to do. That is the bad part of the internet. If K-10 trains could have got the same engine I would have bought it from him.
Other thing I wondering a about, should a M1a have back up lights in the tender? If so could a bad LED or blub cause the bad ground because there is no light.
Hope there is a easy fix, hate to send it back to BLI for repairs.
Cuda Ken, broken stuff again and it's new MR Gibson.