2023 restoration help questions

[Anonymous]

some questions for all of you 2023 alco experts out there-

1-Engine shorts out. E unit lever touches frame. Can I just bend it straight or tape it?

2-Horn will not blow. Contacts working visually. Is next step a horn repro?
Thanks
Tom

[Anonymous]

1. If the dimple on the lever is making good contact with the rivet on the e-unit, I'd be very careful about bending it. I have seen e-units where the lever has been bent such that its connection to the e-unit has become quite unreliable. I'd be inclined to insulate it with tape, or perhaps an insulating "liquid tape." (This presumes it is not hitting the wheels.)

2. Try isolating the horn and connecting two leads directly to a known-to-be-good D-cell battery. If it still doesn't blow it's probably time to replace the horn.

wolverine49

[lionelsoni]

The e-unit lever is connected to the e-unit frame, which in turn is connected to the locomotive frame. So touching the frame with the lever should not cause a problem.

If you're going to scrap the horn anyway, it's worth trying to adjust it with that little screw that sticks out the back.

[Anonymous]

I've learned it seldom pays to argue argue with lionelsoni, and today is no exception. I just checked out my 2023 and the e-unit lever is indeed at the same potential as the frame and the outer rails, so it couldn't short out against them if the rest of the wiring is correct..

So what is northernpikefish seeing that led him to believe that the lever is shorting out against the frame? Need more info.

wolverine49

[lionelsoni]

Talk about performance pressure...

Thanks for the compliment. Actually, I'm surprised I'm making any sense at all. I had my jaw drilled and tapped today for two tooth implants and am on a little narcotic trip.

[Anonymous]

I think the short is somewhere in the front motor area. With the shell off, I noticed that the e unit lever was touching the frame. I moved the truck back and forth and the lever sometimes touches the frame. Sometimes the engine runs great-sometimes not. The light is really dim when it does not run and the kw breaker trips. It all started when I tried to blow the horn with the kw and forgot to put a battery in it-will this cause problems? I had the 2023 when I was a kid and the horn never did work. The horn relay clicks and the fingers make contact. I just cannot figure out this short-the center pickups get really hot before the breaker trips. When it does not short, it runs great. I put my trains away when I went to college 15 years ago. I used to run MPC so this older postwar is somewhat new to me. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I did buy the Greenberg postwar 730+ page repair manual which helps great, but I need more info on the2023.
Thanks
Tom

[lionelsoni]

Not having a D cell in will not hurt anything at all--it just won't sound the horn of course.

You might try running it with the shell off for a while. Then when it shorts out, you might be able to see what is touching what that it shouldn't. You may also find that it doesn't ever short with the shell off, which means that the shell is moving something around inside.

[ED WHITFORD]

Hi,
Please remember i am just starting the repair biusness that my dad has been doing for years but...................

Just for giggles. take your front drive truck off, deattach it from the motor should be a
e-clip holding on make sure you do not lose your washers(should be 3 flat & 2 with ball berrings in them. if i remember). Remove your side frames from the truck look them over closley & make sure you have no metal stuck in your gearing or around your truck, as it should be magnitized if i remember. even a little pice of metal is in there it has the potential of causing a short. If you find no forgin objects in it look your motor over & check your brushes to make sure they are making a good solid contact on the armiture.

If you find all is ok there look your e-unit over checking your finger making sure they are touching the correct areas of the drum & not your e-unit housing. if you really want to be daring take your e-unit apart clean your drum & fingers or replace them. if all looks good there check your wireing out useing a wire with alligator clips on each end & go from point to point on each wire to check them out. look at your attachment points on your wires making sure that you have no part of wire or solder that is touching what it should be & nothing else. Now for your e-unit it should be mounted on your rear truck on a mounting braket just in front of where your rear truck is pinned to the frame.

Your horn has the adjustment screw on the bottom of it for that it is trial an error ,make sure you do not over tighten it couasing damage to the diafram inside the horn.
Or you can get a new horn for around $10-11.00
Double check your relay at the points. making sure you have good contact.

If you have any problems beyond this let me know & i will ask my dad, I took a 2023 UP alco in for repair with the same problems, only they left the battery in the engian & the acid did its worst & i forund little peices of metal wire in the front truck in the gears Cleaned, lubed & did all the above & now it works just like new other than the horn. that will be replaced.

I hope this helps you out. sorry for the long reply & the spelling.

[Anonymous]

Thanks much for all of the info. I will give it a try.

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I can take a look-see at your Alco for you, sounds like a bare wire shorting out somewhere.

I only charge 12 bucks a hour. Email me at [e-mail] to scedule a repair, if you cannot firgure it out by yourself... Some times it just takes a little experience to figure things out.