Athearn Engine Trobble

[ac4400fan]

Hi Guys ,
Ive just gotten a new c44-9w BNSF ,runs great ,,but im getting a horible bussing sound from it ??? i also oiled it,,,any clues???

thanks carl....[:(]

[Anonymous]

Are you using DC or DCC and does the sound occur in both directions?

[MisterBeasley]

Athearn Engine Trobble? Like in "The Trobble with Tribbles?"

Is this your first Athearn? They do have a reputation for "growling."

[Anonymous]

If you are using D.C., is your power source "straight" D.C. or is it the throttle type that utilizes pulses of power, like the "old "pulse power" on some MRC packs of days gone by. Such will cause a hum in the engine, especially at low speed. Try connecting the engine to a 9 v. battery (via the wheels) and see if the hum ceases.

[grandeman]

My new RTR Athearn GP35 was rough and noisy at first. It responded very well to some break in running and now runs smoothly and is much quieter. Give it some run time and see if that helps.

The new Athearn RTR locos do look great though. I do wish Athearn would add MU hoses and coupler release details but that's a small gripe. I like the plug and play DCC readiness and bright lights.

There have been some great pics posted of RTR Athearns here in the last few days.

[Anonymous]

Three other things can make Athearn's noisier than they should be.
1. Misaligned motor. The motor is a press fit into a rubbery mount. I have seen Athearns where the motor is not pressed in straight. Part of the mount gets twisted up with the result that the motor is tilted, fore and aft. The locomotive still runs 'cause the U joints in the drive shafts have enough free motion, but the U jounts are always running at a stiff angle which makes them run rough. Fix: Disassemble drive line, pop the motor out of the chassis and reseat it.
2. Flash in the gear boxes. Tiny bits of plastic flash get into the gear trains and make them noisy. Fix: Disassemble each gear tower (pop off the bottom retainer clip with an Xacto knife blade). Wipe each tooth of each gear with a clean white pipe cleaner. You know you are onto something when you see black crud getting picked up on the pipe cleaner.
3. Flash on the U joints. A bit of flash can rub on the mating joint making a noise. Fix: Disassemble and file off any flash.

Lube: Interesting subject. The nylon gears are slippery by nature and I am not sure that any kind of oil improves them. The bronze axle bearing do want oil. The motor wants oil on its bearings and NOT on the commutator.

[ac4400fan]

The Loco is D.C ,,I tryed it in forward,,its not noisy,,but in reverse ,,its not a growl..its like,a bussing ,especialy in turns,mostly,but quiet,in the striaght motion..

carl

[Anonymous]

I'm guessing that you've got some gear lash and maybe a loose thrust bearing. You want the slack just barely taken up by the thrust bearings. If you can find some very small and thin teflon bearings they'll do the best job.

My break-in prodedure goes as follows:

1. Squirt plenty of no-scratch cleanser into the gear boxes and run it for 1/2 an hour with light to medium load on it.

2. Disassemble the gear boxes and hose them clean and dry them. Lightly grease (plastic compatible) and re-assemble. Also lightly grease the axles.

3. Glue ONE end of the driveline with silicone caulk. This can be taken apart if needed, but will remove the "slop" in it.

4. Shim the worm gear to minimize the lash but not bind the gears. Use light-weight grease on it.

5. Poli***he motor armature with a white pen eraser. These are harder than a pencil eraser. Be careful NOT to damage the motor windings.

6. Using a toothpick LIGHTLY oil the motor bearings, keep the oil away from the armature and windings.

7. Hot-wire the pickups by cutting back the big copper "bar" on top of the motor and soldering small stranded wires from the "bar" to the axle pickup bars.

8. If you're adventurous, add lead to the underside of the body to increase traction. I've added up to 12 ounces on an AC4400. This will dramatically increase the traction and smooth out the operation. It'll also plow any cars off the rails that get in the way....

Hope this helps!

Mark in Utah

[Anonymous]

Hi Mark-in-Utah

What's an example of "no-scratch cleanser?"

Thanks.
Ken (I wished I lived in Utah)

[Anonymous]

Soft scrub. Anything that's advertised as safe on fiberglass tubs and such.

People used to use Pearl Drops, but that's hard to find now, or maybe they don't make it any more?

Mark in Utah

[selector]

I have seen PearlDrops locally, but it is hard to get ahold of. By the way, any white opaque toothpaste has some grit in it, and will eventually help to 'wear-in' gear surfaces. The coloured gel-type toothpastes are not as good.

But, here's a novel idea,....I think. You know that polishing cream used to get ceramic stove tops clean when food gets burned on them? Ah ha!! See your local appliance or hardware store.

[rrinker]

Another possible problem, had this on a unit fresh out of the box. One of the brushes was turned sideways, so instead of a nicely curved surface running against the commutator, it had two contact points that were just the edges of the rounded area. This unit buzzed horribly, and did not run smoothly. I suspected drive train problems and did not see the motor at first. Once I saw that, I popped the brush cap and turned the bru***he proper way, and the unit ran normally.

--Randy

[Anonymous]

Most Athearns will buzz fresh out of the box. I have a Genesis SD70M, an RTR SD50, and a Blue Box FP45, and they all growled or buzzed at first. The SD70M became quieter as it ran more, as did the SD50. Both units ran smoothly, they just needed some breaking in. They both now produce a low bass, hardly noticeable growl, which I find enjoyable as I think it sounds like a real locomotive.
The FP45 runs smoothly, but it's a Blue Box, so the growling really hasn't stopped. I don't see this as a problem or a distraction.

Remember, Athearns will be Athearns! They're all bound to growl or buzz a little bit. Just give them time (Genesis and RTR), and they'll quiet down considerably.

[Anonymous]

Don't think that just because it's an Athearn it has to growl. I've got an AC4400 in ATSF that is as smooth a running locomotive as you'll ever find. There's no "growl", just a deeper rumbling as it goes by. The UP next to it is a bit noisier, more of a growl noise. Given a bit more break-in and tuning I bet I could get it quieter as well.

My pair of GP60's are plenty noisey, haven't tuned them yet. Run like a champ though.

Mark in Utah

[Anonymous]

It needs to be broken in. We have a Athearn GP35 that used to make a lot of noise. It now runs quietly after being broken in.