Which Geep? I have 4 GP7s and the Athearn 60024 fits them all.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Benjamin Maggi JEREMY CENTANNI Athearn #60024, replacement axle gears. I have a Life Like Proto 2000 Geep and I ordered Athearn #60024 replacement gears. They don't fit on the stub axles on the back of the Life Like wheels. The axles are too large in diameter. I don't think I can drill out the new gears to slip onto the axles, and I sure don't want to hammer/press them on (they will likely split)! So, a very odd situation. I reached out to NWSL to see what they recommend. I need all four axles replaced.
JEREMY CENTANNI Athearn #60024, replacement axle gears.
I have a Life Like Proto 2000 Geep and I ordered Athearn #60024 replacement gears. They don't fit on the stub axles on the back of the Life Like wheels. The axles are too large in diameter. I don't think I can drill out the new gears to slip onto the axles, and I sure don't want to hammer/press them on (they will likely split)!
So, a very odd situation. I reached out to NWSL to see what they recommend. I need all four axles replaced.
They are the correct gears, they are a tight fit, you need to press them on. A small vise works well.
The old gears split due to incorrect tolerances and too hard material. Many original gears did not split until years later do to temperature extremes.
I have over 50 Proto locos that I have replaced gears in. After doing 200 wheelsets, I can tell you they fit tight....
Sheldon
Thanks. I will press them on then.
Modeling the D&H in 1984: http://dandhcoloniemain.blogspot.com/
There's a slight chamfer at the end of the axle stub to help you get the gear started. Be sure to press straight in and don't bottom out the gear against the back of the wheel, there should be a gap of a few thousandths on either side of the gear to the wheel back face.
Be sure to check the gauge when youre done. When the axle stubs are pressed in too far there is a risk of them touching and shorting.
Good Luck, Ed
I used a fine thread C-clamp to get the job done.
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I have only had one locomotive with the problem so far.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I had no issues pressing mine in by hand. Do use an NMRA gauge, even if they aren't pressed in to far that the backs touch and short, if they are pushed in too far, or not far enough, the loco will do a hop, skip, and a jump over turnouts and possibly derail. If they are not pushed in eavenly, the truck will run skewed and the loco may pick switch points or frogs.
This is not a difficult repair, you just have to use some care and work carefully if you haven't done it before. While you are in there, clean off the old grease and apply a SMALL amount of plastic-compatible grease like Labelle or similar. The whole gearbox does not need to be packed full.
dano126Do you know if the Athearn parts will also work on a Proto 2000 E6 that has the same symptoms?
Jim
IMG_0128_fix by Edmund, on Flickr
The Athearn gear has 12 teeth so it will work on the Proto 2000 Geeps but the E8/9 uses an 11 tooth gear (and 36"wheels) so the common Athearn gear is not suitable.
The best answer to the "why cracking" question I ever saw had to do with process control at the injection molder's factory. If the plastic beads are not adequately dried too much moisture gets into the molded part which degrades the mechanical properties.
SeeYou190I have only had one locomotive with the problem so far.
Well, that is not true anymore.
I think the count is three or four now.
SeeYou190 SeeYou190 I have only had one locomotive with the problem so far. . Well, that is not true anymore. . I think the count is three or four now. . -Kevin .
SeeYou190 I have only had one locomotive with the problem so far.
I have a bunch of Proto2000 locos, at least 50 or more. ALL of the 4 axle trucks have had at least one failed gear.
NONE have failed a second time after repalcement.
And other than that minor problem, all have been grat locos.
I think I paid maybe $7 for a pack of the Athearn gears, that's 6 gears (since the Athearn gears are for a 6 axle unit) so 1 1/2 locos per pack. AFter the first one, I didn;t even wait for any others to fail, I just replaced them all. A bargain at any price, considering I paid $40 or less for each of those locos by careful shopping on eBay and at train shows.
If the cracked gear issue is the reason for the relatively low value assigned to these P2K locos, then I thank all the lazy modelers out there who allowed me to expand my motive power fleet with great running, highly detailed models at a bargain basement price.
White glue is like elmers? No matter what you use as a glue, since axel is a tight fit, it will crack in exactly the same place.
Drilling a small pressure relief hole in the center of the gear (between teeth) is often recommended by youtube demos (at least when doing the baking soda/CA glue repairs). They say that the compressed air trapped between the axle and the gear when pressing the gear on is one of the causes of cracking. Nonsense? Something to it? Anyone here do this?
Thanks.
Raised on the Erie Lackawanna Mainline- Supt. of the Black River Transfer & Terminal R.R.
Yes, the swap is easy. While you're at it, get enough axles for any LL geeps or whatever that you have, and replace them all. Get some Labelle plastic grease while your at it, and do all the suspect engines in your inventory. Don’t waste time trying to fix just the ones that are broken. They're cheap and will fail anyway.
Oh, you won't be able to identify the crack without a magnifying lamp. Don’t bother.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Extremely tight fit of steel axel forced into plastic hole. Eventually the plastic breaks.
I've been going through all my LL Geeps and so far they are all cracked and replaced. I expect the new ones to crack eventually in the same way. Steel axel (2.4mm) forced into 2mm hole in a plastic part. What could happen.
omtech1 I've been going through all my LL Geeps and so far they are all cracked and replaced. I expect the new ones to crack eventually in the same way. Steel axel (2.4mm) forced into 2mm hole in a plastic part. What could happen.
Actually, they used the wrong spec plastic on a lot of them, some 30 plus years ago.
I have about 50 Proto2000 locos, and I have replaced a lot of gears, and I have never had a replacement gear fail - not from Athearn, LifeLike or Walthers.
Back in the day, when the problem first surfaced, LifeLike gave away 10's of thousands of complete axle assemblies. I know I got 50 or so back then, so did lots of my friends. They are all still running.
If you ever wonder why some of us dislike reviving old threads, this is the reason why.
Rich
Alton Junction
I think part of the issue is that Walthers kept the Proto name when they took over the Life-Like line. Newer modellers buy - or consider buying - a brand new Walthers Proto engine, and then hear or read "all Proto engines have cracked gears" and so start searching online to find out about it and up pop these old posts about the LL engines.
Walthers / LL switched the gearing almost yearly. I never figured that out why they did that.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
DigitalGriffin Walthers / LL switched the gearing almost yearly. I never figured that out why they did that.
Yes the constant redesign of the gear ratios stopped me from buying much after Walthers took over.
An ABA set of C&O F7's are the only "Walthers" Proto pieces I own. Their undecorated F7's were a disappointment since they came in a late 60's, no fuel skirt, snowplow pilot version with no other parts/options offered. I model 1954.
Being a DC operator, it is convenient to have a large fleet of different locos with the same drive under them - GP7's, BL2's, FA's (1&2), all in great numbers.