Newly Whining LifeLike P2K GP30

[darday]

Here is a problem that has stumped me and two of my model railroading friends. I have a LifeLike GP30, about two-and-a-half yrs. old, with less than 15 hrs. of operating time that suddenly started “whining” after running very quietly since it was new.

Here is what I know:

The sound is something like a mid-pitched dynamic brake whine. It does not appear at slow speeds, only after the engine is up to a scale 35 mph., or so. The faster the engine runs, the louder it becomes, up to a point. It is louder on curves and when going downgrade. It is perhaps slightly louder when the engine is running in reverse. The engine slows slightly when the sound starts, suggesting frictional resistance of some sort. The sound appears to be coming from the front truck. If I put the engine on a test track and spin the wheels while preventing the engine from moving, the sound disappears. Let the engine move and it reappears, as before. Removing and replacing the shell has no effect. There are no wires contacting any of the moving parts that I can see.

I disassembled the engine for routine maintenance, cleaned and lubricated the wheel bearings and gears, according to the owner’s manual. They were not dry on inspection, nor could I identify any cracks or flaws. This routine maintenance had no effect on the sound.

I have encountered the LifeLike cracked gear problem, in a P2K GP9. That produced a low-pitched thumping sound as the cracked gear failed to mesh, then dropped back into place with each wheel rotation. This is not the same.

If someone has encountered this whining problem before, and there is a known diagnosis and solution, or if I have obviously overlooked something, please let me know. Otherwise, I will be taking the engine back to LifeLike. (Luckily, I live near Baltimore, and can take it in for repairs directly.)

Thanks for your help.

[ort007]

darday,
I have a P2K GP9 with a similar whine. I can't hear it a slow speeds, but as speed increases, the "chirping" turns into a whine. It's been a while since I messed with it but I also noticed that removing the shell made no difference and holding the engine stationary while the motor ran stopped the noise, too. Hopefully, someone has some insight that will help us both out.
Good luck,
Ort007

[cmrproducts]

darday

The noise is coming from the motor. The motor bearings are getting dry. I have had this happen on quite a few Lifelike engines.

It is very tight on some engines to get into the motor shaft with the flywheel being so close to the motor bearing. Sometimes the frames also get in the way.

BOB H Clarion, PA

[Vampire]

I too noticed this trouble on a new GP30 that I was breaking in. It appears to be coming from the bearings for the worm gear shaft in the gear tower. As a test I removed the outer bearing, reversed it and put it back on the shaft with a fresh drop of oil. That seemed to help a lot. I haven't tried reversing the inner bearings since that will require pulling off the plastic universal couplings. However if the sound persists I will do that next. I need to run the loco some more and see if the annoying noise is truly gone now. I'll reply again when I have more info.

[MRTerry]

I've run into this noise on Proto 2000 Geeps also, always from the armature bearings. Switching to a slightly heavier oil than you would usually use on an armature helps sometimes. If that doesn't work, however, you'll need to swap motors.
Thanks for reading Model Railroader,
Terry

[darday]

In case anyone is interested, I took the engine apart again, today.

I looked carefully again at the worm gears and oiled the motor bearings and worm bearings. I did it in stages in an attempt to isolate the problem, starting at the front and moving toward the rear. After doing the front worm gear and front motor bearing, the sound seemed greatly diminished--temporarily. But it came back shortly even louder than before, and nothing I did afterward made any difference. Since the sound was occasionally diminished previously, I have to assume what I noted today was just more random variation, rather than my efforts having any real effect.

The engine will go back to LifeLike on Thursday, as I have to travel into Baltimore for an appointment.

CHANGE 1: Just called LifeLike to inquire about dropping off the engine. They are sending me a whole new chassis to replace the old, whining one. No charge! Love their service and support!

--Dave

[Anonymous]

[:(]
Hi Ralph from South Africa.
Just posted a similar problem on my 2 SD9 Proto 2K's
Unfortunately, I can't return them. I have emailed LL, but not sure of the response I will receive.
Hoping I get a response.

[BRVRR]

The only noises I've had are the 'gear syndrome'. No problems with motors or bearings yet. Isn't LLs customer service something! I got 3-day service on new gears with just an E-mail request.