Some simple fixes for HO engines

[Darth Santa Fe]

Here are a few simple ways to fix HO scale engines.

Athearn BB diesels
PROBLEM: Some flywheels aren't very well balanced.
SOLUTION: Take the flywheel off and drill 1 or more holes in the spot throwing it off balance, continually checking to see if it's any more balanced. You can find the spot by running the motor with the flywheel on and putting a Sharpie or some other marker next to it, so the off-balance spot touches the marker tip when it goes around.

AHM/Rivarossi 0-6-0 with tender
PROBLEM: The headlight barely shows up.
SOLUTION: Make a small bar out of clear plastic (like you get off the windows tree from a model car), paint the inside of the headlight housing silver, and press the new light bar through the hole going into the headlight housing. Make sure the bar is long enough to get fairly close to the light bulb.

AHM/Rivarossi E8
PROBLEM: Can't pull much, even with tires.
SOLUTION: Add about 10 oz. of metal to the middle section of the frame, which will nearly double the engine's weight. Be careful not to add too much, because it could cause too much stress on the motor.

Athearn BB diesels
PROBLEM: Brass flywheels don't always stay on the shaft.
SOLUTION(s): 1.(the cheaper way) Take the flywheel off, rip a 1/3"x1/3" square off a sheet of tissue paper (like Kleenex), place it over the hole on the back of the flywheel, and press the shaft back in. Excess Kleenex can be torn out with tweezers.
2. Glue the flywheel on with A-Line flywheel cement or Loctite.

Bowser tenders
PROBLEM: Some tenders sit too low over one truck than the other, which may cause a short.
SOLUTION: Add washers between the low part of the tender and the truck until the tender can sit parallel to the tracks. If the screw holding the truck on doesn't stay in very well, put a little super glue in the screw hole and screw the screw in.

That's about all I can think of right now. If anyone else has anything to add (besides throwing old Spectrum diesels at the wall), than feel free to add them.