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Well after looking at YT. Bobot trains explains how to do this. I took mine apart and it seems to be 2 issues. One, the spring is short and weak. The one on mine barely was sticking out far enough to keep the coupler closed. Second is the design of the coupler itself. The modification that box car bill is doing is deepening the groove for the plunger to have more positive grab. When this is done, the spring needs to be longer. Stretching the spring will do this. A stiffer spring would be better. I stretched the spring and filed the coupler. Patience is the next part. Getting the coupler back in with the spring on the coupler rivet will test this. That is if you don't lose the spring. If your eye sight is as bad as mine. I highly recommend a lighted desk magnifier and duct tape over your mouth so the who family will not hear the words coming from your mouth. After 10 minutes I got it back together. I placed the head of the riet on the corner of a vise and used a spring loaded center punch. One hit and the knuckle cracked(sigh). Guess it's time to place a order. 

It's a lot easier to do that to explain, and it takes a couple tries to figure it out.

 

Here's an explanation that's about as good as I can find.  This is pretty much how I do them.  Those springs are the same as you'll find in the magnetic couplers, so once you master it, you can fix those as well.

 

I put the pin back into the top part of the coupler, part way across the gap, and set the coil of the new spring onto it. The long leg goes into the coupler pocket. The bent leg sticks across the opening. I do all this with the coupler upside down, so that gravity keeps the spring in place. Then I push the pin the rest of the way across the gap.

I then take the knuckle and put its hinge edge against the pin, with the spring at the top, where there is a notch cast into the knuckle to clear it. The bent end of the spring goes behind the back part of the knuckle casting that will be buried inside the coupler. Then I withdraw the pin carefully, past the hinge edge of the knuckle but not past the spring coil. When the pin clears the knuckle, the hinge edge should slide into place. I then put the pin all the way in.

OK, here's a page with pictures, that will probably be much easier.

 

http://www.jwtrains.com/Tech%20Tip_2.htm

Last edited by gunrunnerjohn
Originally Posted by Charly:

OK, I got the coupler apart, filed where shown and now I'm ready to put it back together, except...  There is a loop spring that I am not sure how it goes back in.

 

Any help?

The spring is the shape of a V. Holding it horizontal with the vertical bent end pointing downward and away from the pivot hole side of the coupler. Put the spring into the coupler open part of the V first, above the part you filed. The straight wire of the V rests against the coupler and the bent down part of the V pushes against the part you filed.

Try using a thin nail from the bottom to thread everything together. Then push a new rivet down from the top, fitting against the sharp end of the nail, pushing the new rivet down and the nail out.

I know. A picture is worth a thousand words. Anyone have a picture?

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