How to lubricate postwar horizontal Pullmor?

A few thoughts:

That is not a horizontal motor. It sits at an angle on the chassis. Lionel did make a few engines that had horizontal motors. There were the 1946 versions of the 726 Berkshire and 2020 turbines. Those motors have spur gears and are of a different construction.

The hole is a lubricant port. You will get different opinions on whether to use it. I believe Lionel instructed people to put Lionel GREASE in the port. Some folks put oil in the port. I do neither. I put my lubricant directly on the bearings. I use light oil, the bearings are Oilite.

The brush plate screws should be tight. There is no adjusting for thrust.
The armature should have thrust bearings at either end. Older motors used loose ball bearings.
New motors had a ball bearing race at each end.

I am guessing that these service manual pages are for your locomotive.
If so, here is the page on the motor:

Thank you, and a follow-up question...

How do I get oil into the rear bearing (by the brush plate) of the armature shaft?  The diagram in the service manual seems to show an oil wick.  My motor doesn't have one.  Do I need to remove the brush plate to get oil into the bearing?

Also, how much lubricant should be in the gear box?

Cheers!

Keith

Please follow the link I provided above.
You are looking at the wrong page in your manual.
Your motor does not have a bearing in the brush plate, and there is no oil wick.
There are two armature bearing, both are below the head (part with the windings).
The service manual I linked will show how to arrange the washers and ball bearings.
I lubricate the Oilite bearing directly.
(Note that some of the replacement bearings for this motor are solid brass, as opposed to iolite)

I am a little confused, in your photo above, you have the motor all taken apart already.
And it looks like you could use a few more ball bearings, and maybe some washers.

Thank you so much.  Now I understand.

Re the photo, I borrowed someone else's photo that I came across when I started to research my questions, but the motor is exactly the same as the one in my Turbine.

Cheers!

Keith

CW, the man has asked if he should fill the gear box with grease? I don't do it, what is your method?

Rob

I do fill it with grease. I use a monojet type syringe and inject Lucas Red 'N' Tacky #2 while the motor is running and until it just squeezes out both bearings.

CW, the man has asked if he should fill the gear box with grease? I don't do it, what is your method?

Lionel used Oilite bearings in most of their motors. I gather from what I have read about Oilite bearings that grease would probably clog their pores. I use light oil, applied directly to the inside surfaces of the bearings.  Currently I am using Unicol turbine oil. I've also used various Labelle light oils.  I'd put some grease in the recess for the bearings too. Typically I use Labelle 106 grease, but I do have Lucas Red "N" Tacky, which I use from time to time.

Here is the Wikipedia page on Oilite bearings.

A while back I did some hunting on the web on how to recharge the impregnated oil in oilite bearings. As I recall, the best answer I found was putting them in a oil bath under a vacuum. But its been awhile, and I didn't pursue actually doing it.

This web page, put up by the company that currently makes Oilite bearings, recommends using a vacuum to re-impregnate the bearings with oil.  Again, I have not tried this.

There is also some interesting information in this Oilite Catalog.

No need to fill the grease box. The only grease that matters is on the gears. The excess grease in the box does absolutely nothing. As for the bearings I put about 3 drops in the shaft opening and then tilt it each way to allow oil to reach the bearings. Towards the motor first, gravity will do the rest. While it's open put a drop of oil on the axle. Both sides.

Thank you, all, for your help.

One other question:

The brush holders on the Pullmor in my Turbine have a round hole in the end, rather than a slot.  I believe that the brush holders with a slot can be screwed off, so that you can replace the brushes without removing the brush plate.  Can the brush holders with a round hole in the end be screwed off, or are they fixed, necessitating removal of the brush plate to replace the brushes?  (I don't want to "force the issue" to find out.)

Cheers!

Keith

Only because you've already gotten good answers......

I just call my buddy Adrian who takes it back to his repair shed. When it comes back, it works great and my wallet is just a little lighter.

I have to assume that the photo you posted is YOUR motor, which uses a 671M-5 brushplate (type with tubes).  There should be no reason to try and remove them, but just need to be cleaned out before placing new brushes.  The brushes for this type of motor are 2020M-33 brush and 2020M-34 spring.  Clean the tubes with Q-tip and alcohol.  The small hole in front of the main body of motor can use 2-3 drops of oil, to lubricate the ends of the bearing holes where the armature shaft ride in.  Use a lubricant of your choice on the bearings on both ends of the motor.  There should be 9 ball bearings on each end of the motor, and put lubricant on the ball bearings, and use a tweezer to install them on each end, to hold them in place while reassembling the motor.  I would also put a small dab of lubricant on the end of the armature shaft where it comes through the brush plate.

Thank you!

Keith

TeleDoc posted:

...I would also put a small dab of lubricant on the end of the armature shaft where it comes through the brush plate.

?

I would also put a small dab of lubricant on the end of the armature shaft where it comes through the brush plate.

The armature shaft does not come through the brush plate.

The idea behind the removable brush tubes was being able to clean the brushes and commutator without removing the brush plate. It was a nice feature. As far as I know, only the brush tubes with slotted ends are removable. I guess Lionel decided the feature wasn't worth the extra manufacturing expense.

Having ruined several armatures cleaning them with alcohol, I don't use it anywhere near trains. I prefer mineral spirits.

Oops!! My mistake as this motor armature doesn't extend thru the brush plate.  So go ahead and beat me up.

You might find this write-up to be helpful: Maintaining Lionel Trains.

Wow, that's a great resource.  Thank you!

Keith

C W Burfle posted:

You might find this write-up to be helpful: Maintaining Lionel Trains.

"Maintaining Lionel Trains" recommends using mineral spirits to clean a Pullmor.  They state that it will not attack the lacquer coating on the armature or field windings during a short cleaning period.  They don't mention Goo Gone.  Would this be safe to use?

Cheers!

Keith

Goo Gone is acidic and corrosive, not what you want to use around the commutator. 

Earlier I posted that I use mineral spirits.
I guess I've been using it for over thirty years, after ruining several armatures by cleaning them with alcohol.

Several years ago I became aware that some of the mineral spirits that is sold in stores like Lowes and Home Depot is cut with water.  I use the pure stuff.

I'll also comment that I think I use it a lot more sparingly then described in the Just Trains article. But have to say that Dennis has much more expertise than I.