Pat you're the master at motor alignment, custom mounts, etc., I know you know your stuff! I think whether or not you get noise is a function of several things:
-The degree of misalignment (greater misalignment will cause the shaft to toggle back-and-forth more)
-The length of the dogbone shaft relative to the gap (too short = greater chance of noise.) I've read some accounts where the shaft was way too short and it fell out, causing the loco to be immobilized!
-The size of the pins, relative to the width of the slots (small pins will chatter more, and allow more movement)
Yes, the grease is a band-aid solution. But most folks don't have the skills to realign the motor, if there's even room to do so. Nor to make a new shaft that's a better fit. Wyatt posted a test run on another thread; it's very smooth and quiet. If it were my loco I think I could accept it the way it is.
