I just got a really nice 1668E and the contact shoes came off the the fiber shoe plate ( I don't know why? ) I removed the fiber shoe plate and replaced the shoe but it came off again???? Now I notice the fiber is getting a little damaged. I don't want to mess up the fiber..... What is the best and proper way to remove the whole assembly? Why would the shoes come off????
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The fiber pickup plate has a flat metal spring riveted to the back. If it is loose, or the ends not bent properly, the contact shoes will not stay in place.
To properly remove the fiber pickup plate, the sides of the motor need to be spread near the tabs on the pickup plate. This requires a special frame spreading tool, and the drive wheels may need to be partially pulled off their axles. The pickup plate can then be removed, and a new one inserted. Remove the frame spreading tool, and the motor sides should spring back into position.
A replacement fiber pickup plate part # 1668E-20 is available here.
Larry
I'm guessing that your flat spring is worn or out of adjustment or that the shoes are not seated properly as shown below. The whole assembly is sold as the 1668E-20 Collector assembly. The shoes themselves are 1661-33
https://store.justtrains.com/1...-Assembly_p_282.html
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1668E...ngines-/312537776041
Hennings also has a reproduction that uses rollers instead of shoes:
http://hennings-trains.shoplig...ollector-assemb.html
As for replacing the collector board:
bmoran4 posted:SUCCESS!
With help of the ST350-FST frame spreading tool and the Craftsman 4735 snap-ring pliers, I was able to remove the broken collector plate and install a replacement. The ST350-FST dosen't make it gravy, but very instrumental to operation. It took a few careful tries and some finagling, but the operation was a success! I didn't have to modify the plate at all (no shortening or removing any of the tabs). Engine runs well! Very happy with the outcome!
To add to BMORAN4’s comment about the Frame spreader tool, Jeff Kane (Tender.com), sells the tool for $20.00. It does take finagling to use the tool, along with a flat blade screwdriver, but it lessens the damage to the fiber board tabs. My preference, when putting a new fiber plate back in, is to file down the tabs, ever so slightly, to make it easier to reinstall. It just takes some patience.
Thanks for the help....I spoke with Jeff today and ordered the parts and the spreader.
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