Adding smoke fluid every time you run your engine

I notice after they sit a spell they need more fluid.  Normally, overnight isn't long enough.  Note that if you add too much fluid, you'll have a mess and potentially create significant issues with the locomotive.

 

It all depends on how long you run the engine smoke volume setting ECT. When the smoke starts getting faint I turn mine off and let it cool down before putting more fluid in. I generally put fluid in an engine when I power down for the night and blow down the stack. That gives the fluid plenty of time to get deep into the wick and I don't have to remember if I put fluid in or not and I'm ready to run the next night.

I noticed on the back plastic piece that hides the control I see some smoke fluid on end of the piece. Is that normal?  I've never over filled it.  It's been doing this since I got the engine.

On my AC 6000's the smoke units hold the smoke for several days before needing more. I would suspect that the wadding/ may need attention.  Open and take a look.

Is there any diagram on the best way to open this engine up

Head over to the Lionel web site & search for video "Smoke Fluid 101" with Mike Regan

It will always take some time to smoke after starting up over night on any locomotive.  The smoke unit has to warm up.  So those that have this engine, how long does it take to warm up and output smoke?

Mine takes a couple minutes and then I add some drops because of the weak flow

I just tried mine again it seems while the engine power is on  that is the best time to add smoke fluid to it.  Sometimes the smoke is decent while in neutral but then when the engine starts going it's not as much.  I also noticed that if I shut the power off and back on the smoke outputs more sometimes.  Is there a setting I'm missing?   I'm using a conventional transformer.  ( lionel 180-w )

Lionel recommends adding smoke fluid either before operating or after a short cool down period after running so as not to create a hardened burnt glaze over the heating element. They also recommend using a syringe to add fluid so as to get down into the wicking material and avoid pouring the fluid directly onto the heating element. And yes, blowing down the stack is also advised for better performance.

I had a similar problem on one of my locomotives, and eventually discovered that it was due to the foam gasket on the inside of the body shell where the smoke comes out was missing. This allowed smoke to seep inside of the body, and fluid collected around the seams of the hatch cover.

I made a new foam gasket out of some HO scale self-adhesive foam roadway, and the problem was solved permanently. 

I watched most of this 1/2 video and was not surprised with how Lionel can make things complicated.  If their service department uses smoke bottles with needle attachments on them to break through any accumulated film under the stack and apply it directly to the wadding below, then why can't Lionel sell it's smoke bottles with these needle application attachments for its customers and save us some trouble?

 

Then the complications that occur with diesel smoke units, especially the newer ones!  I'm glad I don't use the smoke feature on my diesels.  As stated in another thread awhile back, that fan driven WHITE smoke spewing out of O gauge diesels looks so unprototypical to me, I'd rather just not mess with it.

 

I guess it's all I can do to keep my steam engine smoke units unclogged and operating properly.