MTH Mel's Drive-In - Grinding Sound

Mike H Mottler posted:

Seeking Help ...

I have a MTH Mel's Drive-In accessory that has been working fine ... until a few days ago. When at rest, the lights come on, but when I push the START button I hear its "normal" sound for two seconds and then comes the continuous grinding sound -- like the internal gears that engage the motion of the car along its path are jammed. There is no movement of the car or the carhops and no juke box music.

There is no MTH Service Station in Arkansas, and the "closest" Authorized Service Station is 300+ miles away. I'm reluctant to ship it to MTH for repair for fear it would be damaged in transit.

Suggestions welcome ...

Mike

 

believe it or not but dust gets inside the gears.

turn it over, take out the screws and remove the bottom you will see the gears and should see the dust.

Mike, see the end of this page, MTH Mel's Drive-In Diner (#30-9105) to know what's involved to get to the gears.

With that information a handy person in your life could help get rid of the grinding.

bigdodgetrain posted:

Mike H Mottler posted:

Seeking Help ...

I have a MTH Mel's Drive-In accessory that has been working fine ... until a few days ago. When at rest, the lights come on, but when I push the START button I hear its "normal" sound for two seconds and then comes the continuous grinding sound -- like the internal gears that engage the motion of the car along its path are jammed. There is no movement of the car or the carhops and no juke box music.

There is no MTH Service Station in Arkansas, and the "closest" Authorized Service Station is 300+ miles away. I'm reluctant to ship it to MTH for repair for fear it would be damaged in transit.

Suggestions welcome ...

Mike

 

believe it or not but dust gets inside the gears.

 

turn it over, take out the screws and remove the bottom you will see the gears and should see the dust.

Big Dodge Train ...

Thanks for the tip about dust. I disassembled a MTH Gas Station and found a misbehaving gear on the motor shaft. Fortunately, that repair project was an easy fix.

Then I removed the base of a MTH Car Wash, but I wasn't able to fix it (or re-assemble it properly). So I gave that accessory to a fellow club member who is more skilled at repair than I am. If he can fix it, the accessory will be his. I already bought another one to replace it.  So far, so good.

I probably  wouldn't be as lucky if I attempted to remove the base of my MTH Mel's Diner for a look-see inside. My guess is that one of the small motion-limit switches may be faulty. The problem started when this accessory wouldn't STOP at the normal end of its cycle. It kept on running, and that continuous running may have caused one of the gears to jam. I received a helpful tip from another OGR FORUM member who recommended a repair guy in Memphis -- which is closer to me than any MTH Authorized Service Center. We'll see ...

Mike

Susan Deats posted:

Mike, see the end of this page, MTH Mel's Drive-In Diner (#30-9105) to know what's involved to get to the gears.

With that information a handy person in your life could help get rid of the grinding.

Susan D.

Thanks for a prompt reply and the helpful pix of the gear mechanisms inside the base of this accessory. Another responder suggested a repair guy in Memphis -- a two-hour drive from me, but closer than any MTH Authorized Service Center in the mid-south region.

I offered add'l info to BIG DODGE TRAINS on this posting concerning my SWAG estimate of the source of the problem with this accessory -- a faulty small motion-limiting switch. The last time I tried to replace a motion-limiting switch (in a Lionel Culvert Loader), the replacement part from Lionel didn't fit. I never did get it to work properly. 20/20 hindsight -- I should have sent the accessory to Lionel for repair along with a confession of my repair incompetence.  If confession is good the soul, I should be feeling better anytime now.

Anyway, I enjoyed looking at your IMPRESSIVE layout, especially the helix!

With appreciation,

Mike M.

we hand the exact same issue with our mels dinner and it was dirt in the gears.

we took it apart,  vacuumed out the dust and it is running like new.

your millage will very

Big Dodge Train:

Thanks for a follow-up note. With your encouragement, I'll remove the base and look for dust in the gears. If it's a successful fix, I'll be eternally grateful -- or for at least a week!

Mike

Mike H Mottler posted:

Big Dodge Train:

Thanks for a follow-up note. With your encouragement, I'll remove the base and look for dust in the gears. If it's a successful fix, I'll be eternally grateful -- or for at least a week!

Mike

I have done it a couple of times.

it takes time and is a slow process but I was successful

good luck

One of my waitresses (Mel's) came loose and I can't seem to reattach it in its little square socket. Any suggestions?

Wally

Cho Cho Wally posted:

One of my waitresses (Mel's) came loose and I can't seem to reattach it in its little square socket. Any suggestions?

Wally

did something break?

try this

https://mthtrains.com/sites/de...ction/30as18518i.pdf