Hello folks,
I decided to start the New Year out right by diving into an e-unit repair - my first ever. (Never had e-units in the HO and N worlds.) My 8030 (with Burlington 2328 shell) wouldn't move at all but the motor tested OK. Further inspection indicated dirty & misaligned e-unit contacts, so I decided to take the plunge. I had the perfect tool for separating the sides of the unit (an old Craftsman snap-ring pliers that I had hardly ever used, perfect size for this task). Once apart I cleaned the barrel, cleaned and re-aligned the contacts and removed and inspected the solenoid plunger (which was in perfect condition). Now the fun part: reassembly. I've read the stories here and elsewhere and was prepared for the worst. Although a bit challenging, it went way better than expected. I certainly understand how frustrating it could be, and as many other have mentioned, having a third hand would help, lol! But I guess my years of experience working on Pacific Bell central office relays, and refurbishing old pinball machines (which are nothing but relays and solenoids) came in handy. And the best part - it's now fixed, and running better than any of my other locomotives.
That being said, I can certainly appreciate the benefits of converting to an electronic e-unit. Is there more than one source for these, and if so who has the best conversion kit?
Thanks in advance!
