Several of my locos are in need of tune-ups. I always keep up regular lubrication around the trucks and drive wheels. What do I use for other parts of the engines? Do I clean the motor? Help needed!
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Lube the exposed gears and apply two drops of oil to all places where the metal moving parts of the locomotives move against each other. The same for the axles of the rolling stock on the inside of the wheels only and make sure to whip off any oil that gets on the wheel surfaces that comes in contact with the tracks. As for the motors just follow the instruction that came with the locomotives or get one of the books that show how to maintain the motors that should be done once in a while depending on how much use each locomotive gets.
Ed G. (Along The New Haven Line of Amtrak and Metro-North in Westchester County, NY).
I get involved with these from time to time. On any pullmor motor it is important to pull the brush plate and clean the grooves on the commutator and polish it. I also remove brushes and clean the brush holders as well as the brushes. These steps along with everything Ed covered will usually make the Pullmor perform for another period of time.
As they said, clean the commuter. Lube the gears. In addition, I would drop a little lube on the ends of the armature to facititate the turning of the motor, and if the engine has brass bearings for the axle, drop a little motor oil there too.
El Classico posted:As they said, clean the commuter. Lube the gears. In addition, I would drop a little lube on the ends of the armature to facititate the turning of the motor, and if the engine has brass bearings for the axle, drop a little motor oil there too.
What do you recommend I clean the motor with? Some kind of chemical that removes the grime? Would Isopropyl alcohol work?
RaritanRiverRailroadFan4 posted:El Classico posted:As they said, clean the commuter. Lube the gears. In addition, I would drop a little lube on the ends of the armature to facititate the turning of the motor, and if the engine has brass bearings for the axle, drop a little motor oil there too.
What do you recommend I clean the motor with? Some kind of chemical that removes the grime? Would Isopropyl alcohol work?
I personally brush off the commuter and the brushes with a pencil eraser, others use mineral spirits. I have never tried the alcohol, so cannot recommend or condemn its use. It might work, but I personally would not risk something I have not tried. Lubricant, I use either motor oil or the vintage lube when I can find it. Beyond that, I have little I can suggest, having not encountered carbon buildups that either an eraser or mineral spirits would not remove.
Alcohol is not a good idea. It will attack the insulation on the magnet wire that was used in some Lionel motors. I use 100 percent pure mineral spirits. (Some mineral spirits is cut with water).
Some folks swear by erasers, others say erasers leave a residue, and should not be used. I use a fiberglass burnishing tool when the mineral spirits alone won't cut it.
I moisten a rag with the mineral spirits and rub to commutator plate clean.
For brush wells, I use a QTip moistened with mineral spirits.
For smaller brush wells, I fold over a pipe cleaner to make it thicker, and use that.
