Clamshell Mech Problems

sparky230

sparky230

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Hi All. Got a Clamshell mech, that's giving me trouble

Runs, then stops, nudge it runs, stops again, etc.

Runs fine when not on track, wheels turn freely by hand, electricaly ok when run off track.

Any suggestions?
 
standard one with skates
 
Cant recall if the motors in these need a ball bearing at each end of the shaft to prevent lateral movement or not! What model is it from?

Too much vertical play in the wheel sets causing the gears to bind?
 
?Quartering out, perhaps?
When off-load (not on track) enough slop to not affect it.. On track / load, just out enough to bind a little??

Too much TLC.. Oil contamination of pickups / strips in gearbox??

Just a couple of ideas..
 
muns said:
Cant recall if the motors in these need a ball bearing at each end of the shaft to prevent lateral movement or not! What model is it from?
Click to expand...

Yes they do. I had a similar problem when I recently repaired one of mine. I had not noticed that one of the ball bearings was missing.
 
sparky230 said:
Runs fine when not on track
Click to expand...
To me this suggests intermittent pickup. If all adjacent electrical connection parts are clean and in good contact I suspect one or more pickup carbon brush springs may have deteriorated and no longer applying enough pressure.
 
it's not pickups, are four are new, and has new skates, both bearings are present, block had been completly stripped and cleaned, 1 axle is new one is old,

I'm wondering if the block is worn too much on one of the axle holes, causing it to bind under weight
 
If it's not too much hassle, is it worth trying it with the coupling rods and motion removed (as it's you, I'm assuming it's a Stainz?) and see if you still get the same problem? That might determine if it's the outside motion binding, or something inside the gearbox.....

Jon.
 
If a new axle.. I would double-check the quartering..
Also, between the wheels either end of the new axle (if pushfit). - don't ask how I know!!

Had a loco which seemed fine held in the air, but on track / load, it would shutter.. Wheels across axle were a fraction out..

Jon's idea good too..
 
I've already taken the rods off as that was my first thought, It's a very old block, comes off a 2040 Stainz.
So early 70's
 
OK, so it's nothing to do with the rods binding... that also rules out any quartering or other wheel alignment problem, of course.

Hmmm, I'm stumped. Swap the motor for another and re-test?

Jon.
 
After Pushing, prodding, wiggling and screaming at it. I've fixed it

I was leaning on it being a axle problem, well sort of was, one axle hole in the block has gone ever so slightly oval, changing that half of the block with one from the scrap bin, has fixed it.

All I can presume is the Ovaled hole is binding when weight is on the block.
 
Well done that man!
Good to know the solution, should any of us ever come across a similar problem with very old locos..... :)

Jon.
 
It is a testament to LGB plastics that you can run these things just using the plastic case as a bearing..

Perhaps another reason the Model Engineers turn their noses up at us??
;) :D ;D ;D
 
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