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 Posted - July 28 2014 : 10:08:41 PM
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Deciding this weekend, while cleaning up and organizing my train stuff in the basement, I took this Cox engine to my hobby shop job Sunday, and work on Monday, to see if I could get it going. Also posted this in this week's LOTW.
While testing it on Sunday, I totally took apart the motor apart, very Tyco MU-2 like. Except WAY easier to get to the armature! LOL!
The reason it needed some serious attention is that one of the armature plates is mounted off slightly ( probably flipped ), and one edge is tilted up, and it was hitting the motor side frame on one side, which also had a problem, which I'll comment on in a moment. My good Dremel was at my "real" job, and the hobby shop didn't really have a cut-off wheel for theirs. Anyway, I got it apart this morning, and took it out to the dock to grind down the plate some.
   
After I ground down the top edge of the one offset plate slightly, I reinstalled the wheels and axle cover, and tried to fire it up. While it sounded better, not as much racket and knocking, it would run good in one direction, sort of, then click-click-click in the other, and then jam. Hmm. I looked at the two side frames, one had adequate clearance, the other had clearance on the magnet end, but was hitting the armature on the top open-palm side. What the hey? The screw was a bit loose, so I tightened that, but not much clearance difference. So, I took it apart again, I then shoved a nail clipper in place as I removed the non-clearing side frame, to keep the motor "in circuit" magnetically.
I then took the side frame back to the dock, put it in the vice there, and tapped it gently with a small hammer. Back to the workbench, slid it back in place carefully, and tightened the screw in place to hold everything. Checking both frames, they both now had the same clearance top and bottom. Great!   Reinstalled the axle cover, and grabbed the test wires again. This time, the motor spun freely under power, no noise, actually VERY quiet compared to the washing machine sounds it was making previously. Yay! 
Next I had to replace the light bulb, and I had some 14v on hand, so soldered that in, and tested it, it worked. Last item was the motor brush clip lead to power it off the remote truck. Hooked it up, touched the wheels, and....nuthin', zip. Huh? checked, rechecked, still nothing, moved the wire around some, got a few quick turns and bulb briefly lit. Hmm....checking the wire again, I noticed something - they had crimped the insulation under the clip!   Wow, I wonder if this thing had EVER run correctly from the factory? there was some wire wrapped around, but it was only making contact intermittently 
So, I break out the soldering iron, I remove the insulation, and solder the dang wire to the brush contact connector for a solid connection. Again back to the test power supply. NOW it started to run off the wheel power.  I THINK I got it now!
I've got it back in one piece now, no picture of the completion, but will test it on my stairwell test track to see if my repairs really made a difference, like it seemed free-wheeling on the bench. :) The wonko armature plate and bent side frame were a combo that really put a kink in this motor operating at all. Then the poorly crimped wire connection.....  But it seems it's ready to lead a new life now. I don't have the rest of the Cox army cars, but I do have a few army cars, including an Athearn M*A*S*H* unit, a flat with tractor trailer, among others. Plus I have the Tyco GI Joe train, so I could run that as well behind it. Overall, this was a rather challenging overhaul, as so many different problems were contributing to the malaise that this engine exhibited. But this MU-2-like motor seems like it's got some good power, the armature is bigger than the Mantua version, so probably packs more punch. We shall see.  I will post an update on it once it's been tested. But this Cox F unit has been field-stripped, overhauled, and appears ready for service once again. 1 down, 200+ ? more to go....
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Country:  USA ~
Posts: 3974 ~
Member Since: January 04 2009 ~
Last Visit: January 11 2019
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