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 Posted - October 28 2009 : 1:40:00 PM
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Long time lurker first time poster.
I have an old Brown Box Tyco F-9A Diesel which is practically new. Runs OK however, running forward it's slower and there is a distinct grinding noise. I have disassembled the rear truck and cleaned the commutator. Re-soldered both the front and rear copper plates but still it grinds. No debris just grinding. Any ideas ?
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Posted - October 28 2009 : 1:52:48 PM
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Welcome aboard.
Is your F9 a power Torque or the plastic MU worm drive?
Ray
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Posted - October 28 2009 : 1:54:27 PM
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| Plastic MU worm drive.
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Posted - October 28 2009 : 2:01:16 PM
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Those will make quite a racket if the gears aren't meshing right
Make sure the armature isn't rubbing the metal plates extending from the magnets (can't remember the technical term for those).
Ray
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Posted - November 27 2009 : 5:49:15 PM
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Also, lube her up really good. Seems like cheapie TYCO models get rather noisy if gears are dry as a rock.
" Heck with counting 'em rivets, TRAINS ARE FOR FUN! Not called the Mad Scientist for nothing either!"
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Posted - November 27 2009 : 7:33:45 PM
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Those plastic MU's could be problematic. The plastic cracked easily, and the magnet in the motor seemed weaker than the standard MU-2. Hard to believe it was made by Roco.
I was given one of those engines for my 12th birthday, and one of the biggest problems was keeping bottom cover tight. Be sure it's secure, because it's easy for the screw holes to strip or split.
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - November 27 2009 : 8:33:28 PM
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| I was actually working on a plastic MU 2 just this evening. It had a grinding noise as well. The copper pickup that rides over the axles was slipping forward and rubbing the gears. Once I got it stuck back in the right place, the unit started running smooth and quiet. There are some tabs on it to hold it in place, but they can break off.
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Posted - November 27 2009 : 10:45:54 PM
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Add one more confirmation that noisy, erratic running is a trademark of the plastic MU. It wasn't available for very long, and I think you've discovered why. Burlington 77 hit upon the right track though: bend the contact plates out to exact more pressure and reduce the slop, and that's about the bect you can hope for. My two examples run OK, but make a lot of noise doing it; makes the PT drive seem like a Cadillac compared to a Vega.
Good news is: if you get tired of it, a PT or metal MU-2 swap should be fairly simple.
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Posted - November 28 2009 : 01:11:31 AM
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The odd thing is that the plastic MU-2 could easily have been built well, but they scrapped it for a new design that was a solid chunk of zamac. Of course in the 70's, durable plastic was probably more expensive than diecast.
quote:There are some tabs on it to hold it in place, but they can break off.
Originally posted by burlington77 - November 27 2009 : 8:33:28 PM
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Yup, those four plastic tabs for the cover plate didn't survive the slightest flexing. 
The Tyco Depot
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