Help with rebuilding trucks.

[tetters]

Hi folks.

I'm working on a P2K loco and trying to quiet down the buzzing sound coming from the trucks. Quite annoying. It sounds like the gears have a hockey card stuck in the spokes.

I remember reading on the old board one member (I forget who... :oops: ) commented that he disassembled the trucks de-greased, carefully removed all the flashing from the gears and reassembled them which improved the performance and made them nice and quiet.

So. Two questions.

1) What is the best way to degrease the trucks? For some reason I'm thinking soap and water in a wire mesh strainer so as to not lose any small bits scrubbed with a tooth brush will be fine.

2) What would be the best method for removing flashing from such small parts? An X-acto blade would be too risky, might carve off too much. So either a quick pass with a small jewelers file or very fine grit sandpaper might be the best method.

Advice? Comments? Opinions?

Thanks!

[ray_m]

Hi folks.


1) What is the best way to degrease the trucks? For some reason I'm thinking soap and water in a wire mesh strainer so as to not lose any small bits scrubbed with a tooth brush will be fine.

2) What would be the best method for removing flashing from such small parts? An X-acto blade would be too risky, might carve off too much. So either a quick pass with a small jewelers file or very fine grit sandpaper might be the best method.

I use dish soap and water with a tooth brush.
Depending on what has to be removed, I use a hobby knife for removing large burrs and a file or fine sand paper to clean up smaller imperfections.
also, check the gears for cracks.
Which loco is it?

[nomad]

Hi Tetters.
I know this is for Athearn, but there is a section on cleaning and using tooth polish to smooth the gears.

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Loren

[tetters]

Hi Ray,

It is a P2K SW900/1200. The gears are not cracked, I checked. I have other P2K locos and have become quite acquainted with the crack gear symptoms and what they make a loco do. This little guy isn't doing any of that.

Loren,

That is a great website! Book marked for reference. Guess I'll make a jaunt to the drug store to get some Pearl Drops Toothpaste. Toothpaste to burnish gears! How do people think of this stuff?

[ray_m]

I have a P2K PA1 that sounded similar to what you discribed.
It had burrs on the axle gears and gear box halves.

[tetters]

Thanks Ray. Something else to look for. Much appreciated.