Hi all,
As we get hit with a large snowstorm this evening in the Twin Cities area, I thought I would get around to fixing my 397 coal loader. This thing has been a bit of a pain in the butt ever since it arrived a few weeks ago. From what information I have gathered it seems the loader is suffering from a common problem: the coal is shifting to one side of the receiving bin and not going up the ramp towards the loader. I have disassembled it several times, syncing the cams, rebuilding the motor, cleaning loose coal out from under the belt, etc. I have also tried what the Lionel service manual said about moving the cam followers closer to the cams, but I couldn't really get them to budge either direction and all seemed well there in the first place. No matter what I seem to do the coal will always move towards the same side. I have tested it on a level surface, and I have also read the past forum post about the reissue 397 loader with the same issue, but I'm not sure I completely understand the fix that was discussed. Help with or without pictures would be greatly appreciated!
Best wishes from the Frozen North!
Zach
