#41 Army Switcher, worm gear won't stay engaged with ring gear

I won't be able to reply to any of your replies until tomorrow....

That "homemade bushing" should be part 41-27 and should fit in the "C shaped recess". I would try to source a fresh one to get a nice snug fit in the channel and around the armature.

The bushing belongs in the cut-out in the frame. It must be tight and not spin. Tap in place with a small ball peen hammer.

@bmoran4 posted:

That "homemade bushing" should be part 41-27 and should fit in the "C shaped recess". I would try to source a fresh one to get a nice snug fit in the channel and around the armature.

Thank you, not sure how it came out, the top edges of the recess are peened down...

@Chuck Sartor posted:

The bushing belongs in the cut-out in the frame. It must be tight and not spin. Tap in place with a small ball peen hammer.

Thanks for the advise Chuck!

Okay, I set the nylon bushing in with a small hammer and flat round punch and it clicked into place nicely. Just enough up/down play with the armature when moving from fwd to rev.  Test ran nicely, however, there is excessive sparking at the pickup rollers. Upon close inspection, I can see the rollers are pitted from years of this sparking. Will new rollers do the trick or is there an underlying reason for the sparking that would cause new rollers to spark also?

Be sure the roller pins are clean with no oil. polish with wire wheel or fine grit sandpaper.