AF 322 questions

how bad is the rust?,,,you have a bench grinder,,?  you can get a wire wheel for it,  scotch brite,, not steel wool,,,not sand paper,,,, the buzz is e unit, ,

You can use pretty much any smoke fluid. I use Supersmoke because it smells like the original, works well and is readily available locally at train shows. Running it without smoke fluid for long periods is not good but these old smoke units are not sensitive to wick damage like the new Lionel smoke units.

Before running the engine the old grease which will have hardened should be cleaned off the gears. Any modern grease is better than Vaseline.

It sounds like the commutator is dirty and the brushes may be worn (the lunging). What I do is spray them with electrical contact cleaner, lightly oil the armature shaft and linkage then test run to see if that improves it. I would also spray the reverse unit with the contact cleaner and see if that frees the sticking drum or plunger. Ultimately the motor should be disassembled and the armature removed for cleaning and new brushes installed. It sounds like another thin washer may be needed on the commutator shaft. Check out the repair clinics on the Portlines website for instructions.

Plus on everything Tom has said. Look at the drum in the reverse unit to ensure it is clean. Always suspect  the wires from the tender to the engine for breaks inside the cloth insulation. I would be happy to assist you stripping down your engine and tender. I am south of you in Delaware. 

I do have bench grinder, and I can get a wire wheel for it. I think it would make quick work of the rust. Why didn't I think of that?

I feel comfortable cleaning old grease, and applying new. I shouldn't have too much trouble spraying contact cleaner on the reverse unit. I should also be able to oil the armature and linkage. I think I will try this and see what happens. Keep in mind that I only set up a small section of dirty track and attempted to run the train minimally. Perhaps clean track, a clean  reverse unit, and some properly lubed gears will solve my problems?

I found a youtube video of a guy completely disassembling an AF loco and it may help me a lot. However, I'm not sure I feel comfortable replacing motor parts.

Stew, its reassuring knowing that you are not too far away and you're willing to help. I'm going to save your e-mail address and if I can't get this train running smooth, I'll shoot you an e-mail. I'm married, have three kids, and I usually work 6 days a week, so all this train stuff may take me a while to get to. So who knows how long it will be? At any rate, I appreciate your offer.

Oh, and one more question. When the train was moving, mostly in reverse, it seemed to be lacking traction. So I looked closely at the wheels and I noticed that only the back set of drive wheels were actually touching the track, the other 2 sets were slightly off the rails. Is this normal to aid in going around a curve?

Thanks to everyone for your time and advice.

The 322 does not have traction tires so the track and the six drive wheels need to be kept clean for best traction. In addition the tender pickup wheels must be clean for good electrical pickup. 

On all my Hudsons all six drive wheels sit on the rails. At least three wheels have to be on the rails no matter how damaged the chassis. Yours actually sounds like it is in good shape. Make sure none of the metal tires on the drive wheels have come loose from the white plastic insulators. This could cause problems if one or more is loose. 

Re what smoke fluid to use, years ago when I was running my 312 or 322 under the Christmas tree I bought a bottle of LV Live Steam “S” Smoke Fluid.  This fluid was scented to smell like the post-war American Flyer steam engines did when they used the original AF smoke fluid and it sure did!  I don’t know if it’s still on the market or not.  Perhaps the Supersmoke product mentioned above by another poster also has that scent.

Bill

Here's a little update: I used my bench grinder to clean up my track. It worked great. I have the track laid out and nailed down. I went through and cleaned my locomotive. I then oiled and greased as per the instructions. I didn't have any contact cleaner, so the reverse unit will have to wait.

At first the reverse unit was sticking, and the engine would barely move. Little by little, it began moving, faster and faster. Most of the lunging has worked itself out. Also, the reverse unit quit sticking most of the time. I am merely speculating here, but I think my lunging problem may have been coming from the axle's in the tender. Perhaps one side of the axle was more tarnished than the other, and as the axle spun, it was getting sporadic power? Also, I'm sure clean track is helping. Or maybe the locomotive just needed to be broke in a little after 25 years of sitting in a cupboard? None the less, I am happy to have it rolling.

I put 5 or so drops of smoke fluid in the stack with no results. I then added another 5 drops. Still nothing. Perhaps it needs a new wick?

After having nailed down my track, I have noticed the drive wheels seem to be sitting better on the track. I'm still getting some derailments, but I think with a little shimming on the track, I can work most of it out.

I also cleaned, oiled, and tested my remote switches, and sure enough, they work too. Now time to get everything permanently wired....

A drop of oil on the tender axle ends will lubricate them. Same for the lead truck and trailing truck. A drop of oil where the copper contact rubs on the middle of the axle will help. A drop of oil between the chassis and each drive wheel is needed. A drop on the smoke gear where it rotates around where it is attached to the chassis helps. Oil sparingly where the valve gear slides into the steamchest.   A drop on the armature shaft where it enters the chassis is required and can be reached by removing the access plate on the bottom of the chassis. A drop on the opposite end of the armature at the brush cap. Some brush caps have a small wick in the armature hole. Apply SPARINGLY. Anywhere there is movement around an axle, screw or pin needs attention. The surging you mention may be due to a bend somewhere in the valve gear. Make sure there are no kinks anywhere. The reverse unit can be locked into whatever sequence you want by moving the reverse unit lever to the other side when in the direction you desire. Let the smoke unit sit for a day or two to let the fluid soak up. Before you try it again add several more drops. If NG them it may need to be rebuilt.

Rich