E-UNITS

Those E-unit wheels are like $5.00

Thanks Matt. I looked on my usual parts site could find the E-unit and don't know a part #. If you can help that would be a nice start. Still like to know about the conversion.

You can get E-Unit parts at Henning's Trains Tel: (215) 362-2442

You can't use that board you have for AC motors, that's strictly a DC reverse unit.  Dallee has the Model 400 reverse board that handles AC or DC motors.

thanks for the info. I wasn't sure, I had bought it sometime back and didn't use it, thought I might, if it would.

Found the wheel on the bay. Had looked earlier, missed them some how. I bought 2 for 10. thanks again guys for the help.

Now the fun will start when you try to replace the drum. Good luck and have lots of patience.

I can only hope it falls in the way it fell out, LOL. I guess I'll cross that bridge in a few days. May have to go get me a vice clamp to hold it together, don't know, Dad taught me a lot of little trix and hacks.

My experience is that the drum can be wiggled back in there without too much disassembly. Be very careful not to bend the contact fingers though. Those (in my limited experience) are very difficult to replace. I've run across several e units that have the same problem you describe with one of the nubs of the "axle" wore or broke off.

The main reason I am replying though is to tell you not to use the electronic e unit you mentioned in the first post. That one is made for small can motored starter set engines or small motorized units. It will smoke rather quickly if you hook up the universal (pullmor) motor to it.

J White

There is a tool called an E-unit spreader (#ST-302) That makes the job much easier. It allows the unit to be opened in a controlled fashion so it does not "explode" into pieces. Train Tender gets $3.50 for one.

Since I collect Lionel Service tools, I probably have all the various tools, both Lionel and after market, that have been produced for working on E-units. It is the only one I actually use.

Just curious, is the bad e-unit drum in your loco cast from clear plastic?
I ask because I have seen a number of NOS clear drums with damaged ends. I think the clear plastic was probably more brittle than the colored plastic that was used more often.

For future reference the drum is part #259E-1, and if you search YouTube you will find an instructional video of how to repair a Postwar style E unit.  If you have FAT fingers, good luck if you can get it together in record time.......LOL, they are such a Joy to rebuild!!

There's lots of ways to replace the part of the E-Unit.  I use my PanaVise to slightly spread the sides, and it's pretty easy to slip the drum and the contacts in,  It's painful the first couple times you do one, then it gets much easier.  There are several E-Unit tools you can buy, but unless you're doing a lot of them, it's probably just an extra expense.

quote:

I use my PanaVise to slightly spread the sides,

Which head?

I am guessing a 366 wide opening head or a 376 self-centering wide opening head.

If so, do you have to remove the jaw pads?

Regardless, I never heard of someone doing that before. I imagine it works quite well.

I learned years ago to replace the entire unit. When a person shakes with PD take the easy way out. Then rebuild the other on a good day at your leisure. The better way out would be to replace the original with a Dallee unit if you have the room. IMHO

I said this before, I use a pair of snap ring pliers I have that have a set screw for controlling spread.  I squeeze until the side just open.  Drop drum out, insert new.  Finger close sides and then squeeze with plier/re-stake if necessary.

Really not that hard in my opinion.  G

quote:

I use a pair of snap ring pliers I have that have a set screw for controlling spread.

Since I haven't seen too many pairs of snap ring pliers with a set screw, I thought I'd post a link to one that is available on EBay. I have a pair of and believe them to be nicely made. Here is the link: SK 7655 Retaining Ring Pliers.

Some sources recommend using a pair of Proto 250G Lock Ring / Horseshoe Washer pliers. I guess they would work, but they lack the stop that the SK 7655 retaining ring pliers have. Here is one of many EBay lots for Proto 250G Lock Ring pliers.

Mine is the pretty standard jaws, the plastic inserts.  I just slip the E-Unit bottom section over it and slowly open the vice until I get the spread I need to remove the parts.  After fumbling with several other techniques, I came upon that one and it worked well, at least for me.  Although I've replaced the drum alone, typically I find if the drum is died, it's just easier to replace the fingers and the drum and have a fully rebuilt unit.

The other issue is the loose lever, there are various ways to fix that as well.  I was amazed to learn that you could simply pry loose the staked tabs below the lever and bend the whole side out and clinch the lever rivet, then bend it back.  I couldn't believe that didn't screw up everything, but Harry Henning showed me how easy it was, and said he had been doing that for a lot of years.  It does work, though it does sound extreme.  It allows you to permanently fix the lever in a few minutes.

That a lot of info, thanks a bunch. Yes, after posting I found the drum and #, I just missed it on the first try, my bad. Gunrunner; I have a small wobble head vise, witch I will use, to hold it in. Yes, C W; It was clear plastic. This engine doesn't appear to have been run. there is just know wear. I think I read some where that there was a problem with E-unit at one time. The little axle ends just didn't exist, they were just little nubs, there wasn't enough plastic axle molding to fit in the axle mounting holes. I think it has enough clearance to drop back in. Oh well, we'll see in a few days. Again I want to give a big thanks to all of you.