Help needed Lionel fire car 6-18444 from 1990s 21753 set

I hope it is ok to bump this up.

Any suggestions?

That’s the command set with sound fire car?

Yes.

I have diagrams for the postwar version and I do NOT have them for the command set fire car.

The postwar version has the bumper reverse and is attached to the frame differently than the command version.

It would be good to have an exploded diagram for the command version to get a better idea of how to separate the cab from the chassis.

I did try uberstationmeisters suggestion but I am unable to get the cab to budge at all.

I purchased the set sealed so I know nothing unusual has been done to it.

Jeff

Ok, on the fire car it is very easy to break the plastic body at the bumper attachment point. There are 2 metal bumper mounts, one on each side of the bumper. They are held onto the body by 2 plastic fast push clips. If you go to take the bumper off without holding the metal mount. You will break the body holes the hold the bumper. So, just don't pull the bumper off. There is a screw at on edge under the front bumper. I've fixed many of these...I don't know if I still have a picture. Again, do not pull the front bumper off without ascertaining where to hold the metal retaking bumper brackets there is about 1/16th of a inch of plastic on the body holding the plastic retainer.

Mine bumper clips are held on by screws, I have the TMCC NYC Fire Car and sound car.  You do have to flex the plastic shell slightly to get it off once you remove the screw.

Gunrunnerjohn, Uberstationmeister, and Shawn,

Thank you for your help. I am still not able to get the shell to budge. I can’t get it to move at all. I attached a photo of where I removed the one screw. It appears I need to somehow get the front to lift up and over the plastic screw holder/post as the first step, but I can’t pull it up.

I need to adjust the set screw as the loco runs fine in reverse and is balky in forward. So I need to get the cab off to get to the set screw.this was new in a sealed box and I just put it on the layout a few days ago. I did the normal oil/lube per the instructions.

thanks, Jeff

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Mine bumper clips are held on by screws, I have the TMCC NYC Fire Car and sound car.  You do have to flex the plastic shell slightly to get it off once you remove the screw.

If you have screws. Someone repaired it. They sandwiched the clip between both plate. I cut a thin piece of metal. Then super glue it to the inner plastic of the body, opposite of the clip. Then use a small self tapping screw

Jeff2035 posted:

Gunrunnerjohn, Uberstationmeister, and Shawn,

Thank you for your help. I am still not able to get the shell to budge. I can’t get it to move at all. I attached a photo of where I removed the one screw. It appears I need to somehow get the front to lift up and over the plastic screw holder/post as the first step, but I can’t pull it up.

I need to adjust the set screw as the loco runs fine in reverse and is balky in forward. So I need to get the cab off to get to the set screw.this was new in a sealed box and I just put it on the layout a few days ago. I did the normal oil/lube per the instructions.

 

thanks, Jeff

 

Are you sure the 2 retainer holding the bumper aren’t in the way. You may have to flex the body out a bit

Take a picture of the front bumper area

I always take the bumper off the supports, then the shell comes right off.  The bumper is holding the shell on.  You can wiggle the buffer off it's supports, just don't put a lot of pressure on it in any axis, as mentioned, it's a pretty flimsy affair.

See photo. I was able to get the bumper off without breaking the plastic(thanks for the heads up!). The side without the screw will wiggle some, but the side with the screw will not move at all. It is that side I think that is making it hard to loosen. Any thoughts on how to loosen it?

thank you,

Jeff

I seem to recall that sometimes the shell hangs up on that bracket screw, so you might have to take those off too not that the bumper is out of the way.  After that, there's nothing I can think of to prevent removing the shell.

Looking at the picture if that is the screw hole it almost looks like it might have glue or something between the red screw hole and the black piece. If that is whats hanging it up you might try some crazy glue debonder to work it loose. Don't know if that is what is holding it.

The post looks like it is stuck inside the peg hole. Use a wide blade screwdriver and the edge of the frame for the fulcrum and easily wedge up.

The picture is not clear enough to really see much.

I start with a pry, but if it resists, shock it some and or drive it, with light rapping on a small drift punch or on the head of the screw with the screw 98% set into its threads.

 I've found a single drop of wd-40 or T-9 (extra awsome here) and some flex & soak helps things some. As a kid is would be a single drop of watery dish soap; slicker, but doesn't penetrate as well imo.

 I wonder if ice and/or (low hair dryer) heat for contraction/expansion might be as useful with plastic as it can be with metals or other materials. I never tried it.

Thank you to everyone who has posted suggestions.

I have tried almost all of them and still cannot get it to budge.

Within the next two weeks I will be visiting my local Lionel repair expert, and I will see if both of us working together on this can get it to break free. (It may take an extra set of hands, especially if we try to tap it out.)  

I will make sure to share with him all your suggestions.

Once I have visited him I will post to let you know how it turned out.

Thank you all again.

I might even be tempted to put a vertical slice on the side of the "barrel", hopfully lessening any grip.

(I think I'd rather repair that support than the body (first perception, not totally familiar with it)   I never had the new ones, but the PW body was very prone to breaking more once it started somewhere.)

I've had a few of them apart, and I can't remember any significant difficulty getting the shell off.  I know the bumper was one area that got in the way, after that it seems it was clear sailing.

Adriatic and GunrunnerJohn, thanks for your comments.

When I meet with my repair person, we may consider slicing the barrel.

I too am wary of cracking the cab.