Help with Sakai 301 wheel removable

How could the bushing have been lost with the wheels still on? Was it a split bearing?

The machine work on Sakai postwar steam locos is dodgy at best.  The US military was still resurrecting/rebuilding Japan.

There might be a way to fix it without pulling the wheels.  Maybe think about it some more before taking drastic action?

I had to look around for pictures and found some.  First, What a great looking little engine!  I can't imagine any little 1950's - 1960's kid not being happy with a set like that.

With blind axle holes on the wheels it's entirely possible that these engines were designed to be thrown together

with zero thought to being repaired ( no need to measure the wheel spacing if you press them onto the axles till they bottom

out )

The back of the non geared wheel has a large diameter boss where the axle is pressed into ( apparently the same diameter as the hub in the front of the wheel )

I would design a tapered wedge type tool that fits on both sides of the axle shaft ( "U" shaped ) and only bears on the center boss on one side and the stamped sheet metal frame on the other.  Hopefully you can rest the top of the inverted frame on a vise and gently tap the wedge between the frame and wheel center and press it off from behind. ( tap, rotate the wheel 45 degrees ,tap, rotate the wheel 45 degrees, tap, rotate the wheel 45 degrees, etc.  )

I have zero knowledge if this will actually work since I don't own one ( you'll have to judge whether the sheet metal frame is strong enough to be pressed against ) but unless someone with actual working knowledge has a better idea, this is how I would try it.

Maybe provide some better photos of the bottom view between the frame and non-geared wheel, and tell us whether the frame is steel or aluminum?

@RoyBoy posted:

How could the bushing have been lost with the wheels still on? Was it a split bearing?

The machine work on Sakai postwar steam locos is dodgy at best.  The US military was still resurrecting/rebuilding Japan.

There might be a way to fix it without pulling the wheels.  Maybe think about it some more before taking drastic action?

I believe someone looks to have somehow put a nail as the shaft thru the armature and added the gear to the end , and in the process destroying the brass bushing , just my guess.

Also missing are the brushes that I’ll probably have to make from either Marx or Lionel brushes .

I only purchased the chassis / motor because of the interest I’ve always had in Sakai and never actually owning one.

A few years ago at a train show I should have bought a complete set cheap but passed on it.

The seller didn’t even have a clue as to what it was . Just something you don’t run across very often .

I’ll try to add some pictures here later , thanks for the input guys .

How about some pictures of the motor showing the problems with it?

The top right enlarged photo shows where I believe the bushing is missing .

I'm wondering if there may have been a different gear with a shoulder on it that has been replaced ?

I don't think anything has been replaced. It's more like just missing brushes and springs.

Are you sure that the bushing is just not pushed in? The missing brushes and brush springs would push the armature and bushing out to where they should be.

If you take off the brush plate, can you push the armature over/out to the correct position? The bushing might have to be clocked properly to fit into place. Sometimes there is a notch or a flat spot to keep the bushing from rotating during operation.

You might be able to use prewar Lionel brush springs, and any brushes that fit to do the job.

This looks much better than your original description.

Probably a flanged bronze bushing that has the flange toward the armature before the gear is pressed onto the armature shaft.

This is how it would be oriented .

@RoyBoy posted:

I don't think anything has been replaced. It's more like just missing brushes and springs.

Are you sure that the bushing is just not pushed in? The missing brushes and brush springs would push the armature and bushing out to where they should be.

If you take off the brush plate, can you push the armature over/out to the correct position? The bushing might have to be clocked properly to fit into place. Sometimes there is a notch or a flat spot to keep the bushing from rotating during operation.

You might be able to use prewar Lionel brush springs, and any brushes that fit to do the job.

This looks much better than your original description.

It does some , but there's still a lot of slop in the gear that would keep it I think from riding the idler gear it mesh's with .

That's why I'm wanting to take the wheels off to see if I can make a better assessment as to what can possibly be missing besides the two brushes and one spring .

Oh, also forgot to mention, the motor frame is some type of alloy or aluminum.

Be careful to not get in over your head.

If you take the wheels off, the next likely step is the trash bin. The aluminum side frames will bend easily.

Just my opinion, but I'm sticking by it.

Can you take off the brush plate, pull out the armature and photograph the gear end?

@JET posted:

Can you take off the brush plate, pull out the armature and photograph the gear end?

That's why I'm trying to figure out how to pull wheels off to pull the armature out .

I remember working on one of these some time back and I too could not figure how to get the armature out.  It appeared that taking the wheels off would be the only way.

The brushes were also square/rectangular -  could not find any but one might be able to make one shaving down a round one.

When made in Japan after the war....very little effort was made to make these easily repairable.

I still think you guys are misreading the condition of the unit. How could the bushing possibly have come off with the gear still in place?

Thinking ahead, has anyone figured out how to get the wheels back on again? That will not be easy since the rods do not come off.

I will shut up now and wish everyone the best of luck, while mourning the inevitable destruction and loss of a rare motor.

@RoyBoy posted:

I still think you guys are misreading the condition of the unit. How could the bushing possibly have come off with the gear still in place?

Thinking ahead, has anyone figured out how to get the wheels back on again? That will not be easy since the rods do not come off.

I will shut up now and wish everyone the best of luck, while mourning the inevitable loss of a rare motor.

Aww you take all the fun out of tearing stuff apart !  

But seriously, a drill press vise and some wooden or aluminum blocks double stick taped to the wheel centers should work to

press them back together, especially since the holes are blind ( should be easy to get the gauge right )

( mocked up below with a diesel truck )

With the axles quartered at 10:30 on one side and 7:30 on the other the axle centers should be clear for the blocks.

With the armature shaft hammered and bent on the ends like they are, I doubt it would spin anywhere near true enough to

actually run as it is right now, even if the bushing were in place.

@JET posted:

Aww you take all the fun out of tearing stuff apart !  

I know. What a buzz kill, right??  

Gonna see what I  can do with all the suggested  idea's , thanks so much .

If anyone else can pick their brain or their neighbors , pass on the idea's

@mackb4 What is happening with this project?

Has the loco been repaired, or has it been relegated to the scrap bin?