Is it possible to reverse the wires to the can motors?

I have many K-line diesels with can motors. They are mounted opposite each other and are wired accordingly to spin in the same direction. I would assume you can do as you propose. I wire all of mine in series to slow them down. The blue and brown wires off the board are the power leads to the motors. Yellow and blue are the hots from the motors. These show after I changed them to series.

I'm not familiar with ERR so someone who is may provide more info.

Bob

You could switch the motor leads to reverse the direction of travel, but take note of the fact that the couplers and lights would now operate backwards.

Ok, since it is LionChief the couplers are not an issue.  The light would be off, but I can live with that.  

Would you recommend doing right at the motor and not near any board.

thanks

Near the motor is fine, you can swap the leads anywhere along the way.

Thanks, once I get one I will open it and see.

Ok, I opened it up. 

The red/black wires go to the pick up rollers and the frame. (First Picture).

The blue/red wires first go to the back motor, then brown/blue wires go from the back motor to the front motor (Picture 2 & 3).

Would I only need to reverse/splice the blue/red wires, somewhere before it gets to the back motor?  I don't know if I can reverse them within the white connector.  If I can, that would be the easiest, if not, splice the red blue.

Before I do anything, I just want to make sure my thinking is correct.

Tony

I am able to switch the blue & red wire in the little white plug if that would work.  That would switch the wires to both motors.  I have not put power to it yet.  Waiting for people with more knowledge to chime in.  Like you mentioned in your earlier post, the white clip has little tabs that can release the wires.

What about the warranty ?   Wouldn't Lionel void the warranty if you switched the wires ?

Probably, but could be reversed.  Bought two sets with the intention of only keeping the engine from the second set, selling everything else.  Selling track from first set as well.

 Sets were only $258 each,  so after selling everything, and getting A bunch of kohl’s cash, the second set will probably be free, so I am ok with it.

Tony H posted:

I am able to switch the blue & red wire in the little white plug if that would work.  That would switch the wires to both motors.  I have not put power to it yet.  Waiting for people with more knowledge to chime in.  Like you mentioned in your earlier post, the white clip has little tabs that can release the wires.

That should do what you want, as well as being easy and reversible (no pun intended).

Wait. I did intend that pun.

As stated, swapping the wires at the plug will do the trick, that reverses both motors.

Success.  Not legacy or LC+, but looks good, and for under $260, for everything it works for me.  Just need to get the non powered B unit from 1993 off EBay and I will be good to go.

Instead of splicing wires you could have removed the motor 2 pin pug and using a pin lift the tab and extract the connector terminal and just swap places.  No soldering and easy to reverse back.  G

That is what I ended up doing, easier than I thought.  Never knew how wires were held in those little clips, now I do.

thanks

And since these are lionchief they both run off on one remote!  Pretty cool!  And they look awesome together! 

Jim

Jim, they do look good.  I bought a NIB B unit from 1993 of Ebay, should have it next week. 

Since I bought two set, I am debating on keeping the extra coaches.  Might want to renumber/rename them if I can.  The second observation car will be sold on Ebay, have one bid already.  All the tack will go as well.  By the time all the extras are sold, the second enging will be under $100.

The remote controls them both fine.  Turned the sounds off in one, but those 4 little can motors pull no problem.

COOL!   Make sure you post some video when you get the B unit in the mix!!! 

Happy with the b unit.  The silver might not be as shiny, but real close.  For two LC engines and a 25 year old NIB B unit it will work.

Now I just have to finish scenery and all that stuff.  A six stall roundhouse is waiting to be built.

These are DC motors as I understand it.   The direction of spin is determined by the plus and minus at the motor.   So reversing the wires right at the motor would accomplish what  you want.    And if  you do it there,  you will not affect any other functions on a control board as my guess.    

The control board just reverses the polarity on the wires to change direction.

If you do it at the motor, usually your removing Heatshrink on Lionel, have to solder, and have to do both motors on a dual motor unit.  If you swap pins at the motor connector, it takes just a minute, your done.  Easily reversible.  Always the better way to go. G

I did it at the motor connector, very easy, and easy to reverse.

Should have kept the extra cars from the second set and just sold the observation.  Longer trains are always better, right?!

I discovered a very easy way to accomplish this. I simply swapped the motor positions in one of the units. In other words, I removed the motor in the front of the locomotive and put it in the rear location and put the rear motor in the front. With the motor positions swapped, they will drive the locomotive in the reverse direction. I did need to lengthen the wires on one of the motors a bit but that is the ONLY wiring modification needed. I've been running two Lionchief Santa Fe FT's in a consist this way for over a year now and they work flawlessly together. One remote controls both locomotives. I also added a couple of Lionel FT non-powered dummy B units to the consist.

In the category of "why DIDN'T I do that."

Back when this set was available on Amazon (I think that is where it was) for $209, I almost bought a set just to add the second FT to the set we already have.  Now with a total of four add-on cars (bought the first two already) I really wish I had gone ahead and bought it when it was such a good price.