K-Line K3270-5335 has power, won't run

If you feel comfortable taking the boiler shell off. I’d start there and at least give the flywheel some turns and check for any binding before moving on to anything electrical being the issue. Could be something as simple as cleaning the old grease out of the gearbox if it’s been sitting a long time.

Thanks for the reply.  I'll give it a try.  I didn't think the grease could get gunked up in these modern engines.  I really don't think it's an electrical issue because the E-unit is definitely going through the 3 movements.

@Dave_C posted:

If you feel comfortable taking the boiler shell off. I’d start there and at least give the flywheel some turns and check for any binding before moving on to anything electrical being the issue. Could be something as simple as cleaning the old grease out of the gearbox if it’s been sitting a long time.

Finally got around to removing the shell.  I was delayed because I had to replace the heating element in my clothes dryer.  I would have preferred to work on the train, but the dryer repair was a success!  Anyway, the flywheel does appear to be restricted.  It can barely spin.  I have never had an engine with this problem.  Any other advice?

Check all the rods and linkage and make sure there’s nothing binding. But you stated the flywheel rotates. Just hard. Anything in the linkage it would spin normal to a point and then bind up when something amiss comes in contact with something if it’s bent.

I doubt it’s this. But check around the traction tires. The brake shoes are very close to them. Where the engine has been sitting the tires may be distorted and rubbing the shoes. If they look close. One screw removes the shoe to see if it frees up.

The K-Lines from that era aren’t to bad to work on. There are 4 screws for the motor mount that secure it to the gearbox. Usually you can access the screws without removing to much. Check for hardened grease in the gearbox.

Hi PS the grease can get so hard it will turn to a rock , also the motor assembly might not be assembled correctly! I would move the motor assemble away from the mesh gear and then try to rotate the flywheel if it's smooth then make sure the gear threads mess with gear on the wheel axle without  binding when reassembling !

Alan

Sorry, I think I misspoke.  The bottom gear doesn't move.  That is the flywheel correct?  I don't see anything wrong with the rods.  And the motor also works because I removed the worm gear from the other gears and it turns well when powered in forward and reverse.  The problem is definitely that bottom gear.

does that have some type of plunger attached to the middle gear? Maybe that's causing the jamb up?

I've had to drop rods when something was out of quarter to find it. Be careful to take good pics to get all the linkage back correctly.

Finally freed it up.  I just kept manually rotating the wheels and it slowly started to loosen up.  Should definitely work now.  Thanks to everyone for the advice.  I guess I will be adding some lube to the gears.  I was wondering if I should get some behind the wheels.

Oil everything as far as the linkage, rods and axle bushings. Pilot and trailing truck axles along with the pickup rollers. Most manuals will show you all the points to hit. Dig out the grease as best you can in the gearbox. Many prefer the Lucas Red & Tacky grease.