Lionel 238 e ...assembly/maintenance

You need to be VERY CAREFUL with the metallic silver paint on this engine.  The original paint is very easy to remove.  I had a basement flood 15 years ago, and the engine was stripped!

The motor is a typical spur-geared type with removeable brush plate and such.  Follow the usual methods.  The front truck goes back on with the spring and screw assembly in the hole provided.

Jon

Thanks for the reply.  However, I am bit of a novice on train repair but am trying the learn.

I am not sure what goes first...spring then that washer then the clip...and it is placed on the slider bar on the engine frame. By chance, do you have a picture that shows the order of the pieces? Or maybe can describe the way they are connected?

As far as cleaning..I was asking about the motor and not the body.  I agree,, the body paint could easily be stripped.  I used a power spray for electric motors which works but wanted to know if you can just let the motor submerged in some solvent to clean it..

thanks again

ron

Okay,  let's start with the motor:

Remove the two screws on the cross-head guide assembly.  Remove the engine mount screw from just behind the smoke stack.  Remove the front truck pivot screw from the forward end of the motor assembly. Carefully, using a hex-driver, back out the hex-nut holding the main-rod and eccentric crank to the front driver.  The valve rod is attached to the actual shell with a rivet, and is not easily removed.

Remove the motor assembly.  Remove the brush plate.  Clean the assembly with some Radio Shack degreaser for electronics.  Clean or replace the brushes.  Clean the commutator faces.  Clean out the slots between the windings.  DO NOT soak the armature in any kind of mineral spirits or thinners as the windings are covered in a varnish which will disappear.  Reassemble.  Grease the gears with some Red 'N Tacky #5.

Oil the rods and the bearing points on the leading and trailing trucks.

The front truck has a screw that fastens to the front end of the motor assembly, and a sprung flanged rod that goes through the bearing plate.  There should be a washer, then spring, then truck mounted in that order.

Jon

To all...

I still don't know how to connect the spring, washer and clip for the pilot truck. Does anyone have a picture on how these are connected?

Thanks

Ron