Lionel HO parts questions

Just don't take the motor apart, you will loose quite a bit of power and will overheat if the magnetic flux is broken. The trucks can be salvaged from any Lionel car of that era (die cast metal). Original milk cans may be a tough find.

Thanks Chuck.  Do you mean the DC motor itself?  I wasn't planning on disassembling that since it runs well.  Everything else needs a good cleaning and degreasing.  Hopefully I won't screw something up when reassembling, like quartering the drivers.

I have one other question on the engine.  It appears to have a smoke unit in it.  Do you know what to add for smoke and how to add it?  I don't suppose Lionel made HO size SP smoke pellets.  The inside of the light/smoke unit? does appear to have a white residue on it that reminds me of what is left over from smoke pellets on O gauge trains.

Right... just keep the motor intact. I uses liquid smoke, 6 drops down the stack.

If anyone takes apart a Lionel HO motor, as Chuck noted you'll cause the magnets to weaken. You'll need to remagnetize the magnets - Lionel made a service station magnetizer ST-393 that can bring the magnets back to full strength; don't pull the motor apart unless you have access to the remagnetizer. I picked one up years ago, never used the magnetizer before as I don't have any instruction sheet for it, also no Lionel HO trains as well. Here's a link to some snaps of the STR-393:

https://www.worthpoint.com/wor...l-factory-1795669921

I believe you need to hook the magnetizer up to a car battery and then use a transformer to control the process - just found another link with a snap of the hook-up process:

https://www.worthpoint.com/wor...l-factory-1795669921

Looks like a way to bring Frankenstein's creation to life - I believe I'll pass on trying it out...

Thanks for the help.  I finally got it to run and not bind up.  Apparently where the axle goes through the mounting blocks, it was sticking somehow.  With enough Teflon oil it finally came free and stopped binding.

Now I have another question.  I removed the shell to work on the motor.  I didn't notice that apparently there was a magnet/weight and copper? clip inside somewhere, I'm assuming for extra weight.  The magnet has detached? from the clip and I have no idea as to where the clip goes and how it goes in to the body.  I've tried several ideas but can't come up with the proper solution.  I'd appreciate it if someone has an idea as to how to mount this magnet and clip.

LionelFlyer

If it is a round clip, that holds the headlight bulb in place. Pictures?

As for the milk cans, in case there’s no file in the 3D folder or you just don’t want to mess with them, try the craft section of a big box store. They’re not always perfectly on gauge (nominally correct, actually a little rough around the edges) but for $1.25 a pack at Dollar Tree it’s worth a few minutes of neatening up.

Not sure why I didn't think of looking at regular HO parts to see if they had milk cans. 

I've attached pictures of the magnet and clip.  I'm not even sure it belongs in the engine since it has plenty of weight to it.

Those belong to the milk car set. Take the cover off the deck of the operating track and you will see where the clip goes that holds the magnet. That is to hold the milk cans to the deck.

Thanks Chuck,  that is very helpful.  I kind of decided Friday night after staring at the powered frame and shell that there was no way this would fit it there.  Also, logically, with the added center weight, motor, and smoke/light unit, it didn't make sense that any extra weight would be required.  I only thought it went in the engine because when I took the disassembled pieces out of the box they were in, the magnet and clip were sitting in the shell, although loose.

I'll reassemble the milk platform and add this on.  The milk car itself will have to wait for reassembly since both trucks have broken couplers.  I'm going to York next month so hope I can find a pair of old Lionel HO trucks and maybe the correct milk cans.

Best regards,

LionelFlyer