Lionel MI Jack replacement parts

Forum Sponsor Henning's Trains may have what you want in brass.

https://hennings-trains.shopli....com/search/Mi-jack/

They also sell them on their eBay store.

See this thread.

https://ogrforum.com/...3#145297442985544753

Yep, Henning's has already done that, and they're much more robust than the plastic gears.  I have a set for when I get my Mi-Jack back out, have to finish laying track first.

I see that they have some of the parts in brass but I am specifically looking for the worm screw and the winding spool gear and it looks as if they don't currently have those ones. I will be ordering the ones they offer though. Thank you.

I am trying to upgrade all of the gears eventually in a quest to make it lift scale size containers.

@APW Trains posted:

I am trying to upgrade all of the gears eventually in a quest to make it lift scale size containers.

The only way I can see this happening  are those Graple arms for the trailers need to move 80-90degrees and somehow add pressure to the container sides to lift up [IF you are trying to lift scale containers like AtlasO, K-line, MTH, etc.]

Also Consider replacing the String with Fishing Line for added Strength!

@prrhorseshoecurve posted:

The only way I can see this happening  are those Graple arms for the trailers need to move 80-90degrees and somehow add pressure to the container sides to lift up [IF you are trying to lift scale containers like AtlasO, K-line, MTH, etc.]

Also Consider replacing the String with Fishing Line for added Strength!

Thanks for the tip about fishing wire. I saw a basic run down on how to do it somewhere online. You have to file down the inner flashing I think is what he called it. I was thinking about attempting it but not on my current MI jack I was going to buy another one to experiment with.

Has anyone thought about taking the lift arms off and some how fitting and gluing an electromagnet off a lionel crane into the bottom of that lift part. It could be turned on and off with one of the controller handels maybe. Idea would be a metal plate could be attached in the roof of the containers and when the container crane lift part is positioned over the container itself. The magnet is then activated and thus attaching to the roof of the container to the lift the container off the car or back onto the car from the ground. Thus any container could be used.

I have done what gunruner john did and filed my grapple arms down a bit so they are not so wide at the ends and I also took some off the ends ever so slightly so they open up further and go over the containers better. I also have the new hennings gears installed. They work great. And very easy to install.

By doing this I have been able to successfully lift up a kline container for hours with no problems or other mijack modifications such as new heavier string. Note here: l also marked on the container where the arms touched the container. These marks were made at the top and close as I could the the center of the container. I then drilled small holes and using my dremel tool made essentially the slots like in the lionel cars. It looks funny, but is not too stand out. This works so you can pick up the container just like the lionel ones. I have only done this to one container to see if it would work and it did. Not the most ideal solution but it worked.

Planning on buying gears from Hennings, how many wheel drive gears are needed?

@coach joe posted:

Planning on buying gears from Hennings, how many wheel drive gears are needed?

Here is a link to a schematic and part list. There are 2 wheel drive gears which are driven by worm gears. Unfortunately the worm gears are not available except from North Lima Trainworks. https://www.lionelsupport.com/...ON=productPartFilter