Hi, I have a LIonel 242 Scout engine that was running slow and since I had the brushes and springs, how hard can it be? I change them all the time. I opened a can of worms!! Everything popped out when I took off the cover. I can't get those drum contacts in and those left and right brush holders will not stay in. Please help.. Thanks..I should of left well enough alone
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You have to tie the brushes down, and pull the thread later. Or use paper, or low stickum , but strong tape etc. Kinda like modern items with the tab to pull that allows the battery to make contact. (vs new "toy" with a drained battery)
It is a juggling act for sure. Do a shot and remain calm and treat it like a puzzle you don't care if you ever finish. Eventually you get good enough at the early steps, to complete the last ones 
I got it and you do need 3 hands! Like you said the brush holders do not stay down and you have to get the drum contacts in place then place the cover on all before they fly loose. The Lionel service manual leaves all this out. It runs now and much faster, except that it does not glide anymore when I cut power. It just dead stops. Any ideas? or is this normal for new brushes and springs. I work on postwar Lionel all the time but this is the first time for a scout, I always heard they are a PIA to work on.
Feel it out by hand and unpowered. Ochams razor says the simple/most obvious answer is most likely the right one.
Normal? Not really; but possible if the springs were real strong/long/wrong. (brushes too). Or if the arm. plate was still rough from a dressing.
A little plastic safe lube wouldn't have hurt on pivots/bosses /bearing typeareas. And how about the oil wick? It isn't wedging between armature and shaft slot edge? Clean, squared end?
Wheels pressed too much? Or maybe something was flipped left to right inside, and it needs a fresh break-in because the surfaces were wear matched before this.
It runs F/R ok, just doesn't coast?
Chuck Sartor posted:It runs F/R ok, just doesn't coast?
Yes, that is correct
I'm not sure what the problem is. If you have it running, it sounds like everything is in the correct place. Possibly the wheels are too far in on the axle, binding on the motor case. There should be a very small amount to side to side movement on the drive wheels. I would guess something mechanical is binding. Side rods or crossheads too tight from being bent?
Bad quartering? (off one spline from even)
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