Recently picked up an MPC-era SD18 (Milwaukee Road #8855). It’s in really great shape overall but want to get into the gears for a fresh lube. The single Pullmor is mounted over the front truck. Is it simply a matter of pulling the brush plate assembly off and pulling out the armature? Is that even doable? Don’t want to get too much of it dis-assembled and end up with parts scattered everywhere.
All new to me so assume I know nothing. 
Thanks.
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Cleaned and lubed one of those for a neighbor a few years back, if I recall correctly you are right on. Just be really careful not to break the wires when you move the brush plate. You can clean the top of the armature and the brush holder too.
An easy job. If you are careful and slowly pull the brush plate straight up you can do your lube without any soldering. Replace or clean the brush tips as well.
Thanks, Bobby and Jim. Sounds very doable. Good tips.
I had always thought these MPC engines used a plastic/delrin gear worm gear off of the metal armature shaft and would eventually strip out after use or heavy load. I bought an 8872 Santa Fe powered SD-18 unit at York and the motor truck would freely spin. So i assumed it had stripped gears. I found a NOS power truck that same York that looked like it would fit, but it had metal gears. The idler gears are black plastic.
When I got home and took the original power truck out of the engine I was shocked to find it had metal gears also.
Did the SD-18 engines all come with metal gears?
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