Lionel Smoke Unit Help

if smoke element is heating up the AC regulator is okay.

IF it goes bad trust me you will know as the smoke unit warms up to a bright orange glow I have a 765 berk and that is how I know about the bad regulator.

as to the fan motor not sure I would think both are connected to the ac regulator hopefully one of the other forum members better at these newer electronics will chime in and help you.

or you can call lionel service and talk to a tech they should be able to help you.

$oo

Have you actually tested the fan motor with three to five volts DC and seen that it runs with the smoke unit fully assembled?  Sometimes the fan hits the gasket and doesn't run when you put it back together.

If it had smoke output before the rebuild, even if weak, it sounds like the fan was running.

Before I took the unit apart I saw some smoke, just not nearly enough, and no forceful flow.

I tested the motor with the top off the smoke chamber.  Connected to the board, no rotation.  Connected to a 9volt battery, really fast rotation.

Diesel voltage is not getting to the motor.  I'm glad it's not the AC Regulator.

I've had bad fan motors that would not work with the locomotive voltage.

Try removing the impeller and lubing the motor shaft bushing, work the oil in with the 9 volt, then see if the loco will operate it.

If not, you may need a replacement fan motor. Lionel had a "rash" of defective fan motors in recent years.

Did you measure the DC voltage coming from the smoke unit board connection for the fan?  That unit has the fan regulator on the board, so it should be producing 5 volts.  Try measuring right on the leads to the regulator (three pin TO-92 package), it should have 5 VDC on the pin toward the inside of the board, away from the board edge.

It was the motor.  It was getting the proper 5 volts but not turning.  While messing with it I got it to run from 1.5 (D cell) to 9 volts.

Installed it would run a few seconds then stop.

I replaced it and all is OK.  Time to stock up on a few of these.

Cheap fix!