NEW ENGINE SMOKE UNIT STOPS PRODUCING SMOKE

20 drops of fluid really isn't as much as you might think. Especially on a new engine with dry wicking. It also takes time for new wicking to absorb the fluid, it tends to sit on the top at first.

At best, 20 drops is only good for a few minutes of operation, especially if you have the smoke on the high setting.

Thanks Rick.....

With a new dry unit such as the MTH smoke unit, I normally start it with between 40-50 drops, a Megasteam dropper about 3/4 full.

Thanks John

So after adding more smoke fluid with no result I decided to remove the body so that I could inspect the smoke unit.  While the wick was damp, there was no fluid in the bottom of the reservoir.  I had added 20 initially and then another 20-30 subsequently.......  I did turn the engine over a couple of times to see where the body screws were etc... so it's certainly possible that fluid had fallen out of the reservoir at some point.

I added a good 45 or so drops directly into the reservoir and replaced the body and now she's smokin' like a son of a gun..... so both Rick and Gunner John were right on the money with their diagnostics....

MTHs instructions in this regard (add 15-20 drops to a new engine) are not really helpful  and could potentially cause burnt wicks due to operators being overly neurotic about flooding the smoke unit and the engine and risking damage to electronics....

Maybe 60-70 drops is too much but 40-50 doesn't seem to be and 20 risks another set of issues or problems........

Mike

Any new locomotive I have I add 10 to 20 drops and let it sit for 10 minutes or so. I add another 10 drops after that and let it sit for another 10 minutes. I then add 10 more and run it. You have to get that batting material soaked with alot of fluid. The recommended 15 to 20 drops is just not enough in a fan driven smoke unit that is new or dried out over time. Once you have a nicely saturated wick the 15 to 20 drops works. If your train has been sitting a while it's time to start the process over. This has worked for me great so far.

Brad

The problem is, people sometimes have other issues and keep pumping fluid in.  I've gotten locomotives that are literally filled with smoke fluid, and I'm not talking about inside the smoke unit!   I get where the manufacturer's are coming from, but we live in the real world where things don't always work like the manual says.

So I guess the only wrinkle that occurred to me last night was that the particular engine is a RailKing RS1.  The smoke unit is not directly under the stack so there is a shunt or conduit that runs under the top of the shell from the bottom of the smoke stack to the smoke unit.  I'm just wondering how at all this might impact or affect the way that you should add smoke fluid to the unit since you can't get straight down to the reservoir even with a needle point applicator.  It would seem to me that the shunt makes it more likely that smoke fluid could wind up causing a vapor lock since it runs more horizontally from the stack to the smoke unit albeit at an angle.  I'm just wondering if this was part of the problem since I have many PS2 & PS3 engines and have not had this kind of trouble previously.......

@Mike D. , I have three MTH RS-1's.  If you prop up the engine on it's front trucks (long hood forward), then add smoke fluid, that will really help the smoke fluid gravity-feed.  I do that with my RS-1's and it works great.

I stick a screwdriver under the front truck and fill it.  Let it sit for a few minutes.  And you're good to go.

Great Mike…. Now why didn’t I think of that! 🤣

@Mike D. posted:

So after adding more smoke fluid with no result I decided to remove the body so that I could inspect the smoke unit. 

Mike

Hey Mike I just picked one of these up. How in the heck does the shell come off?

I've got all or the screws out on the bottom and the shell won't budge at all.

What am I missing??

@RickO posted:

Hey Mike I just picked one of these up. How in the heck does the shell come off?

I've got all or the screws out on the bottom and the shell won't budge at all.

What am I missing??

You need to pop the hand rails out of their holes where they attach to the cab

@MikeH posted:

You need to pop the hand rails out of their holes where they attach to the cab

Did that too. I can still pickup the engine by the shell. There is no movement of any kind.

@RickO posted:

Did that too. I can still pickup the engine by the shell. There is no movement of any kind.

There are eight shell screws.  Did you get them all?

@MikeH posted:

There are eight shell screws.  Did you get them all?

Yes two  long ones at either end  and four  short ones under the cab.

Yeah.  Weird.  One of mine needs a little service so I just popped the shell to make sure.  I took out the eight screws, moved the handrails, and it comes right off.

I assume the walkway is part of the chassis correct ? The plastic shell fits inside it?  Maybe the paint was wet at the factory when it was assembled.

That's correct.  Standby for pics

Here you go.

Thanks Mike! As they say. A picture is worth a thousand words.

I got it Mike.  Thanks again! Looks like the paint may have been tacky around the nose.

Knowing how it separates from your photos did the trick!