Noisy Conventional Classic 2343 Santa Fe

Tony: IMO, it sounds like "dry" plastic gears rotating on pinion shafts. have you oiled all the spur gear shafts visible between the drive wheels on the gear-train side of the truck? Label 106 or 107 oil is plastic compatible if needed.

Thanks DH. I'll try that in about 30 minutes.

That most definitely is a dry bearing! 

Make sure you oil both ends of the armature, the lower one is a little tricky to get at.

Then oil the axles and new grease on gears and pinion shaft.

I would do the other motor while your there.

Franktrain

Dry armature for sure.  I just had the exact same noise not 2 hours ago on a steam loco. I pulled it apart twice,  and found nothing wrong anywhere.  After a little more lube than I gave it earlier after it came out of storage, it ran smooth and quiet.  It needed just a bit more on the armature end.  I am usually very  sparse with lube by the brushes, but it needed more and it quieted right down.  Mine was that same "nails on the chalkboard" sound.  The loco would also slow right down when "the noise" would occur.  It is fine now.

Matt

Tony please let us know the outcome, did the recommended lubrication solve the problem.

A 2343 has a horizontal motor.  All the advice about lower bearing, etc., doesn't apply to this loco.

In order to lube this loco, the motors must be taken off the trucks.  There is a horizontal shaft in the truck with worm gears on each end.  This shaft needs lube as do the axles that have the wheels on them.  There is an oil hole in the motor housing.  The motor bearings are between the armature and the gear that drives the the idler gear which drives the gear on the shaft inside the truck.  

I have a 2353 which recently was making a noise indicating a dry bearing.  One of the motors would not take oil in the oil hole on top of the motor shaft.  I cleaned out the oil hole with WD-40 and then lubed it with 5W-20 motor oil which is what I use for lubing almost everything.  The motor now runs fine and doesn't make any sounds like a dry bearing.

He said it was a "conventional classic" 2343 which should have the horizontal motors.

franktrain

Armature bearings!  Just a couple of drops top and bottom on both motors and the noise stopped.  Thanks for your help.  Without the forum I would have spent money foolishly on unnecessary replacement parts. 

Thanks to all who took the time to assist me with your knowledge and experience. Truly a great bunch of people on the OGR forum.  

Guys . The Conventional Classic modern reissue uses vertical motors, not the horizontal design from the postwar period. 1955 was probably the last time lionel used the horizontal drive in an F-3. 

Thanks tony For letting us know your satisfactory results. I believe that some of these conventional classics may have had insufficient lubrication from the factory. It's always good to check. I have had a squealing bearing on the conventional classics 2056 and soMe labelled 107 did the job.

hello guys and gals.........

Those newer classic F-3's (1975 to present) single and double motors brushplates do not have the metal bearing installed, the plastic brushplate without the metal bearing were installed in all F-3's in 1974 to now.  The last postwar F-3's #2383 in 1966 had metal bearing in the brushplates.  I have a LTI era (1993) F-3's #18117 and this engine had brushplates without the metal bearing so I purchased the postwar blushplates #2321-115 and installed on the #18117 F-3's and installed the metal gears to replace the plastic gears.  This #18117 is just as good as the old #2383's after adding upgraded parts but with the modern F-3 shells. I had about 20 hours of hard running time on it no problems at all.  Lionel is very good in MESSING up the good thing by making changes to cut corners then always will have running problems but its a good thing the parts suppler carries those parts to make them like the 2383's.  The last postwar 2383's are still running 49 years later.  I am GLAD all the hard work is done on my #18117 (changing to postwar brushplates, metal gears).  Gotta love those classic F-3's

Tiffany

Bearings & pickup rollers need a oil & lube. Gook Luck

Thanks Tiffany and Gary. Good advice.