procedure for pot reset on zw-c

Page 14

That is for the electronic calibration. I'm just wondering if the pots hit it's end stop before the zw handle hits it's end travel. There would be stress put on the pot. This in turn would put a tork on the plastic pot bracket. Maybe, the reason some of these break.

Ah sorry. 

Shawn:  Hi. Interested in the statement you made about replacing the  ZW-C Pot. mounting brackets ( plastic from factory) with metal ones. Are you talking about the bracket that the Pot. mounts directly too, or to the metal plate that was a replacement for the factory installed plastic one??? 

          In most cases that I have seen, the metal plate was introduced to give more support to the Pot. mounting bracket.  The Pot. mounting bracket has its own factory engineering flaw that it is too thin and flimsy; as well as has substancally weak mounting screw collars to mount it to the metal plate, the pressure put on the mounting screws causes the collars to crack,split and otherwise break and lets the Pot. assemble  get mis-aligned from the gears attached to the handles. 

          The question is, has LIONEL issued a replacement Pot. bracket ("the metal ones") that is more durable for use it the ZW-Cs???  Would like some more clarification on this.  Thanks.  Dennis M.

Dennis, I have three of these units that were just pulled from storage..new. I knew about the bracket replacement that holds the pot bracket. But the 3 transformers all have cracked pot brackets...currently not available of from Lionel...My friend made replacements brackets using aluminum L bracket. I will see if I can get hold of him. I will take some pictures.

I'm currently thinking of hitting a die caster to have them made...I really don't want to lose 1200.00 in transformers....

On another note: On one transformer. I changed the pots and brackets...the handles seemed loose. I have a funny feeling that the nylon gears have a special grease..very sticky that impedes the movement of the gears a bit....the red stuff. Damping grease is

used on pots and gears to damp the movement slightly...Something, I need to call Lionel about....

I'd be interested in seeing the home-made bracket as well.

shawn:  I'm very interested in your "fix" for the POT. mounting bracket damage. I've had to repair several ZW-C's in the past, and was able at that time to get POT.Assemblies out of LIONEL, but as you say, not available any longer.  It"s really ashame that Lionel cannot afford to re-run this part, IMPROVED, to repair these transformers. But why should they, they have the new ZW-L to sell!

          As regards the "looseness" in the handles; the old ZW used the connecting tube from the roller wiper on the coil to the handle as an electrical contact pick-up point. The new ZW-C does not need that connection other than to attach the handles to the drive gears to turn the POT. gears. Since there is little or no pressure on the handle shaft, it has a tendency to "Float" in the lower ZW case housing. 

          I experienced my first encounter of this when I had a sudden need to turn off one of the ZW-C's outer handle, and gave it a swift pull - resulting it hitting the end of POT. rotation, but still enough force to "cant" the handle assembly and do the, now familiar, gear skip.

          When contacting LIONEL as to how to repair it, their comment was that they would fill the area with foam padding to take up the space. That, for me was not enough, so I added some insulating cardboard paper just under the metal plate that the POT. mounting bracket attached too so it would put more pressure on the shaft from above (there is actually a small stud cast into the plate that is supposed to do that, but it falls short in accomplishing it's task).

          The grease, like you said, has a "tac" to it (perhaps it's RED & TACKY). This resistance causes us all much concern, as we are use to pushing and pulling our ZW handles with brute force!  I had one repair on a ZW-C because the owner pressed his finger on the bell button, all the way to the bottom of the case. He literatly tore the switches off the support bracket.  He had no idea he only needed a light amount of pressure to activate the bell button micro switch!  We ZW operators can be such beasts at times! To make matters worse, the broken plastic mounting bracket was not an available separate part, I had to order up a whole A-U or D-U switch assembly for over  $12.00, when a small $ 1.00 part would have taken care of the repair!

          My last inquiry to LIONEL about this bracket being re-run to make it available has not had a reply.   Dennis M.

Shawn

I would like more info on that pot bracket as well. I have two ZW-C and that is a very weak point in there design. A metal bracket would solve that issue. I just wish their was away to get more swing voltage out of those pots. I have even tried put a 10K resistor across the pot but had issues because the IC Chip didn't like it. Their is almost no swing voltage just on and then a small swing to off.

I use plastic shims between the two gears to tighten up the handles. In fact Gunrunner John helped me on that issue.

There are a couple of issues, I noticed with the loose handles....There are 2 issues...I recived 2 replacement pot brackets with pots from lionel. Appernetly, there was no pot grease put in the pots or it was cleaned out by sing cleaner. This makes the foward and backward movement of the handle to have no "fluid" resistance.

The loose handles: Wouldn't it be easier to put a small spring with a washer on the end of the shaft underneath the handles. I was also thinking about stopping the up and down handle movement by putting the old ZW copper pickup with insulator and grease under the bracket?

I will have to see if my friend still has the 2 pot brackets he fabricated out of alumnium angle iron. I don't think it took him that long....The other way would be donations.....and have the part die cast