PRR Jet Powered Snow Blower - Repair question

Is there room to press the impeller down towards the motor a bit more without causing any more binding? I have done this to solve a similar issue.

Hi Jeff,

I tried that first. I ended up pulling the impeller off and rubbed it against some fine grit sandpaper. Took off about 1/16". Pressed it back on and no more binding.

After thinking about it, cutting the gasket seemed like a bad idea. Anyways, it's all back together and working well. I've paired it up with the new prr rotary snow plow. They make a good team as the jet car provides some good sounds and adds some smoke "snow" affects.

   I dont have that unit, but if it sits level and not perfoming a seal to the motor that would be wrecked, I'd likely trim the gasket, not the part. Any machining may weaken or give (slim) opportunity for a crack/to begin. It's a given in machining things, especially rough cuts. (filing is machining by hand tool)

But condiser the lack of trim and a wider flat area makes the rubber less prone to squeeze out along the sealing edge; rubber is good at it; it is noodle like in strips.

  Look for a good reason a paper gasket wouldn't work in its place too. A gasket is a gasket mostly. A sparse layer of hylomar dressing on paper would hold back any weeping (automotive, gasoline proof, non drying...a dressing, not a gasket maker. I've not seen a chemical clean this stuff away. But it wipes off a finger with a towel pretty easy for a thick blue goo.) Rubber with hylomer just gets more slippery when tourqued hard.

   I'd guess it's what the factory had available, or because rubber will seal better, and/or because there might be a fuid reaction risk with something inside the build.

You know....I have two cars with black rubber gaskets, but engines are all paper, so being lighter and more prone to rollover derailments than an engine, they may use rubber for cars and paper on locos....? 

You might want to look up GunrunnerJohns threads on increasing smoke output  while it is apart too. Opening the air intake at the impeller slightly is easy and effective as a "stage one" modification.

I guess it only blows smoke at start up? or continuously?

I'd really like to see a video of one of these in action too.(the model)

Got a link?

FWIW, I'd never file down the impeller, cutting the gasket to clear the impeller is the best way to fix these.  MTH smoke unit gaskets are made with no gasket material over the impeller.  I don't know why Lionel puts the gasket material over the fan, it just begs to cause the problem you have experienced. 

So where is the bottle of Jet A aroma smoke fluid?

Bogie