PW 2020 Question

The biggest problem you would run into, if you decided to replace the wheels and axles, is to find someone who has a wheel press to install them.  The number of Lionel Service shops has dwindled drastically over the past 15 years, and not all shops had wheel presses either.  It is an expensive tool to have and the call to replace wheels isn't in high enough demand to warrant having the press.

I would use Loctite Super Glue, which is one, if not the best super glues I have used.  The (Krazy Glue) is absolute garbage in my book.  You just have to make sure that the linkage holes all line up on each side correctly, (quartering), so that the linkage doesn't bind.  On the S-2 turbines, the left side linkage is 90 degs ahead of the right side, (left at 9 o'clock, right at 12 o'clock) to have proper quartering.  Just make sure that the wheels are gauged flange to flange evenly, and you shouldn't have a problem.

Thanks I will give the Loctite a try this weekend

I had a similar issue that went undetected until the wheel wore to the point where it would not longer stay on the axle. I went to my local service station to purchase a new wheel, but the service station owner convinced me that a new wheel would look out of place and told me to use Loctite Blue 242 Removable thread locker instead of a glue of sorts. His reasoning being that positioning the wheel perfectly is too difficult to redo otherwise. He was right - my first attempt looked good until I decided to run the loco through its paces. I was able to remove the wheel and on my second try, I got lucky and managed to get the wheel just right and never had an issue with it staying on in the 5 or so years since the repair.

I've had some success with securing drive wheels back on the axle with cyano-acrylate super-glue. Be sure to quarter the drivers properly for the side rods, also gauge the wheels correctly and make sure they turn straight and true. If the wheel is really loose on the axle you can try scoring the end of the axle with side cutters so you can position the wheel correctly and have it stay put before gluing.

Thanks again everyone for the help, this is my project for the weekend.

You'll need to make certain the end of the axle and the hole in the wheel are nice and clean.
Typically I use mineral spirits.

I super glued two of the drivers on my 671 probably 10 years ago. still in place, and when I had to replace the worm gear, they pulled off easily, and then reglued them.

The biggest problem you would run into, if you decided to replace the wheels and axles, is to find someone who has a wheel press to install them.  The number of Lionel Service shops has dwindled drastically over the past 15 years, and not all shops had wheel presses either.  It is an expensive tool to have and the call to replace wheels isn't in high enough demand to warrant having the press.

In addition, the shop should have the correct wheel cups. Postwar Lionel never offered cups for the turbines. Hobby Horse does, but the cups are specific to one or two variations of the turbine wheel, and there are several. The service station outfit that Hobby Horse put together for Lionel did include a pair of turbine cups, which I assume fit the 8404 turbine. I don't know which of the postwar turbines it will fit.

TTRP (now Hennings) developed a universal turbine cup set. I have it, and so far, they've been fine for me, but I haven't tried to use them with evey different turbine wheel out there.