Question for Mike Reagan

watch this video and see if it helps.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkDlQ5Cwwlk&feature=related

I'm not sure that video applies to the Legacy smoke units, at least that was my understanding.

Okay, #1, get rid of that tiki torch garbage! I am not a fan of it, as it chars entirely too quickly. If you're rebuilding smoke units use our precut batting; 691SMKP008, works MUCH better and is far more reliable (I think I have been at this long enough to be able to say that confidently!).

 

Yes, you can drill out the air inlet hole a bit, just make ABSOLUTELY certain you do not knick any traces on the top of the PCB! That will help.

 

You are also working against a airflow restriction, as the funnel is slanted backwards and split with the casting to separate the dual hole on the boiler itself, which is all an airflow restriction/constraint that does not help matters at all. Make certain the funnel is seated on the smoke unit with no leaks. Make sure there is no excess fluid laying inside the funnel (a pipe cleaner run through the funnel throat after adding fluid will ensure this). I believe that unit has a split bowl set up too, with a rbber gasket between the bowls? Make sure that gasket is not restricting airflow between the impller chamber and the smoke bowl (another potential restriction).

 

Providing everything above is followed you should get some healthy puffs of smoke vapor up and out of the stack.

 

Good luck & Enjoy!

Mike

I WAS a fan of TIKI Touch until I used the Lionel wic.  The Lionel stuff is fairly cheap and it makes the world of difference.

thanks for the info mike! you are dead on about the dual bowls. given the design of the funnel I supspected just what you commented about the air flow. will also call CS and order some of the wicks. thanks again for taking time out of you busy day to respond it is most appriciated thanks again roger!!

when did lionel start using 691SMKP008?  some smoke units I have taken apart has what looks like cotton in them, or something else.

I'd like to use the Lionel wick. However, the last time I ordered some from Lionel, the parts department was out of the wick that is shown in the video and substituted the square-cut batting instead. It was definitely a substitution, I triple-checked the part number and it seems to me the substitution was noted on the packing list, although I don't have it in front of me to be sure. 

 

If you're rebuilding smoke units use our precut batting; 691SMKP008, works MUCH better and is far more reliable (I think I have been at this long enough to be able to say that confidently!).

I have used Lionels "precut wicking" and it is indeed better as Mike says. It appears to be made of larger fibers which are  far more resistant to charring. This is imperative for todays hotter smoke units. Anything "cottonlike" will burn onto the resistor in one operating session, I know because it happened to me and it was a pain to remove without damaging the resistor. The only drawback to ordering the stuff from Lionel is the flat rate shipping, so order as many as you can. You should however have them within a few days after you place your online order,Lionel promptly ships parts.

Will anyone at York be selling the Lionel batting or is it only available direct from Lionel?  

Had some mth wicks laying around so I installed it like mike showed on the video. Get great smoke now. Question is the mth wick material the same as the lionel mentioned above? It does seem to char fast though!

We can try to bring a spool of our batting to york. We will have it available at the service table where us service guys usually set up. Thanks, Mike