Questions about Lionel PW #58 Rotary Snowplow

Did you get a Postwar Lionel #58, or one of the modern era reissues?

Regardless:

The explosion diagram for the Modern Era snowplows should work for you. They really didn't make any significant changes.
You will need to download Lionel product supplement #10.

You want pages s10:1-3, for 8459 and 18400.

It can be a little tricky to slip the cab off behind the blower housing. I do it by lifting the back of the cab first. Just take your time.

One other word of caution: be careful around those window mullions. It common to find the plow, and most other similar postwar pieces with damaged ones.

MPC beefed them up to cut down on the breakage.

CW,

Thanks for the post. I downloaded the supplement as per your instructions. The unit is an original PW #58. The window struts are complete, but I'm going to advise the seller to protect them for me for shipping.

How would you go about getting the brushplate off?

Roger

I have not had one apart to that extent recently.

Before you do anything, I suggest marking or noting where the pulley sits on the shaft, so you can re-align with the pulley on the blower housing.
Also note how the belt is positioned, especially relative to the e-unit switch.

I believe the pulley is held to the armature shaft by a compression ring.

I may have just slid the pulley off the armature shaft. I might have worked the compression ring off the pulley, and then slipped the pulley off the shaft.  

Folks should be aware that replacement window mullions are available for the plow, and most other similar units. Most collectors would want their unit to have original, undamaged mullions.

CW,

I noticed that compression ring. Wasn't sure if it's a one-use thing. I'm going to order an extra when I place my order for the extra belt and headlight. 

I don't want this to be a shelf queen, but I know they have value, so I've got to be very careful. 

Roger

Lionel used compression rings in various places. I find that generally they can be reused. I've only had to replace them if they were missing or corroded.

I usually do not remove them from whatever they are holding.

So you probably do not need to remove the ring from the pulley.

CW,

Just trying to get the "lay of the land" before it arrives. To be on the safe side, I ordered a ring along with a headlight lens from Lionel last night. I want to remove the bulb that it comes with and put my LED in there (may have to grind the inside of the lens out). 

I also had a question for you about oiling the armature shaft (at the brushplate) because the hole would be filled by the shaft in this case. But I found an owner's manual for the modern version and it shows how to do it. I probably should get a couple of O rings for it from Jeff Kane (Lionel doesn't have them or I would have put it in my order). And scoop out the old gear grease.

Roger

CW,

My little engine arrived around 2 PM with the mail and I've been working on it since then. Just finished. It's terrific. Arrived in good shape and excellent condition. I stripped it down, cleaned out the old lube, commutator, armature, gears, brushes. Lubed it back up and it ran! Typical PW Lionel. They'll run forever. Then I added a headlight LED and while I was at it, put in a tailight as there was already a hollow lens there. Looks and runs great. And what I did left no footprint. Easily reversible with not damage to it. 

And thanks for the tip on the supplements. I actually did use it. I was trying to figure out how to get the rotary off and ...."pop" ....the spring and washers all flew off. Had to use the diagram to put it back together. I also took close up photos of it as a "just in case" for reassembly. Nothing worse than putting something back together and discover you've got an extra part laying in the bowl. 

-Roger

I am glad to read that you are happy with your engine.

Enjoy.

Olsen's provides another great resource. They have put the entire Postwar Lionel factory service manual online, supplemented with some pages they appear to have created themselves.

CW,

Yes, Olsen's is a great resource (when their website is working). In this case, they only had the page that's in Greenberg.

Enjoy the Holiday

-Roger

CW,

This #58 project gave me another idea. I have an MTH LIRR Rotary Snowplow I got over the summer. The only mod I did to it was replace the headlight with an LED so it's a "torch". But the motor for the plow goes way too fast. You can't see anything. One of the things I really like on that old 58 is the painted on "vortex". So.....yesterday, I painted one on the MTH. It didn't work nearly as well for two reasons.....it's much smaller and....the can motor goes waaaay too fast. I was a bit disappointed after painting that vortex on there. But....I ordered an adjustable voltage regulator to replace the original. That one is sending about 5.6V to the motor. I connected my 1033 test transformer to it because it has a starting voltage less than 5 to see what it will look like when I slow it down with the new VR. Awesome!  After I do the work, I think I'll start a thread for the mod and post some pics. I'm sure lots of people have that car and this really improves it.

Roger