Rebuilding Smoke Units. Lionel/MTH/etc. Share your practices for optimal perfomrance.

Lionel smoke wick is the best I've used.

Part# 691SMKP008

I agree regarding the Lionel wick. It’s fairly easy to get MTH rope wicking as well. Frankly I don’t touch any of the substitutes like insulation materials and Tiki Torch wicking that get debated here over and over. 

With MTH units, I repack them as they came from the factory with the rope looped into a U shape and inserted between the resistors. (I understand from a recent thread here that you can simply pack the wicking under the resistors so long as they are in contact with it but I don’t see any real advantage in that.) The rest of it needs to be placed in the smoke unit bowl so as not to block the airflow from the impeller, which often means cutting the ends of the rope back. 

Bear in mind that with some Legacy units smoke output will depend on the engine’s EFX settings and those have to be manually adjusted in the CAB2 remote.

Here’s a video from MIKE REAGAN that is very informative.

I saw in a theard here a few years ago about enlarging the air intake hole to 3/16". I've done this on both of my engines that I modified with GRJ's Chuff Generator and Super-Chuffer. They really put out the smoke volume.

See laidoffsick's videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRcpFRtA6IY   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1asUWbJtfok

Jayhawk500 posted:

I saw in a theard here a few years ago about enlarging the air intake hole to 3/16". I've done this on both of my engines that I modified with GRJ's Chuff Generator and Super-Chuffer. They really put out the smoke volume.

 I do plan to make the modification on my tmcc units when I get around to them.    Also looking into the super chuffer and generator for an C&O L1 Hudson build.   

Jayhawk500 posted:

I saw in a theard here a few years ago about enlarging the air intake hole to 3/16". I've done this on both of my engines that I modified with GRJ's Chuff Generator and Super-Chuffer. They really put out the smoke volume.

Opening that hole to the largest possible without touching the electronics is very beneficial. Sort of an old hot rodders trick, more air in, more air out!!

I try to open the stack hole as much as possible as well.  That usually takes a bit more work, typically with a small round file.  FWIW, I drill in fan intake hole to 1/4" as long as I don't run over any PCB traces.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I try to open the stack hole as much as possible as well.  That usually takes a bit more work, typically with a small round file.  FWIW, I drill in fan intake hole to 1/4" as long as I don't run over any PCB traces.

I had the thought about opening the stack and the intake hole as well.   Only makes sense.   I ordered a super chuffer and chuff generator last night!