Smooth Sided Passenger Car Coupler Modification

(Update)  Well, it seems these trucks aren't designed to have the coupler replaced.  Not sure why MTH included the Kadee Coupler mounting holes (perhaps it's just a part of the tooling?).  I would need to take some type of metal cutting wheel or hacksaw to remove the coupler as it's part of the metal chassis. Also, the trucks are offset from the base in the familiar MTH fashion leaving a fairly large gap.  I'd like to make this gap smaller but the spring holder top for the pick-up would rub against the bottom platform, so this would have to be adjusted as well. A

I've had to hack the coupler mounts off cars and locomotives to install Kadee couplers, some of the trucks simply aren't meant to coexist with the Kadee's.  I have found some that do simply come off and you can install the Kadee's as well.

@gunrunnerjohn - This isn't even a coupler mount...it's a whole metal arm!  I was going to recycle the end pivot arm from the coupler and just use that to make my own coupler.  I was even thinking I was going to stick one of my micro motors in it to test remote decoupling.  Many of MTH's old passenger trucks are easy to remove the coupler from with some minor effort...there is even instructions for it floating in the ether.  I had to take the whole base off from the chassis and remove the truck in order to gain necessary access to the coupler.   Given the space between the truck and the platform, I'm sure I could fit a Kadee in there and probably leave the extension attached (without the pivot arm).  I'm still thinking of shrinking this space but it will require some modifications to the chassis base. A

Yep, clearly that's one that Mr. Dremel will have to address.

@gunrunnerjohn - I'm thinking small diameter metal chop saw over Mr. Dremel.  It's fairly thick and I'd like to get it in one fell swoop.  I tell you what's really disheartening with this hobby...everything else equal, the diaphrams don't line up vertically on some of the cars, some of the peoples are bopping around inside, the RPO car is covered with finger prints and some of the so called "boxes" have come loose.  Some aspects of the passenger cars are not accurate or are missing (like the blessed steps/fold down steps).  The couplers on the full dome cars are completely different beasts.  The stirrups will need to be shimmed down as they prevent the base from sitting flush against the chassis and some will need to be straightened.  I would have like to have seen better from MTH. A

Well, I have both a couple of chop saws and Mr. Dremel.  If the part is easy to take to the chop saw, that's obviously an alternative.

@gunrunnerjohn - Well, can't use a 6.5" metal chop saw given the space constraints of the truck.  Guess it will have to be a Dremel even though I doubt I can go straight down to start with.  If this continues being a hassle, the trucks are going back on the passenger car and I'll wait till I retire before I make anymore attempts. A

If I can't do the clean cut with the 90 degree adapter, I cut what I can and then dress it up with my carbide burrs.

I already have a large selection of different size and shape files standing by.