Wiring a Repaired E-Unit

Correct, as long as the black wire on the right goes to the E-Unit coil tab that connects to the center rail rollers.

Note there are just a few Lionel steamers that have one brush grounded instead of having one end of the field coil grounded. On those few engines, the center contacts on both the two finger and four finger plates go to the field, with the end contact on the four finger plate going to the ungrounded brush holder.

ADCX Rob posted:

Correct, as long as the black wire on the right goes to the E-Unit coil tab that connects to the center rail rollers.

Thanx, Rob!

C W Burfle posted:

Note there are just a few Lionel steamers that have one brush grounded instead of having one end of the field coil grounded. On those few engines, the center contacts on both the two finger and four finger plates go to the field, with the end contact on the four finger plate going to the ungrounded brush plate.

Thanks, C.W.  This is a 224E Loco.

E-Unit renovation is complete, and works perfectly. It is satisfying to see that plunger move and engage the drum! Yesterday morning E-Units were a complete mystery to me. Now, having dismantled and repaired one, they are familiar acquaintances, but not friends.

The sadistic engineer who designed them made it impossible to love an E-Unit. Requiring the repairer to keep  the 4 finger contact, the drum, and the 2 finger contact perfectly aligned with their seating holes before clamping the unit closed is an unnecessary cruelty. It consumed the better part of an hour before I got lucky.

If that engineer were a kinder person, we would have had guide pegs or  simple sleeves to slide into place both the 4 finger and 2 finger contacts and springed axis for the drum. If, if, if...If frogs had wings they'd fly like the birdies.

The sadistic engineer who designed them made it impossible to love an E-Unit. Requiring the repairer to keep  the 4 finger contact, the drum, and the 2 finger contact perfectly aligned with their seating holes before clamping the unit closed is an unnecessary cruelty. It consumed the better part of an hour before I got lucky.

With some practice it gets easier.

Lionel did create a couple of tools to make the job easier.
The E-unit vise held the e-unit with a little spring tension pressing the sides together to make it easier to get the parts to stay in place.
The e-unit spreader has a lobe on one end to split the e-unit without having parts go flying.
The other end has a hook to be used to position the drum.
And its thickness is supposed to be a gauge for the spacing of the fingers.

I have both, but only use the spreader bar to open up the e-units.

Several third party tools have been make over the years.

Some folks like to use a pair of horse shoe washer pliers to spread the e-unit sides.
I find them helpful when I want to spread the sides extra wide.

In retrospect that engineer came up with a very cost effective solution that has worked very well for over 50 yrs.  

aussteve posted:

...a very cost effective solution that has worked very well for over 50 yrs.  

90+ years, actually. It was introduced in 1924.

aussteve posted:

In retrospect that engineer came up with a very cost effective solution that has worked very well for over 50 yrs.  

No question, as a switch, it is great. As a repair item, however, it is a challenge.