HO Scale Bachmann U36B Pancake Motor Rebuild Part 1
Vložit
- čas přidán 22. 03. 2017
- Completely rebuilding a Bachmann HO scale pancake motor for an old school U36B. This also applies to Life-Like pancake motors. Some of those models are the GP38-2, GP40, GP50, BQ23-7 and several F units also.1
- Jak na to + styl
Man oh man. I decided just this week to get into HO, and I found you. I want to focus on repair, so you were exactly what I was looking for.
it's the best!! there's nothing like picking a locomotive "for parts or repair" and then repairing it. it's a hobby inside a hobby. there is no such thing as "can't be fixed" there is always a way. my best advice is to build a workbench where you can see the TV and put on shows that don't stress you out and you will get so much work done. also invest most of your money in tools - cheap tools are better than no tools, and they will teach you to appreciate the more expensive things later. pancake motors are a super great start and I've pushed them above and beyond with no failures. they are the easiest to learn. athearn blue box, ahm, model power, all have similar drive systems and are easy to learn. tyco is another hobby inside the hobby again. remember that the haters pay to win and don't know how to repair and don't want to learn so let them just pass you by...... don't be afraid to upgrade your first works as you gain skills!!
@@elite194 Thank you for those words of wisdom. I have picked of an Athearn, Atlas, Model Power, Mantau-Tyco, AHM and a Rivarossi off of eBay. I think they are out of the 60's-70's and all need work. I want to bring them back to life. After seeing some of your videos I need to get a Bachmann too. Thanks again.
Many thanks for these video! Just took my old train out of the box where it have sit for more than 3 decade to find out nothing was moving. Followed your instructions and now it's working like a new!! I didn't feel like buying a new engine only to put around the Christmas tree. Couldn't be more happy with this tutorial!!!
Couple new ones coming
just subscribed to your channel. excellent info that makes sense to a retired mechanic. (me) recently dug out my ho stuff from 45 years of storage. gonna be a fun winter. thanks.
I did many more after this one including wiring 2 of these together to share power, fixing cracked gears, making new gears, etc. Soon I'll put a decoder in one and it will likely be this U36B
These old bachmann locos have plastic nylon blend gears that crack over time so if yor hear a clicking noise that means that one of the gears has broke and the motor may now have stress problems.
czcams.com/video/Rc9c7pEuZEw/video.html
my demonstration of the baking soda and super glue fix
I found plenty like this. I repair them and I have never used baking soda. I use locktite super glue and thread. I spread the crack slightly to get glue in. Using toothpick to clean center hole of excess. Then wrap thread around it tight till dry. No more clicking. Do not use gorilla glue. The expanding nature causes major issue by binding since the crack is wider after the glue dries. Also it break apart. Then you have to clean the thin layer of gor glue out. Locktite is the best. My opinion anyways.
Can you put a non sound decoder on one in slower gonna transfer to dcc and want my old 80s and 70s locomotives on dcc track
yes
I had just worked on a bachmann motor exactly like this 3 hours earlier. Got discouraged and gave up. Just found your video and I can't wait to hit it again tomorrow. Excellent tutorial. I know exactly what to do now. Thanks.
instablaster
still the foundation for all the pancakes rebuilt since this one
I've been buying Ho trains (engines & cars) at garage sales & junk store auctions. There is no guarantee that the engines work, and it works out that some work good, some work badly, and some don't work at all. That's OK though, because at about $6 a box of trains, I'll have no fear about working on the bad working engines. Thanks to these How-To videos, I'll have most of them working again.
I've found on my layout that a pair of these locomotives is quite reliable in operations since they help each other out. I've also found that the AHM GP18 paired with one of these is also really good for operations.
Thomas, I like your thinking! I am viewing Elite194's tutorials also! Good luck restoring those trains. I m trying to restore a loco I paid good bucks for but as a newbie was unaware of the difficulty of getting parts for legacy locos! Lou R (Steadilsr)
I'm fixing a gear on a Bachmann F-7 & realized I wasn't adding enough power to turn the motor. I also noticed that I'm missing the screws closest to the wheelsets. I might take them out of a Life Like engine for now. Great video
look for my playlist about pancake motor rebuilds, there is a lot more things you can do. the screws you need are just plain old 2-56 and you can salvage those from many other places so you don't have to remove them from another motor you might want to rebuild
@@elite194 I have a package of 2-56 3/16 I can use. I try to keep organized when maintaining trains, yet I may have lost a screw or two in that time. I plan on getting a better pair of tweezers too, as my fingers aren't the greatness when it comes to working with screws roughly the size of a sesame seed. Thanks
Id love a video on just how to change the traction wheels on one of those
no problem
My buddy an i really appreciate your videos we have learned over the years an sence we were kids we been into trains sence 85, i sold him this type of dc unit Union Pacific 824 this year but when he replaced wires with new ones, the wires to the clips were the carbon brushes an springs are held down the 2 screws above he sodered way to much to were the soderd coverd both screws so any suggestions on this or should i try to heat it up an try to remove much of the solder or replace both screwes an metal plates??????????
If you're careful, try to unsolder the screws and remove them so you can use them again. when you go back in to reinstall, put a dot of GOOP in with the screws so they stay and so you can take them out again someday when it's time for maintenance! There several more pancake rebuilds that go even further in depth, one of which I think is a Life-Like GP38-2 and another is a Bachmann GP50!
Great videos. I have a GP40 with clicking gears, worse when in reverse. Can I wok on gear without tearing apart the motor? Sure looks like it. Appreciate your help.
Yes you can remove the sideframes and take out the axles which is usually where you will find a cracked gear. I recently made another video showing how to fabricate a new gear from RC gears just in case.
This is a very good detailed description. Besides taking a pic of the gears, how do YOU know where they go? It is tough to get the proper angle sometimes of the inner workings. I ve got a Yugoslavian made PennCentral GG-1 with spring clutches btw the motor and gear box! Trying to find a way to replace the motor, add flywheels without taking to the shop! Any suggestions? Lou
I have a couple of those GG1's and also a Brtish Deltic and some PEMCO SD35's that use that type of pancake motor They are the same principles, and I should make a video of me reassembling that motor from a tray of parts...perhaps tomorrow morning. For the Bachmann and Life-Like pancake motor, the trick I use to remember that "everybody goes down" - I usually say it in pancake motor rebuilds. What it means is that all the small gears face down so everybody is on the same side. The big gear is the idler and can only go one possible place. Next are the 2 gears have no axle and go only one way. Next are 2 gears that have axles with no wheels and only fit one way, finally the wheels will only fit one way. They will be aligned like some steps.
@@elite194 Hey elite194: Thanks for that quick reply! I have some LaBelle oil and grease on order and will try to open the gear box next week. The motor did not resemble the pancake style. Would it make more sense to buy a Bachmann GG1chassis used if i could find it and mount an updated motor and gear set? I m guessing that would cost as much as the new GG-1w Sound! your thoughts?
Otherwise is there a way to update the entire drive train and incorporate two flywheels? thanks much for your time and advise!
yes there is - but notice I don't use the Labelle because you must schedule maintenance if you use that stuff. It spreads and collects and turns into amber in my experience. Get some high temp brake grease from the auto parts store - it's red lithium and lasts at least 3 decades without change - so far. If you like GG1s, which I do, then there is no such thing as too far. I prefer the PEMCO version and it's pancake motor - I think that's the best version ever made. But there is no reason you can't find another version you like. As for the motor with flywheels, it would be a very advanced project. It can be done, but that would be something you would use to get an NMRA merit award with all the fabrication involved. I'll have to think about what frame and system I would use to that project.
@@elite194 Thanks for that detailed reply. Since I am a true NEWBIE to model railroading I will not be trying to install another motor now!
I will take your advice on the grease! LOVE your videos! As a professional videographer I am impressed by most of your good video quality. You also speak clearly with great intent and some humor! I am considering opening a video chan for hobbyists to offer advice on shooting, editing and compression (uploading).
Going live is a very big deal right. I've been doing a number of live videos daily in a test group to try out a number of different video and audio setups. I also hope to have the Lima Deltic ready to publish - the motor is done, main shell is done -now to put it all together.
Great tutorial. Had everything cleaned and was reassembling and one of those @%^#%$# brush springs got away from me. Any idea where I can get one?
I usually find them on ebay, they turn up now and then. Assuming you have to scrounge them, look for springs that are about 2.5-2.8mm or roughly 3/32". To scrounge them, first check a jewelry store that repairs watches. The springs don't have to be perfect, they just have to work. As a last resort, I have cut one spring in half and stretched each half to work. The springs need to be conductive, but a dab of Oxgard will take care of that.
Thanks
Where do you find replacement parts (mainly gears) that aren’t $20 each?
gears are tricky - that being said, they do exist! if you've seen any of my recent videos on scratchbuilding trucks then you'll see the type of gears that I'm using. the gears you are looking for are called ".5 modulus" or ".5 module" and they come from amazon or ebay. a huge bag of gears is about 10 bucks - for a single type. that bag will have a lifetime supply of that specific gear. somewhere in my playlist for pancake motor locomotives is a video where I repair split gears, but then there is another where I take a new gear and slice it with a razor saw to put it on a Bachmann axle. that is good, but turns out you don't need to usually slice it to make it thin enough to be a replacement. so here is the recipe:
1. take the gear you want to replace and mark the teeth with a sharpie so you can count them.
2. search amazon for example "14 tooth .5 modulus gear" you'll find a couple places that sell a bag full of them.
3. beware shaft size! the 12 tooth gear has a huge shaft hole!! the 14 and 16 have 2mm shaft
4. you can get creative with stuff like tinfoil and painters tape to get large shaft holes to fit smaller actual shafts.
5. you can do this and once you start on this path it will lead you to making your own trucks completely!!
6. do not give up and quit. pancake motor locomotives can be modified and tuned up to crazy awesome levels! check out that time I wired 2 pancake locomotives together to share power - that pair has a super cool sound and totally awesome performance.
7. pancake locomotive rebuilding is its own hobby - it is fun all on its own.
8. people who criticize pancake motor locomotives have never had success rebuilding them!
don't forget to goto the auto parts store and pickup hi-temp brake grease that lists its color as red!! that is the red lithium and 1 can is a lifetime supply and it is the ultimate of all time - just a little makes those pancake locomotives run and sound outstanding!
HANG IN THERE!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!
So where do you get parts for these cheap motors?
Considering I just got a hold of Bachman directly a couple of days ago, they were no help when they told me they haven't had any parts for these motors for 25yrs.
Nor could they redirect me for aftermarkets.
I'm looking for a complete after market gear set for this particular motor better than the nylons ones that were factory installed. If not I'll settle for replaceable nylon ones.
Any help would be very much appreciated if possible, considering you see this comment.
Thx in advance.
both amazon and ebay sell bags of misc. gears for toys and robotics for about 10 bucks. I picked up a few of these bags and did make a gear repair video where I took out the old gears and then matched them to gears in the bags. Several are thicker than the original and have a different hole size. Using a drill index set I easily drilled the hole to the correct size. I was also able to slice the gear to a thickness that works. There is a lot of room to replace the gears so you don't have to be exact, just close enough. The new gears are superior to the old. I've also had comments from people who got matches from RC stores, especially ones that have drone parts. Those gears are more expensive but easier to match. The grab bag is still my favorite what to go. This particular U36B is coming back out to get new gears and go DCC, and quite possibly it will be 1 decoder to operate a pair of these!
@@elite194 Ok I thank you kindly for all the input,very much appreciated.
Never even thought of the RC cars or even the drones,excellent idea too!
Thx again!
Keith
I've got the same set up in a train but I have a gear in there that has a crack do you know of any replacement it's the one before the drive gear for the axle
czcams.com/video/Rc9c7pEuZEw/video.html
Try that method first, if it fails, then you can get a grab bag of small robotics gears on ebay which usually contains a suitable replacement, but the baking soda method is preferred.
So just taking it apart and cleaning it fixes it?
For the most part, yes
can you help me to find a place to bought the white plastic gear for that motor ? im tryin to find everywhere !
assuming you mean the large idler gear that has a big and little gear together, then there are 2 ways, 1 being picking up a new motor at a train show for cheap or you can make it yourself from robotics gears. the grab bag of robotics gear you find on ebay or amazon sometimes contains 2 gears that can be joined to make the 1. this is not a beginner task however because the gears need to be patiently filed until they are sufficiently thin enough to fit the space available. hopefully though you are willing to begin the quest for your own gears - this starts by counting the teeth on both of the gears. do not worry about the shaft size because these gears normally have a super small shaft size and will probably fit once you find them. once you have counted the teeth you will need to measure the gears diameter, both inside the teeth and outside. you will also need a digital caliper you can get at most hardware or tool stores for pretty cheap, especially harbor freight. you need this tool for everything, not just gears, so get it. measure in metric for robot gears and decimal inches for other suppliers. measure the shaft, which I think is 1mm or 1.5mm, can't remember. 3D printing them is not a great fit, unless you have a lathe that can drill a centered hole, if you do then you can use tons of free gear software, make the 2 gears, drill the hole, put on a shaft and glue together. The gears can be laser cut from acrylic and are basically perfect as long as you have made your master file an exact match. if you do that, print it on paper to see if they match. gears these days mostly involve research and not skills. I don't know for a fact, but I suspect this is the same gear found in a Tyco Power Torque motor, those parts can be had in the various facebook groups devoted to Tyco, but it is also likely someone will have the gear you seek in one of those groups.
thanks so much you really help me with that !!
@@jacquesdelvigne386 no problem! I will be doing a project soon about scratchbuiilding an entire gear train from cheap common gears
I have multiple of these motors and at some point I lose one of the tiny motor brushes. I managed to pick up some of the same size copper rod and made my own brush and it works just fine. Is there any way to actually buy brushes for these things?
well you can make them from replacement brushes you get at Harbor Freight for drill and other power tools - just takes patience and some files
Holly crap bro..traction tire is on left front..but..how did u remove gear cover..
in that model the sideframe cover is removed with a flat screw driver from the back top, be careful not to break it off, it's held in front and back with slippery plastic that is pretty flexible and can be pried from the rear side easiest
I got an F9 that has a pancake motor wire screws are stripped (oh boy) but I need more info on getting the wheels out before I pop motor from top to & out of the bottom? correct? Whats feeping the bottom piece on to let wheels out? I'm a lookin. Thx
Wheres the next vid part 2 lol?
kerm 2-56 screws are the replacements
kerm this is a 4 part video, but 2 of them are about handrails
The problems i encounter are cracked gears.
lots of cracked gears from using the wrong lubricants - the superglue trick works, slicing a thicker gear works, but best of all is that these gears are .5 modulus which is now super easy to get