athearn motor mount pads
- Thread starter h44
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mnbaty
Trainman
Try Toy Train Heaven. http://www.toytrainheaven.com/.sc/ms/cat/HO%20Scale They offer the new style motor mounts and screws separately. I have found they work great compared to the "push in ones".
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thaddeusthudpucker
That Guy
Better: make your own. Put a nice healthy glob of silicone caulk into the fuel tank area where the motor goes (I'm talking large marble size) and stick the motor into it, taking care to center it and line it up along the axis of the unit.
I have done similar except also used Walthers Goo... Works fine either way.
I have done similar except also used Walthers Goo... Works fine either way.
Larry
Long Winded Old Fart
There's only one problem w/using the silicone if you are running DCC only.
If you run DC only you will have to put a seperate ground wire from the bottom of the motor to a place on the frame using the glob of silicone.
ICG/SOU
HO & O (3-rail) trainman
I know it doesn't seem so now, but buying the full pack of parts, especially new motor mounts and screws, is a good investment. I don't know how many times I've had to raid my personal stocks for parts on customer's locomotives.
You'll get more locos, and you'll fix up old ones, bringing them up to the current production. You'll be working on a loco and lose a screw, and nothing else Athearn makes will replace it since it has a wide head.
EDIT:
When putting the motor back in (if you're putting DCC in it, I don't know), make sure that you don't screw the screws in too tightly. I've found that if the motor mount pad screws can be easily overtightened, and what you'll find is that it slightly twists the frame of the motor and will cause it to bind, especially at low speeds. You'll find that if the loco ran well before you took the motor out and then gets sluggish afterward, you've likely tightened it too much.
While you're in there, you can also go ahead and isolate the motor from the frame if you're looking to put DCC in there. If you add track pickup wires to the metal inside frames or the bronze bushings on the wheelsets for front and rear, left and right, you'll definitely get more consistent track power pickup. You'll just need a wire soldered to the bronze clip on the bottom of the motor and one on the top. If you run DC only, this step will keep the loco running with enough power.
You'll get more locos, and you'll fix up old ones, bringing them up to the current production. You'll be working on a loco and lose a screw, and nothing else Athearn makes will replace it since it has a wide head.
EDIT:
When putting the motor back in (if you're putting DCC in it, I don't know), make sure that you don't screw the screws in too tightly. I've found that if the motor mount pad screws can be easily overtightened, and what you'll find is that it slightly twists the frame of the motor and will cause it to bind, especially at low speeds. You'll find that if the loco ran well before you took the motor out and then gets sluggish afterward, you've likely tightened it too much.
While you're in there, you can also go ahead and isolate the motor from the frame if you're looking to put DCC in there. If you add track pickup wires to the metal inside frames or the bronze bushings on the wheelsets for front and rear, left and right, you'll definitely get more consistent track power pickup. You'll just need a wire soldered to the bronze clip on the bottom of the motor and one on the top. If you run DC only, this step will keep the loco running with enough power.
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