Been running the 2026 briefly and it has a fairly geary noise to it, especially on curved track. The first and second intermediate gears have a bit of slop to them. Both gear studs have play w/ regard to the motor frame. How are these gear studs held in place? Are there screws or are they pressed in place? I’m also guessing I’ll need to pull the wheels to get access to these.
You may want to switch to a tacky grease if the bosses/gear axles are worn a lot. Some Lucas Red ‘N’ Tacky #2 will take up some slop, quiet the gears, & cling to the moving parts nicely. It’s available at NAPA.
Rob
to answer your question, the studs are pressed in
I’ve noticed that the gear studs are available. What’s the correct step of procedures in replacing these and is it worth doing so? Is the wear I’m seeing normal or does it indicate excessive use on the part of my engine? I
Unless the engine has extreme sentimental value it probably isn’t worth trying to replace the studs. You would need to pull the wheels and separate the sideframes which is no fun. If you don’t have a suitable rivet press and the right tools the operation becomes “mission nearly impossible”. If the studs are really loose, as in wobbling around like a loose tooth, the chances of getting replacements to stay tight in the holes isn’t very likely even under the best of circumstances. One option might be to try to secure the existing studs with a specialty super glue such as Loctite 380 (“black max”) or Gorilla super glue. Both are a little flexible when cured and not as likely to pop loose as more conventional super glue or epoxy. Even so, you’ll have to take off the wheels and clean the h**l out of the stud mounting area-- a generous alcohol or acetone bath would do.
Depending on just how loose they are, you may be better off to live with them and use Rob’s advice regarding employment of a viscous lube.
Many of the old engines of this type share this problem. Aside from a little noise, it usually has little impact on the operation of the engine. Extremely worn ones, tho, tend to cause the gears to disengage from the train and/or bind up the works. Perhaps it’s time to shop around for a replacement motor? They are commonly found on ebay, and prices seem to be reasonable (lately).