I have a 763E, retrieved from dad’s attic,…trying to get it running. have worked on smaller pw engines but this is a big horse. …trying to determine an approach here…I’m sure cleaning and lube are necessary…but…before I disassemble anything…I’m kind of intimated at this stage…thought I’d throw it out - never posted before! Two symptoms: the cowcatcher dips down and touches the center rail…shorts it out. I can push down on the cab and it toggles up and it fires up…so indicates to me something not tight within frame…perhaps the motor tilts?
Secondly…the wheels don’t spin easily…can spin wheels in reverse but not forward…the armature spins easily one way but has to be ‘pushed’ to get it to move. Indication that perhaps the armature shaft binding?
Not afraid to take it apart…any suggestions or comments or hints…GREATLY APPRECIATED and welcome!
[#welcome] to the forum. Either the cowcatcher is loose on the frame or the frame itself is warped. Hopefully a warped frame is not the case. I don’t know much about the 763E Hudson but you don’t want to throw that engine away cause that engine is worth quite a bit. Try taking out the motor brushes and try spinning the armature. If it still won’t turn easily in one direction the shaft maybe binding like you said, OR the grease in the gearbox has hardened over time. Grease can harden over time and become like crazy glue, so that could be your problem hopefully. I hope any of this has helped you in some way.
When a worm-drive locomotive runs poorly in one direction only, it often has something to do with a thrust bearing, perhaps stuck or broken, perhaps missing entirely. When driving in one direction, the worm shaft pushes on the bearing at one end, the other end in the other direction. The worm shaft should be shimmed to limit its fore-aft travel, but with just a little play.
The engine you describe is a very well sought after engine, because when it works properly it is a very good engine. A little maintenance is required or maybe a lot of maint.
You should be able to find diagrams on a web site or two as to how to dis-assemble that engine, most suff can be downloaded or sent to a printer. If not make a few diagrams as to how it came apart, my uncle used to do that when he repaired TV sets.
Kalmbach, the owners of this site, has a book on repair and maint. of Lionel Trains, 1945-1969. For about $20, it is well worth it to get this book as it has diagrams as well as tips and techniques to working on this and other locomotives and rolling stock as well as accessories. Given the value of this particular engine, you may want to take it to a reputable service station to have them give it a repair and lube. Then, you could do future upkeep. Also, some service folks don’t mind if you watch when your piece is worked on. This would be your chance to ask any questions. Good luck with it. It sounds like a great piece to hold on to.
The 763E was last made in 1942 (as was I). I would have thought it had much in common with the 773; but virtually all the mechanical part numbers are different. Olsen’s has very little information beyond part numbers:
Wow…thank you for all the great input…so…what I did was to carefully take the 763E part…took the worm gear out and cleaned out all this hardened gunk but still was binding. I realized the connector rods were binding on the screws…I committed the cardinal sin of Lionel repair…and pushed a little too hard and the connector rods broke! they were surprisingly brittle.
But…once freed up…the wheels spin freely on the track, in hand, etc. I was able to test the e unit and motor and everything was running smoothly…I was looking forward to removing the broken rods…finding some replacements, repacking the worm gear box, etc. and breathing easier…but…that wasn’t to be…I found out that the screws holding the 1 and 3 wheels on somehow are pressed on…I can’t unscrew them to take off the broken connector rods! Determined not to commit the cardinal sin again…I come back to this forum…what am I missing? The rod screws just turn…I tried putting a little pressure behind them but I can’t get them to unscrew! Totally stymied…but excited! Thanks for listening!
Does anyone have experience with removing those screws? it’s weird…
I don’t have experiance removing those screws. It sounds to me like they are stripped out. How about putting some good penetrating oil in between the screw hole and the screw itself so hopefully it will slide off alittle easier, or If I were you, just take it to a repair shop. Hope all this helps and more people add suggestions.
I have just completely dismantled my 763E engine and did encounter the same problem you are asking about. The screw is threaded into a metal stud. This stud is pressed into the wheel. So it is the stud that is turning. What I did was grind off the hex head (with my Dremal Tool), remove the side rod and then drilled out the remainder of the screw. Then I re-threaded the metal stud. I had someone hold the stud with a pair of needle nose pliers while I did this.
Do you have the URL for a WEB site that would have drawings for the disassembly/assembly of the 763E engine? I have searched through Google and cannot find one.