Access to worm gear on GP-30 P2K

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

About a week ago my Proto 2000 GP-30 started making a loud, sorta screeching noise so I contacted Walthers to get a set of new axle/gears, thinking a had the old cracked gear problem so prevalent with some older P2K’s. Of course they were on backorder. A friend told me he had some new ones so I got his and will replace them with mine when I get them. When we installed the axles we also lubed them just a bit with #108 grease. But, upon examining the old ones we took out of the engine we saw they didn’t rotate at all, when given the test, leading us to believe they were not cracked, thus not the problem. But we left them the new ones in just in case. This quietened the noise considerably but it didn’t entirely go away so I figure the worm gear needs lubricating also since the axle gears were pretty dry. I’ve removed the shell and the instruction sheet says to remove the heavy metal weight assembly to get to the worm gear. Therein lies the problem. I can’t lift the metal chasis off because of this orange wire…

It goes from beneath the decoder on top down the side and through a hole in the chasis, and the last I can see it is behind the white tape looking place on the bottom…

Here’s a view from the top. It looks like I have to unscrew the board and get it out of the way and I really didn’t want to do that. Perhaps the metal chasis can be lifted just enough to tip it sideways enough to get to the worm gear housing, but that wire is pretty tight.

Am I barking up the wrong tree? Am I thinking right about having to remove the board? Anyone with experience I’d appreciate some tips.

T

2

You’ll have to remove the board. There may be enough slack to allow the weight to come off, but I doubt it. You will probably have to unplug some of the other wires to get enough room to get the weight off.

Once the weight is off, the mechanism looks just like an Athearn, so the rest should be easy.

3

Jarrell, I love my Proto’s but they are a pain to work on. If you can see the ends of the worm gear’s bearing try a drop of oil at either end. I would all so try to lube the motor bushings behind the flywheels. My Proto F 3’s started to making racket and that what stopped it on mine.

Ken

4

The lubrication you put on the gears when you replaced them from the bottom should work its way up to the worm gear, so I don’t think that’s where the noise is coming from. As Cuda Ken said, try putting some light weight oil on the ends of the worm gear shafts where they go into the housing, and on the motor bearings. You’ll need to apply a very small amount with the tip of a toothpick. All you have to do in order to reach these bearings is remove the shell, which you have already done. No further disassembly is necessary.

My favorite lubricant for these areas is automatic transmission fluid.

5

I used to have one of these locos. The board will have to come off before the weight can be lifted. If I remember correctly you should be able to remove the board and move it to the side.