There has to be an easier way… Does anyone have a graphic that shows how to replace a smoke wick and heating element? Does the wick have to pass through the wrapped Nichrome wire. If the wick is still good yet has burned off at each ends of the wire will it still work? and for how long? or is this just a bad repair to have the wick laying just under the wire… and will the wire just burn out over time. I tried to re-wrap the wire around the existing wick yet when I added power the Nichrome wire just burns up ( I heard the coils cannot touch?)…argh… and I have to repair how many locos?!! Gave up at 1 am last night on my first one…
I have not done a successful American Flyer smoke unit repair either. I hope someone gives you some good advice.
Earl
I’ve never had much luck hand-winding American Flyer smoke elements. The wires absolultely can not touch, and the unit will burn itself out if the cold resistance is less than 25 ohms or so.
I’d suggest buying replacement wicks with the Nichrome already wound around them. The last time I bought one, it was about $4. This will give you a completely fresh start with no chance of messing anything up.
By the way, the wick will thread through the two small holes much more easily if you twirl the tips to a fine point with a little bit of Elmer’s Glue.
These are the instructions from Port Lines Hobby and they work well
Remove the smoke unit from the engine chassis by removing the 1 or 2 screws underneath the engine which hold the smoke unit in place. (BTW, I’m assuming this is a boiler unit…not a smoke-in-tender unit. The basic replacement idea is the same; just a few differences in detail about access to it.) Unsolder the wires that enter the top of the smoke unit (make note of what went where).
Next , remove the six screws that hold on the cover plate and gasket. Also, remove the 4 screws that hold on the bottom plate and gasket. (Note that late-style smoke units had no bottom plate…just a single chamber, open from the top.) [If you remove the bottom plate and gasket first, you will be able to determine if the wick is indeed hardened beyond hope, before removing the top plate and breaking the element in the process.]
Looking into the open top, you can easily see the burned wick. Just “rip” all that old wick out, through both the top and bottom. Use care not to damage the internal fiberboard insulating “box”; this is what prevents the wire winding on the wick from contacting the smoke box and shorting out. Clean out the inside well, making sure the two holes that connect the upper and lower chambers are wide-open and clean. You’ll know why soon! Also, clean out and open up the holes in the solder-lugs on the cover plate, removing any leftover old nichrome wire wrapped around them.
Open your newly-purchased replacement smoke-wick. Note that the nichrome wire has been prewound around the wick, but has two long loose ends. Personally, I usually remove about 1 winding from each end, but it is not essential to do so. Less windings results in more smoke output, but it also reduces the life of the wick slightly.
Now the frustrating part: you have to thread the two ends of the wick down through those two holes, into the lower chamber! First, use some sharp scissors, and clip 2-3 inches of
-Jim-
Yes, I have read these instructions and it assumes you are buying a new replacement wick/ kit, since I have many loco’s to repair and most have the same failure mode, (wick burns off at both ends of the coil) I hoped I could wrap them myself with some kind of tool…or just pull the wicks up out of the housing and lay them under the coil… this seems only to burn the wick even more, or my replacement smoke smells weird?
Well, I am going to give it another go tonight, one thing that is not mentioned in the instructions which really tries the eyesight and nerves is drilling out the old coil (drill bit size anyone)? Then trying to wrap the existing or even a new coil/kit/wick around the soldered post really tries your patients…to end it all if you goof you just fried 4 dollars…Fine if I had to do a couple, but doing say over 50?.. like I said “Argh”!
Even on a replacement wick I carefully ensure the wire doesn’t cross over it self. I take a tooth pick and seperate the winds. You can use a toothpick also to wrap the coils, it is the correct “enough” diameter.
Check the resistance on the coil. It sounds like yours are getting really hot. As far as the wire on the lugs, I wrap it around several twists through the lug holes and pull it tight and put a drop of solder to hold it in place.
Before applying current to repaired, replacement or dry wick from sitting for a while, make sure it is saturated with smoke fluid. A good practice before running a loco that has been setting is give it a few drops of fluid before test running it. This way you won’t burn it out.
I have a 290 that I’m going to put a new wick in as soon as I get the time! Keep a few replacement wicks on hand. I find them easier to replace than repair.
Jim
Jim,
Thanks for the guidance! Well I drilled out one end of the Nichrome wire and took half of the wick (because it was burned in two) and began wrapping the wire around the wick, I held one end of the wick in a vice and wrapped the coil around it. then I drilled out the end that broke with a 80 thousands drill bit. I threaded the coil in and looped it around the terminal then soldered it. Unfortunately, the hand wrapping made the coil too long (could not ensure coils are touching because its so hard to see). the coil needs to be about 1/2 inch long and when I was finished it was about 1 and 1/2 long… so I wrapped the other half of the wick to prevent the coil from touching the housing, loaded it in and sure enough it shorted out on the housing…so I took electrical tape and insulated the housing re wrapped every thing and tested it before loading. it smoked great. however as soon as it made it a few laps around the track it stopped smoking (probably shorted out against the housing again) So all in all, lesson’s learned its best to replace the wick assembly because of coil wrap/length is so accurate in the kit it prevents the coil from shorting out. Oh well had to try it out…