I had seen someone else ask a question about putting new bands on a HI FI. Sorry, I can’t re-find who asked it. I’m new on here. Gettin pictures on is also driving me nuts even though I have uploaded a bunch to photo bucket.
Anyway, HOSeeker does have a diagram of this. If you print it you will also get a copy of a shaft driven one using the 90002 motor and the 90452 power trucks.
But to answer the orginal question, YES, you have to disassemble the 90451 power trucks to mount new bands. Just remember two things: keep both insulated pick-ups on the left side, and the rear of ALL of the rubberbands should be on the right side of the drive shafts after you mount them. It may take a bit to get new bands to go as they are tight. You may have to streach them a bit.
I have 3 of these and a Hustler and they all still go like a streak of lighting. Which is why they are my grandkids favorite ones to run. Just like me when I was little.
I have one of the original lil hustlers with the original bands on it. found it at the local flea market. dont think that it would run with those bands being as they are so brittle but I think that there is someone out there who sells them or real good replacements anyway. I am going to detail it up a bit and use it on my layout when I get one going again. I like the old Athearn stuff.
I have some distant recollection that back in the day, some guys used the rubber bands that dentists supply to those who wear braces. Whether there still are such rubber bands, or if they are still the right size, I have no idea.
I do as well. I bought a lot of Athearn parts from Don’s Hobby Shop in Kenosha, WI a few years ago when he closed up. Sad. But they are a fun little engine. You can get bands from many shops as well as Ebay. (Where I live looking for parts as I restore old trains) I love my old Hustler. It still goes like a bat out of hell and it is one of my grand kids favorite ones to run. (Grand kids seem to only know one speed for trains-FULL TILT!!!) Just give the motor a good bath to clean it out and it should run well.
50-60 years ago when I ran out of real bands, I stole them from my sister. She bought bags of small rubber bands in different colors for making pony tails in her hair. They fit and worked well enough for me then.
Athearn still sold those bands until a few years ago. I bought a package and tried to restore my 1960’s era engines. I got them running, but they were not good performers. I looked into upgrading motors, trucks and wheel and found I could get new engines for almost the same price.
My surviving belt-drive engines have been gutted, and they now run as sound dummies in consists with newer locomotives.
How well does it run on DC? That’s the big question. Can you run it around your layout slowly without havihg it stall? DCC will NOT make a poorly-running engine run better.
As I’ve said, I had a couple of these belt-drive locomotives from the early 1960s that I saved all these years. I was able to get them running after a fashion, but they had very old motors and those sintered wheels. I put in decoders, but they were poor performers and would stall out frequently. I looked into re-motoring and replacing the trucks and wheelsets. Then, I found a couple of brand new P2K engines for less than the cost of a new motor and wheels. It was not much of a decision.
I have an F7 that I got in 1958. It runs fairly well but mine has brass wheels so perhaps that is the reason.
If I recall correctly the rubber bands were different on later models. Mine came with thin black rubber bands that were longer and thinner than the later replacements. The later ones were white and resulted in poor performance. So if you do replace the bands, watch for the tension of the rubber bands.