I received a GG-1 today (6-18300) with little use, o/b. Ran forward only so I opened it to tinker with e unit. Everything immaculate on the inside. Removed the motors to make sure it was the e unit and not binding in one direction. It was the e unit, but I also found one of the power trucks to be binding. Closer exaimation revealed that both geared wheelsets were rubbing on the magnet ends. I decided to remove the non geared wheels, pull the axles and insert washers to prevent contact between the geared wheel and the magnet.
I tried a wheelpuller and couldn’t get the wheel to budge. Tried wedging a screwdriver from each side without success. The wheels look as if they may have epoxy at axle?? Any suggestions on removing the wheels ? Will the washer be sufficient to break the magnetic flux and prevent wheel drag?
There’s a trick for this repair, which is needed more often than you might think: Instead of pulling the wheels, cut a piece out of the washer, just enough of a slot that you can force it over the axle. It won’t fall off if the slot is even barely narrower than the axle. You might need to reflatten the washer after cutting it, especially if you do it with tinsnips.
Bob’s is a good tip, and this is a common problem. Seems they weren’t very consitent in centering their magnets on the trucks. I had an 18313 with a loose magnet. I just removed the loose one and ran it. Of course it worked fine. I’ve pulled plenty of wheels and reseated them fine, but it is a little delicate and probably should be avoided if possible.
I inserted a thin washer without removing the wheels but the magnetic flux still pulls the wheel against the magnet. As I see it, the options are:
Remove the wheels and insert thicker washer
Remove the wheels and grind the magnet
Remove the magnet
Increase the gauge without removing the wheels and insert the thicker washer as per(1)
I have been unsuccessful sofar in budging the wheels although I have used this method dozens of times without difficulty on PW F-3s. Also, I am unsure if the magnet is clamped in the casting or clamped and glued. I was afraid to exert too much pressure for fear of breaking the surrounding casting.
I am stumped as to why the drivers don’t budge on the axle. I am assuming that since the magnets are external, the axle itself is a solid piece, unlike the magnetic axles of the 2343/2353. I was going to try the double screwdriver/wedge method …so long as the zinc drivers don’t break I would think it should work?
The axle should be solid stainless steel and the wheels sintered iron (which is rather brittle), not zinc.
If you can move the axle to a position where the wheels clear the magnet, then there should be a washer or washer combination that will hold it in that position and which you can get onto the axle without pulling the wheels. Note that you can test the effect of various washers without cutting them, just by pushing the edge of the washer(s) up against the axle.
The axle bearings are sleeves (probably 622-184) pressed into the zinc truck casting on each side. They normally protrude slightly from the casting; but apparently can be pressed in too far, resulting in end play for the wheelset. Whether this happens in manufacture or in response to some force applied to the wheelset, I don’t know. The washer fix simply fills the gap left by the retreating sleeve. But I doubt that your wheels are out of gauge. So, if you were to succeed in pulling the wheel, you would need to replace it in the same position to avoid changing the gauge.
When these were made I used to repair a bunch of them. I’d remove the magnets, place in washers as temporary spacers, and then epoxy the magnets back in place. After the epoxy was dry, I’d remove the washers.
Jon, that would fix a magnet that is in the wrong place; but, if the problem is end play in the wheelsets, I don’t see how it would help. To quote the service manual: “b. Rubbing of one of the wheels against the frame of the truck due by [sic] the bushing being driven too far into the truck frame. This is corrected by inserting a spacer washer between the wheel and the frame. To avoid removing the wheel cut out a section of No. 671M-19 washer slightly smaller than the diameter of the axle and push it over the axle.”