I have an older diesel and just purchased a used diesel that run fine (but a little weak) but have a grinding sound while running. Can this be fixed with lubrication or is the engine wearing down? If this is a lubrication issue, what is the best procedure?
It would help if you would specify the manufacturer (Athearn, etc) so that we might have a better idea of possible causes. Grinding can come from the gears or the motor or both. If you remove the trucks, clean the gears and re-lube this cures many cases of grinding. Also while you have the trucks removed you can test the motor to see if it is the culprit. Oiling the bearings sparingly will cure many cases of motor noise unless the bearings are shot.
Joe
If it’s an Athearn (coffee grinder by any other name) that would be standard behavior.[:-^]
Jeffrey is right that Athearn locos do make noise. There is a tuneup procedure that you can use to improve running. Google “Athearn Tuneup”. There are a couple of illustrated sites that detail this procedure. Sometimes looking a an illustrated example can be a big help.
Joe