Help - Pullmor thrust bearings - Which direction do they face???

[statistician]

Hi:

What is the correct seating for bearings on an F3 with vertical drive?

While cleaning my old 8260, I noticed that one motor has both the upper and lower bearings facing open-side out while the other motor has both facing inward… this can’t be correct, but was how they were seated from the factory.

Any suggestions? Thanks!!!

[lionelsoni]

I think it doesn’t matter. You’re talking about which way the cage faces, right? Either way, the balls, not the cage, contact the identical “thrust washers”, which act as the races. The cage must rotate freely around the motor shaft at half the motor speed, whichever way it is facing, and will do so regardless of which way it is installed…

[statistician]

Correct, I wasn’t sure which way the cage should face as one motor was slower than the other, thought it had to do with the direction of the bearing seating, however upon closer inspection not all of the balls turn freely on one bearing… ordering a replacement.

Thanks again, I know you’ve helped me out with questions on here before…

[Pennsylvania_Station]

QUESTION: (to a Lionel repairman)

I recall a brief discussion we had regarding the thrust washers on Lionel Pullmor motors, and your preference was for the bearings to be lubed, and facing “upward”… so the lubricant grease, when warmed, would not ease/leak out.

Am I correct?

REPLY:

Your recollection is correct.

I, too, have found the bearings installed both ways from the factory.

Logically, when grease is packed in the bearing, it would stay in place better if the open side is up.

Unfortunately, many of the bearings were never lubricated, so it didn’t make any difference which way they were installed.

[Boxcar_Bill]

What held the grease on the motors that used balls only and no cage.

Bill

[Pennsylvania_Station]

What held the grease on the motors that used balls only and no cage.

Bill

Good question.

I imagine a thorough inspection of the motors of both types, after hours and hours of running, would indicate which method was the most appropriate.

The answer may lie in why Lionel decided to use the “cage”.