How Do I Isolate the Motor From the Frame?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I have to convert a 0-4-0T docksider to DCC and it looks like the motor housing is not properly isolated from the frame. So the next question is, how do I go about isolating the motor? Is it as simple as putting eletrical tape around the exposed motor housing parts?

Thanks
Don

2

To isolate the motor from the frame you would have to add some insulating material between the motor and frame. The thickness of the material may effect to alignment of the gears. You may have to remove material from the frame to allow this. Also the one brush may be common to the motor frame and you would have to add a wire to restore the connection. Somewhere in the drive at least one gear must to fiber, nylon or plastic.
The motor mounting screw could be replaced with a nylon screw or mount the motor with silicone rubber, the kind in a tube.

3

What brand of Dockside is it?

4

Well I have two. One is an older AHM. Another is newer Life Like. I haven’t decided which I want to try to convert first. Both have appear to have similar motor setups.

5

The Life-Like one is already isolated, I believe. The AHM one just needs the metal strip going from the motor housing to the brush cut off. That should isolate it.[:D]

6

The motor itsself rarely needs to be isolated from the frrame. The MOTOR BRUSHES need to be isolated. If this is an older ‘open frame’ motor, note that one of the motor brushes is already isolated with some insulation like paper or plastic. Do the same to the other brush on the opposite side. If this is some kind of ‘can’ motor, you may have to completely isolate the motor from the frame. Use double face tape or RTV to attach/glue the motor in place. Verify you installation by using a meter to see if you still ‘short’ from the frame to one of the motor leads.

Jim Bernier