Installing as per instructions provided. With the gear box level, the coupler sags down inside the box. Placing a spacer washer under the coupler prevents smooth centering, and the coupler still sags down. I am putting spacers at the truck to get the height but if the coupler was level it would match the gauge height. Is this sag the norm?
There is always a little sag. If your spacer causes a bind, there may be some burrs or flashing in the draft gearbox or the coupler shank itself. Or maybe use a thinner spacer. Or lube the shank and box with KaDee Greas’m, a fine graphite powder.
The spacer under the truck is a last resort IMHO.
Also might want to make sure that the shank is not bent…just in case but not likely.
Mark
WGAS
What equipment are you installing the coupler in? A #5 and it’s bronze centering spring will generally work in most stock couple (draft gear) boxes. If excessive vertical slop even w/ the cover on properly, you need to shim the entire “floor” of the box under the spring.Thin styrene can be cut and hole drilled to shim or use the Kadee box shims, trimmed to fit. I have found that Kadee couplers actually work thier best in the Kadee box, but this is not always practical. If you have a strange or odd couple box maybe cut off and mount the Kadee one.
http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page211.htm
Even if these shims won’t solve the problem, it is always great to have these on hand as well as their red fiber washers, Delrin 2/56 screws ect.
Also note that Kadee also offers offset knuckle couples in short, med and long shanks for those cases where couple height cannot be set by other means.
I am using Kadee box. A full box shim does work. Maybe the Kadee box that I’m using is from a different number Kadee coupler. Think I’ll try filing down the sidfs of the box. Thanks for your help fellas. Great hobby and forum.
Unless I’m misunderstanding, I don’t believe that those shims in the link will help take the slop out of the boxes. With the ears shown on the picture, it appears to me that they are for moving the entire coupler and box assembly. Was there another shim that you were referring too?
Of coarse that’s what the shims are intended to do, Shims of styrene or “trimming” the Kadee shims may work in this instance. This is shimming the vertical slop within the box, not shimming the box to lower the coupler… The OP didn’t mention what manufacturer or type of equipment to have such slop in the first place. I have only done this a couple of times on some old, odd pieces. The #5 has worked great in 90% of my stuff for many years.
Dalrail
It is definately not the norm for the couplers to sag but it does happen. I have converted almost all my rolling stock to #5’s with only a couple of problems with sagging, and those were in the original coupler boxes, not Kadee’s.
The problem could be caused by defects in the coupler box like excess flash that are not allowing the two halves to fit together properly. Maybe try another box or have a close look inside of the one you are using.
If that doesn’t work, one solution would be to glue a small piece of brass or styrene across the front of the bottom lip of the coupler box so that it supports the shank at the proper height. Brass would be better in the long run because eventually the styrene will wear down and the problem will return.
Let us know how it turns out.
Dave
The unit I was working is a 25 year old Marx caboose.I filed the body of the caboose so the coupler box sloped up, put a washer on the truck, perfect alinement.
Most of the times if the mounting screw in the center is too tight, the coupler doesn’t move in any direction and has zero slop. If the 2 box components, centering spring and coupler are new, there should be very little slop when the box is compressed slightly. I would recommend you try a few things.
- Cut the ears off of the box and top, make sure they are smooth inside. 2. Put the centering spring on the bottom. 3. Tighten the screw fairly tight so that the coupler movement is stiff, then back off to get the action you want. After this, you may decide to put the centering spring on top to get the desired head height.
Richard