lionel used the low temp solder because of the cheap white plastic communtators used. that is why a lot of early MPC motors need armatures if they were run a lot. the late 80’s showed the return back to the bakelite ones like the postwar armatures had. as the plastic melted the communtators the would sag and tilt. also have seen them spin on the shaft and throwing timing of the windings causing more current draw. a MPC diesel ,with 3 MPC cars should draw no more then 2 to 2.5 amps while running around the standard set circle or oval with the motor properly serviced and lubed. hope this helps.
If an engine with a Pullmore motor goes better in reverse, the plastic under the bottom of the shaft
might be worn, and a shim needed glued in. Which might cause the teeth to be worn and the
shaft/armature needs to be replaced too.
Since we’re on the subject of MPC Diesels, I was enlightend with my success over the advice you guys gave me, on cleaning the motor up on my CN Geep.
I then decided to give my (1975) Santa Fe GP-20 the same treatment, but the results were very different.
When I apply track power, the headlights burn, but no juice seems to be getting to the e-unit or the motor. Kinda like its locked out in neutral.
Moving the e-unit lever with the power on, does nothing.
I checked all the connections and they are good, no disconnected wires.
Any ideas?
hook 1 wire to ground and touch the other wire to the side terminal on the e-unit where the hot leads are soldered. that’s the lug on the fiber board.if the e-unit & the motor fires up then you have a bad wire or bad solder joint on the lead to the collector. if it does not run, then put 1 lead to the e-unit frame and then touch the lug with the other wire to see if the e-unit cycles. could also be a bad ground on the e-unit frame but it is hard to figure a problem out LD. all i can do is tell you how i check no run/no working e-unit problems.
hope this makes sense
Five easy steps to a perfectly reliable diesel Pulmore motor.
You must start with a cleaned and properly lubricated engine!!
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Move the armature commutator closer to the brush holders. Place a .020 - .030” stainless washer in the motor bottom bearing support. Adjust motor end play to .020. This will provide a more reliable bearing for the armature and keep the commutator closer to the brushes.
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Eliminate most resistance from the motor brushes. Add a pair of 1/16” X ¾” copper braids to the existing brushes. Solder each braid to the spring retainer on the brush holder top. Lift the brush spring. Install the braid to cover the top of the existing brush and form a ¼” loop above the brush holder. Notch a pair of worn brushes on one end with a jewelers saw .030 deep. Install the notched brush on top of the copper braid and place the spring end into the notch. Insure that the braid is located in the spring slot in the brush holder. Move the armature up and down to ensure the brushes move freely in the holders.
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Eliminate most current from the E-units tiny contacts. Add a 10 amp miniature relay to the motor circuit. Install a 10 amp DPDT, 12 volt, ¾” squared relay onto the rear lamp post using double sticky tape. Install