Lionel motor thrust bearings

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

I took my Lionel Budd car motor apart to find out why it was noisy, now I have managed to forget which way the flat side on the thrust bearings should face top and bottom please help. Thank you all.

Irontooth

David

2

David, What is the number of the car? Maybe I can look it up for you.

3

4

It is Lionel Budd Car 400 Thanks David

5

Thanks for picture looks like the flat side goes down to me.

Thanks

David

6

I don’t see how it could matter.

7

Yes, it looks like it doesn’t matter.

8

If you put the open side up it helps keep the grease in.

9

For years I never thought about which way should be up, and just reassembled my motors with the bearing race oriented randomly.
Once I read a similar comment on another board, I started assembling my motors with the bearing’s open side up. I figured it couldn’t hurt.

But I don’t think it really matters. The grease I use is thick enough not to migrate significantly.

10

The same bearing is used in locomotives with horizontal armature shafts, so loss of lubricant must be unlikely.

11

Thanks everyone for all the input , the Lionel 400 RDC Budd Car is up and running

David

12

When I looked at the thrust bearings, it did not look like there was any grease at all in the bearing. What type of grease did you use?

Thanks

David

13

I use the Lucas Red ‘N’ Tacky #2.

14

Mobil 1 Full Synthetic Grease, one $9.00 tube will last your trains a lifetime. [;)]