Well, circumstances caught up with me. I have some older LL P2K HO scale SD-7s and at least one has some issues with the gears. I emailed Walthers and they no longer have parts for those locos. My understanding is the Athearn 4 wheel gears/wheelsets work in the LL 4 wheel trucks but the 6 wheel gears/wheelsets do not. Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks
Ricky
Find out how many geared wheelsets you need to replace all of the LL wheelsets, not just the ones currently causing problems then order them from Athearn. I know the wheelsets from the Athearn two axle trucks are a perfect drop-in replacement on the LL two axle trucks but I’m not sure about the six axle ones. If it we’re mine I’d order a set of wheelsets for the two axle and a set for the three axle truck. Sure one is likely not to fit but the other likely would and that’s the one I’d order for the others.
The 6 wheel AThearn ones do indeed work in 4-wheel Proto 2000 trucks. All I’ve purchased from Athearn are the SD40 gears, I think it’s p/n 60024. I’ve repalced the gears on all my P2K GP7’s with these. You don;t need new wheels, just the gears, and that Athearn part has the same size hole as the P2K wheels so they press in. Not as far as they can, they will be too narrow and probably short. You need one additional tool (besides a screwdriver) for this - an NMRA gauge to get the wheels in gauge when installing them to the new gears. Also, don;t bother repalcing just the cracked one, repalce all 4, the others WILL crack eventually so while you have the loco apart, do them all.
–Randy
–Randy
Randy, I’m not replacing 4 axle units but the 6 axle ones in my SD7s. I will try the Athearn gears anyway to see if they work, shouldn’t be more than a couple of bucks and its better then letting them sit in the box.
Ricky
All the Athearn axle gears are the same, except maybe the SD45, but I think those are the same as well. They may have different part numbers for 4 axle and 6 axle (I think that just has to do with packaging, 4 vs 6). They will all fit the Athearn-clone Protos. I can’t speak for the Proto SD7 as I haven’t got one.
Randy got it right. Replace the faulty gears with Athearn gears, part number ATH60024.
I have replace the gears on my pair of SD-7’s with the Athearn gears.
Rich
I’m thinking the question here is more related to the quantity of gears… I have a list (somewhere of Ath Part numbers.). & if working on an SD I would buy 2 packages (of a GP set) to have the extra ones for the additional axles in an SD.
I know there was a point that ATH changed the gear drives in the SD series to a different gear train, I have always gotten the GP gears, in 1-3 extra packs to have some on hand.
Are you absolutely sure that the trouble is gear related? I have never heard of the 6 axle P2Ks exibiting that “imfamous” cracked gear problem as w/ the earlt P2K B trucks. These units, all early E6/7/8 and the SD 7/9 and 50/60s were 18:1 ratios. Of hundreds of all the units either mine or club members have not seen this. They do suffer from worm “slop/ backlash” that will show mostly on downgrades. My 2 SD7s can surge like crazy especially when decending w/ 40 loaded hoppers.
Even though the gear ratio doesn’t match to the 14:1 cracked gear units, the actual axle gears may be or are the same. This I don’t know and can’t comment on. Never needed to touch a 6 axle truck other than lubrication.
The correct replacement part for the LL Proto 2K SD7 is ATH60024, and there are six gears in a bag.
Rich
I’ve had a couple of E units with cracked gears so it does happen.
Rich
Thanks for the part number, luckily Athearn is stocking parts again.
Jeff, yes, they are cracked, visually verified.
Ricky
As near as I have been able to tell from Athearn’s extensive parts list, they stock only one type of replacement gear, part number ATH60024, which fits all Athearn locomotives except Genesis types and practically all Proto models. They list them as being for an SD40. There are six to a package.
You may be able to save money by purchasing them at a local hobby shop instead of directly from Athearn, because they charge $10 shipping regardless of how much or how little you order.
The P2K SD7-9 has more of a Kato-clone style truck, NOT Athearn-clone. The Athearn gears won’t work in these.
!(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x218/MFJ_album/Model trains/P2K SD7/3-5-10003.jpg)
There is a broken axle right by the fuel tank casting. Nowhere close to an Athearn.
A possibility is finding a Kato truck assembly, and putting the P2K sideframes on. I haven’t investigated this yet, but it sounds promising. Kato lists trucks in stock, pn 959052, $23.00 each It might be better to find a SD40 or SD45 somewhere and harvest it for parts.
Kato also shows 962010 geared wheelsets, 6 for $15.00. This also looks promising. http://www.katousa.com/parts-catalog/information.html