Hello I have been working on this kit and having a hard time.With the valve gear it seems to be lose. Whats the best way to tighten them up?And can i get more rivets from my lhs? Or shuld i call bowser.Thanks frank
You may find that if you unscrew the valve gear and just give the rivets that are loose a sharp tap with a small hammer (rest them on a hard surface before doing this), that will tighten them up enough. If you do end up replacing them (I would contact bowser for replacements), you could try using some thin paper to space the valve gear components to allow enough of a gap for them to move OK.
Frank;
Look at the detailed instructions and pictures on Bowser’s site.
http://www.bowser-trains.com/index.htm
Or order an assembled valve gear set from Bowser. You can get extra rivets from Bowser; if your LHS does not have them.
The valve gear needs to be somewhat lose to function. If the rivet form is good, you can tighten it up using a tiny ball bearing to form it, with gentle tapping with a small hammer.
Do you have a PRR K4 or NYC K11 or USRA Light Pacific kit? Bowser offers all three, distinctly different kits.
It’s the PRR K4 it’s my frist big kit.The photos help out. I did see some thing worng part of it was backwords.Iam going to try to fix this valvegear.Befor I buy it from Bowser.It seems to backout the bolt on the center driver.If I put a bit of glue on it will that stop it? Thanks Frank
Are you getting the screw in the driver tight enough? It’s best to have it in as tight as possible without damaging anything. If it’s still backing out, then it could be that one of the parts of the valve gear that the drivers move is too tight and needs to be loosened. If the screw still backs out, then a little glue in the screw hole should help.
Hello I got it fixed. I tighten a few of the rivets up and that help a lot.I snug up the driver bolts and they seem to be staying. Thanks for the help Frank[:D]
I usually use Locktite Blue on my valve gear and connecting rod screws. It says on the tube it’s for screws 4-40 or larger, but I found it works fine, even on the 00-80 sizes you may run into.
Hello Well I did some test runs yesterday.And its seems to be ok ran nice and smooth.I ran it for few laps around the layout.The gears make a littel noise but not to bad .Some lube should help that.Next step is clean it up and get ready for paint.As for the locktite I dont know about that I never had good luck with it.Can never get it apart when i use it.Thanks Frank[:)]
This suggestion may make your blood run cold, but many modelers in the past have resorted to a short break-in of perhaps 10-15 minutes of running with tooth polishing compound (Pearl Drops) in the drive mechanism. Not in the motor, but in the gear tower. The polish will have a fine compound in it that is safe for your tooth enamel, if abrasive, and it should do a good job at low to medium speeds for just a few minutes. Clean it thoroughly afterwards, and then lube it with a good hobby grease…not too much.
Hello Thanks for the tip. I will try it and let you know how it works.My dad may have some of it.Thanks Frank[:)]
Hello Well I got it done.And runs great and it will easly pull 22-25 cars.It was a fun kit to bulid did have some hard spots.But they all worked out ok. The paintjob could have been better its a bit to shinny for me.I went for flatblack and got gloss.Iam gonig to get the detail kit for it and some new decals. Had a bad time with them to.I left all the brass clean.But that may change if I dull the paint.I think was a good starter kit.The next one I bulid I will make the valve gear tighter it seems to losen as you work with it.[:)]Frank
Glad you got it working. The Bowser K4 Pacific was my first locomotive kit 30+ years ago. I really enjoyed building it. As you say, it is a fun kit to build.
Enjoy
Paul
Congratulations![:D][tup]
Those Bowser kits are some pretty nice runners when they’re finished. I always have fun building them.
If you want to dull the paint, a spray can of Testors Dull Cote should work great. It dries perfectly clear, and has a nice finish.
If you do get the detail kit, make sure you get extra drill bits of every size you’ll need, because those little drill bits aren’t hard to break when drilling through metal.
Your kit may be done, but I’m sure you’ll continue to enjoy it.[:D]