I recently obtained a Proto 2000 PA unit and right out of the box it is really noisy, I removed the body off the base and the weight and circuit board almost completely cover the drive train. I can lube the front worm gear but can not reach the rear worm gear to lube it.
I need advice as to how to lube the rear gears of a PA unit, the circuit board prohibits reaching the rear gears. There are three screws fastening the board to the body, is it advisable to take the board off or is there some other way to reach the gears.
Don, I suspect that if there is a lot of noise, the problem is something more than just lubrication. My PAs run quietly. I would look for something interfering with the mechanism. It’s easier to check this out if you remove the big weight, which does require removing the circuit board.
To lube the engine, the easiest option is to work from the bottom, one truck at a time. Each truck has a center plate running its length. The side frames have extensions that snap over the ends of this plate. Gently pull those extensions off the pins on the center plate, so you can lift the center plate straight off. (I use tweezers to do this.) Once the center plate is off, the side frames are free to slide out to the sides, giving you access to the wheels and gears. You can now lube the truck (grease on the gears), and the operation of the engine will transfer that grease up to the worm and worm gear. I generally also put a drop of conducta-lube at each axle hole on the sideframes when I reassemble the trucks. This is also a good time to clean the axle ends and wheels, and to double-check the wheel spacing with a NMRA gauge. The truck reassembles by putting back the side frames, holding them together with one hand, and dropping in center plate back in to lock it together. Then you can use tweezers to move the end clips on the side frames back over the pins on the center plate.
If you want to do more, there is enough space to lube the front truck’s worm and gear from above. A drop of oil at each of the end bearings, plus a minimal amount of grease on the worm, will do it. Too much grease, and it will spray from the uncovered top. If you want more access, you have to first remove the center weight (2 screws from the top 1/2-inch back from where it starts, and 2 screws at the back under the circuit board). You can then remove the plastic cab and headlight assembly (2 more screws).
Going in from the bottom is exactly what I had to with my P2K PA. It took me a few minutes to reason out how to do it, after that, it was a snap. On the rear circuit board. On mine, the wires are soldered on.
Don, I have yet to have a PA but I would think there are bulit like my E-6’s. One was making a racket and it was from the rear truck. I was able to use a needle nose oiler and get a few drops from the top on to the brass gear and it worked its way into the gears. A tooth pick or small screw driver should work as well. Also oil the armater as well doing it the same way.
Took care of my problem and I lubed the heck out of the trucks.
How do I remove the circuit board, by undoing the screws holding it to the frame? Is there some trick I should know? I am very hesitant to even touch the cuircuit board in case any wires become loose and need to be reconnected.
The noise does seem to originate from the rear, and the noise certainly is louder if the engine is run in reverse than if run in the forward direction, something in the drivetrain for sure…
Don, just take a good PIC of the board so you get the wires hooked back up right. I was afraid to touch mine as well. I have only been doing this for 6 months. Heck I was afraid at first to tear into a Athearn Blue Box engine that is now simple to be.
Have a clean area with a boder of some sorts to keep small parts from hitting the floor. Little clips that hold the wires to the board and trucks can be hard to see. They just smipley slide off the of the boards or the trucks where they pick up power.
Heck if I can do it I know you can! Just make sure you have some good PIC of the wiring before you have at it.
On my E-6’s some of the screws can be hard to see, but with some looking I did find them all, then off it came. Wires did have suffcent slack that I was able to get to what I needed to. Second time I had to unhook the board but was not a big problem, if eye sight was better it would have been easy, that and smaller finguers.[8D]
Jump on in, water is fine. If you happen to get over your head there is a great support group here as well.
Don, I’m looking at the inside of my PA right now. On the circuit board are 9 wires. 2 on the left and 7 on the right. I’m going down each side front to back.
On the left side: 1=red 2=black
On the right side: 1=black 2=red x2 3=yellow 4=black 5=red 6=white 7=blue