I just picked up a very nice Z to use with the Christmas layout, but as could be expected for a 60-70 year old transformer, it needs a new cord.
For the life of me, however, I can’t figure out how to get into it to put a new cord on it. The service manual seems to show that name plate needs to come off, and that the handles should just pull off.
I can’t seem to get the handles to budge, though.
I know that we have some Z aficionados around here, could anyone point me in the right direction?
Glad you asked, I had to do this last year to mine. Firt you have to get the knobs off, take a screwdriver and slide it under the knob, you may have to use 2 [1 on each side of knob] and slowly twist to help raise knob. If you can have a helper pull up on knob while you wiggle screwdriver, don’t use major force!!!
Next remove the 4 screws that hold the metal plate to the housing, thet could be like super small nuts to, I had to use pliers to get mine off. Whatever holds that plate on[screws or nuts] use a compatable tool to remove them.
Next there are 2 screws that hold the top half cover onto transformer, self explainatory here and the top will lift off with no problem.
Then just find where the cord goes from there and they will be soldered to wherevere they are soldered. Heat the connection and remove the cord.
Putting it back together is just the opposite of disassambly, dduuuhhhhhhhh! Don’t forget to tie a knot in the new cord. If I left something out, Im sure someone will chime in.
I used a more heavy duty cord instead of like standard lamp cord, ie. appliance type cord thats twice as think as lamp cord. Good Luck
If you pry the knobs with screwdrivers, be sure to put something over the aluminum faceplate to protect it.
If you should want to put in a grounded cord, you need to know that the frame inside the box is not connected to the common, U terminal, but to a point 6-volts different in the transformer secondary windings. I would connect the green equipment-ground wire, if used, to U.
I am not an EE I don’t even play one on TV, but I don’t think connecting earth ground to your U post is a good idea. Anything that has a UL label has been designed to make sure that you are well isolated from earth ground. This has popped up in many TMCC discussions with the advice to avoid connecting any part of your layout to ground.
Thanks again for all the help. I finally managed to get everything put back together as it should have been, aside from one of the accesory knob handles which points to 25V when it’s off.
I just went with a two prong cord. Since I also use TMCC, I’d prefer to avoid any possibility of interferance.
Now, I just need to get some replacement lamp lenses and maybe a replacement handle(one had a big chip missing before I started working).
Check the books on this one. I think the earliest V and Z transformers used red and green bulbs rather than lenses. I have a V (with a chrome-plated brass plate) that doesn’t accept any lenses I can find. By the way, if you have a set of miniature nut drivers they work wonders on the panel nuts. Also work for the nameplate screws on some of the 2500 series passenger cars.
The purpose of the equipment ground is to insure that the exposed conducting parts of the equipment are at ground potential, and to cause any fault that would otherwise raise them to a dangerous voltage relative to ground to blow a fuse or trip a circuit breaker. Grounding the U terminal thus makes it unlikely that you will get a shock from touching your track. If the 60-year-old insulation inside your transformer doesn’t fail, this is not a problem.
Very many appliances with UL labels do have equipment-ground wires in their cords. These wires are always connected to their frames or cases. If you have a UL appliance with a three-pin plug that is well isolated from ground, you need to get it fixed–it’s not supposed to be.
I have never seen a UL label on a Z transformer.
I was not intending to advise Ben to use a three-wire cord, but wanted to be sure he didn’t connect the green wire to the wrong place if he did use one. If grounding the track keeps your TMCC from working, you don’t have to do it.
This is all good info but still think I’ll send mine out as it has other problems too like the right side isn’t working . I’m told it may be the rollers.