Warranty time on BLI and where to get tools for small nuts?

Trains.com General Discussion (Trains.com)
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Where do I get sockets for the small nuts that hold the side rods on steam engines? One of my GS-4 took the leap of death and bent the axles so the flagnes are out of line. Bought new drive wheels from Bachmann but the problem, no sockets that will unbolt the valve gear from the drivers!

Now the BLI question, my new M1a must have blew the center drive gear. Yes it will run but makes a clicking sound like a PK2 with a cracked gear. I have had the M1a for 2 weeks max and is under warrtany. (when I first heared the clicking going backwards a fellow M1a owner said it was lack of lub, not now) What do you think the turn around time would be?

If I can buy the center gear I would rather fix my self, better to spend say $15.00 for part’s than have the engine gone for 2 months with me holding my Tender in my hand.

But if I can get the part, where do I get a tool set for the small nuts?

At this point I am wondering if BLI is all it is cracked up to be? My first BLI Class J stripped out what I am guessing was the worm gear on the Arm after 2 hours with traction wheels that came on the engine. Came from K-10 trains and the replacment has worked fine for 60 hours of track time. Next was the Hudson, works great and draging some hoppers as I miss spell. Now the M1a, hum broke down. Plus I now have BLI Monon USRA Heavy 2-8-2, wondering if it wil hold up now?

Thanks for the answers that are coming and I really want some tools.

Broken again Cuda Ken

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Anyone?

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Ken, I don’t know about the GS-4’s, but my ATSF 2-10-2’s came with a tool just for that purpose. Call BLI, select Technical assistance and ask Bob Armatage if they will fit your GS-4. Maybe he’ll send you one if they do.

Dick

Texas Chief

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Dick, you kind of lost me. Your 2-10-2 came with a scoket? Both my Class J and Hudson came with traction wheels but there was no socket. Bob is sending me a center drive gear so I can fix my 1Ma my self, he all so thinks it is the center gear that cracked. Guess I call him back and hit him up for socket.

Cuda Ken

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Sorry Ken, I kind of mislead you there. The 2-10-2 didn’t come with a socket, it came with a very small box end wrench to fit the bolts on the side rods. My new P2K 2-8-8-2 came with a socket for thier siderod bolts and it fits the BLI 2-10-2 bolts also. Of all the small wrench sets that I have, none of them will fit the BLI siderods. They’re either too small or too large.

Dick

Texas Chief