Below you can see the instructions for greasing my BLI J4 2-8-2, ‘place a small amount in the hole’…
I’m assuming that said hole is beneath the cover, which looks maybe like it comes off…
or maybe not? I’d hate to try and pry it off when it doesn’t come off and break it.
Anyone know?
Jarrell
Sheesh, Jarrell, at least you have instructions with a photograph to “point” you in the general direction. Sorry to note that “there is NO HOLE!” where the arrow points, is there? H-m-m-m-m perhaps the manufacturer wants you to drill a hole?
I won’t even waste the digital electrons to take a photo of the lubrication instructions that came with my 4-6-4 Hudson…after reviewing the parts lists, I realized I was in error in your other post. There are NO instructions for my 4-6-4 on where to lubricate any thing on the engine. So, be careful if you decide to pry off that part/top. It might be worth a call to the party you bought it from. Maybe they will send you a newer engine?..
with holes for greasing/oiling in the proper place?
Jarrell, that’s the same as my 2-8-2 except I see you have a plug for the front light.
That cover just unclips from the gearbox and you will find the worm gear.
That’s the flywheel I said about, hopefully this one won’t have the in-out movement like mine.
Ken.
Look at the bright side, your second loco should have an easier time of it. The idea here is to get grease or oil on all the right points. The pic isn’t clear enough, but it appears to have openings in the side of that gear tower. If you can see the gears inside, you don’t need to take anything off, just lube it from the side. Unless the tower has a seperate top, which it appears to, it looks like you need to be real careful as the gear axle obviously is positioned by the tower sides. Did you look to see if you have a hole on the bottom gear cover under the engine?
Good luck.
Perhaps you should send your query to BLI?
Bob Boudreau
Fellas, I appreciate the help.
John, one would think that they could at least put instructions in the box for your Hudson… one would think.[:(]
Ken, evidently you and I have exactly the same model and yes, the light does have a little plug. You got good eyes, buddy![^]
Virginian, no there aren’t any holes in the side of the box and I don’t see any openings from the bottom side. It must be as Ken says and the lid comes off. I hope.[X-)]
Bob, I think I may do that before disassembling any further. I just wi***he importer/distributors would put model specific instructions in all boxes. My P2K diesel from LL had the best instruction book going! This one has the worst.
Jarrell
All they are wanting you to do is lube the worm gear and you can do that through the hole in the side of the case.
As Bob says give BLI a call, they’ve been very helpful to me when I needed help.
I gave BLI a call and the man said the cover comes off the gear box, put a little pea sized drop of grease in there and run that sucker hard back and forth for a while.
Thanks for the help.
Jarrell
Jarrell,
I wouldn’t put that much grease in there. Use a toothpick and apply just enough to coat the gear teeth. Otherwise, it will sling the excess off. Have you experienced any jerking with this model. As I told you awhile back, both NZRMac and I have had a heck of a problem with this. I sent mine back to BLI for repair and after they had replaced most everything including the electronics, it still jerked…just not as bad.
REX
Jarrell, got the email, glad to help. I’ve just pulled the top off the Class J 4-8-4 to check the gearbox, it’s exactly the same as my 2-8-2 just longer.
Same geartower, I’ve given it a good lube and ran it in reverse for and hour, she’s much quieter now.
Ken.
My heavy Mikes were the same way. The instructions say to lube through the hole.
I just popped the little cover off and applied the grease directly to the work and gear. It’s easier to do that than try to push grease through a little hole, anyway.
Maybe someday BLI will reprint a corrected version of their instructions.
Jarrell,
I don’t have one of your engines, but the second picture tells all. BLI did not punch a hole in the top cover. It is easy enough to remove with a small screwdriver. The shiny spot on the side is the axle for the idler gear in the gear tower that the worm gear engages. You should use a light lubricant on the ends of this shaft since grease on the gears will do you no good there. The written instructions tell you to use a “light plastic compatible oil” for the wheel axles, drive rods and piston rods. I recommend automatic transmission fluid. It won’t gum up as oil will and is compatible with plastic, metals, and won’t conduct electricity. I use it in place of grease, since once grease is squished out from between the gears, it never gets hot enough to flow back where it is needed. Enough of the transmission fluid will stay on the gear surfaces to adequately lubricate them. Use a needle oiler to put a tiny drop where needed.
Is that worm gear an integral part of the flywheel??? No wonder you guys have trouble with it jerking! That has to be a bear to machine, and to keep straight. Otherwise, the mechanism looks very easy to maintain. Enjoy your new engine!
Mark C.
Mark, Yes the flywheel/ worm gear are one, the problem I found was end movement within the motor/flywheel/gearbox, especially in reverse. The Class J has a fraction of an inch movement compared to the 2-8-2.
Ken.
The screw-like thingy on the end of the motor shaft is called a worm. It’s a common error to call it a worm gear, but in this case what Mark C. called an idler gear is actually the worm gear - that’s the gear that engages the worm. There is no idler gear in this assembly - an idler gear simply transfers motion from one gear to the next, through a single ring of teeth. This transmission carries power from the worm to the worm gear to the driving axle.
Also, grease does not generally function by “melting” and flowing back over gears - nearly all grease is composed of relatively long-chain molecules that pull the grease into the gears as they mesh. So it alternately squishes out and is pulled back in. That way the gears remain coated with a thin layer of grease. If the stuff is supposed to flow, then it’s generally classified as an oil.