Install a decoder in a STANDARD Bachmann FT

[hotrainlover]

I have a HO scale Standard Bachmann FT unit.  It has a SOLID chassis that I think picks up power from one rail.  The power for the other rail is from the trucks.  Has anyone put a decoder in these.  The engine is from the Challenger set #00621.

[ABC]

Why wouldn't you just buy the DCC equipped FT-A/B, if you were planning on going the DCC route, because you can get a DCC FT-A for the same price as a DC FT-A. But, if it is a split frame then I wouldn't bother.

[hotrainlover]

I have already installed decoders in all of my units.  This unit is from my son's set he was given as a Christmas gift years ago......   I want him to be able to run his Loco on my current system.  It WILL run on my EZ-Command system...  I am just afraid he will leave it on the rails and burn out the engine.  He already did it to one...
I can not find any installation instructions for this unit. 

[ABC]

I have already installed decoders in all of my units....I can not find any installation instructions for this unit.

How many had an 8-pin plug and how many did you hard wire (not use an 8 or 9 pin plug)?

Here is a diagram of your loco: http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/11702.pdf
Is the die-cast chassis 1 piece or can it be split or is it insulated in the middle?

[rockymidlandrr]

Installing a decoder into one of these units isnt really that bad. 

White-headlight
Blue(common)-goes to the other wire n the headlight
Red-Right rail pickup
Black-left rail pickup
Yellow-not used
Orange-goes to the wire mount on top of the motor.
Grey-goes to the wire mount on the bottom of the unit (the one with a pressure pin the is in contact with the frame.

Good way to isolate the motor is by using black tape for this, put a strip down where the contact strip is supposed to be touching the frame and just above the left side of each truck there is another one, and put a black piece on the bottom of the frame (if your worried it wont hold then you can glue it.  Run a new wire down to those contact strips above the trucks and solder them to it (if you cant do that a good squeeze with a set of pliers with the wire looped a few times around it will work just fine too, as I have done both of these with no problems with either method)

When the above is done, just connect the wires as I have stated at the top, test it, and have fun!

[hotrainlover]

It is a single die-cast piece.  I have hard wired many decoders into units.  It just puzzles me from having not having seen a unit with 1 chassis before.   I have NOT taken the motor out, and see only 1 wire from each truck coming up to the head light/top motor connection.  This tells me that the unit must use the die-cast piece as a pickup connection, somewhere.

Thanks for the help.  I will tear her apart and look for those contact strips.

[rockymidlandrr]

Yep, that is something that is not really new at all, to have a single diecast frame.  By using it also to carry electricity to the motor too is nothing new either. 

Those contact strips are going to be on the bottow of the frame and above the wheels, and they contact the bottom of the frame.

After you have hard-wired a handful of units, it will def make you appreciate that 8 pin plug or DCC equiped units.

[hotrainlover]

The only other single piece frames I have put decoders in is Athearn.

I will look more into this install this coming weekend.
Thanks for the help!!