Motor Lube Quest

[MarkInLA]

Hi, I may have asked this before but not sure:  A very gifted modeler I know said that the motor bearings need not be lubed, only the axles and running gear (rods , crosshead, guides, crank, etc.. Is this correct ? I'd love to hear "yes" as I always have problems trying to remove shells and wind up skipping this out of fear I'll snap something.. 3 Bach HO;  2-8-0, 2-6-0, RS3 ....Mark   

[Doneldon]

Mark-

The motor bearings of modern can motors don't usually need lubrication. However, it is a good idea to inspect them and add lubricant if there is evidence of wear. I wouldn't embark on a special journey into the loco to do this; you can probably wait until you have the loco open for another reason.
                                                                                                                                                                                              -- D

[Hunt]

Some folks use way too much lubrication for those folks;  they must stay away from motor when lubricating.

Click Here to view Bachmann video about lubricating HO scale locomotives. There are other Bachmann videos for other scales

[GG1onFordsDTandI]

My Grandfather never ran an oily train on "lube night". They sat overnight on a cloth diaper allowing gravity to do its work rather than letting centrifugal force make a mess  . There were plenty more to run 

[James in FL]

Your "very gifted modeler" friend would do well to educate himself.

[K487]

Well, here's my 2 cents:

Four years ago I got rid of all my Athearn HO locos and purchased all Bachmann - GPs, SD40-2s, plus heavy mountains and 2-8-4s.  I first lightly test run them (to see if I need to return any - almost always not) then disassemble them and lube them - especially on the motor bearings and gear tower bearings - with Labelle 107. 

Why do I do this?  When I run these engines, or the motors by them selves, on the bench without load, without keeping records I'd say that 7 to 8 motors out of 10 needed the oil.  How can I tell?  After applying the oil, and before 30 seconds are up, the pitch of the running motor goes up (i.e. it starts to run faster).  Usually they do so in uneven steps (up/down,up/down), both when run forward and in reverse, and then they smooth out at a higher pitch.  Takes about one minute.  I then run them in by puting them on the head end of trains.

Also, as posted elsewhere, for me the Bachmann diesels start acting "funny" at about 45 hours of run time (maybe I work them too hard - I don't think so - but usually two GPs or 2 SD40-s pull 60- to 70- car trains).  "Funny" means making some not-very-loud growly noise, and/or after stopping  jerking forward vs. normal smooth starting.  Nine times out of ten a small drop of oil on the motor bearings fixes this, and if not I add a small drop to each of the two worm gears' bearings.  Except for maybe some minor gear growl, quietness and smoothness reign again.

As info, I also add a VERY small drop of Labelle 107 on the commutator plates while the motor is running slow, and then run the motor fast forward and then reverse.  I think it helps but if you ask me exactly how, I can't tell you.  But I can tell you that Labelle actually recommends their 107 for this exact purpose (in addition to bearings).

Hope this is helpful.

K487

[MarkInLA]

Thanks to all for the advice. My biggest problem is removing shells of HO 2-8-0 and 2-6-0. I mix up which screws under cabs (front is the screw above the pilot truck into smoke box [I think]. If past this then shell is still tight and am afraid of breaking something. What else needs to come off; grab irons or smoke box support rods (diagonals from box to pilot). Is there a detailed video of this ? The exploded schematic  that comes with them is not clear. Screws parts are there but it'd be nice if these pics pointed out exactly which screws need be undone for lubing. The gearbox plate on bottom scares me when the wipers start coming out, too.