I have a Bachmann Santa Fe f7 dcc sound value engine. I am trying to lubricate the motor bearing because it is making a Nast winding sound. I took the shell off but I don't see any access to the motor. What else needs to be removed to have access for oiling ? Do I really have to remove the circuit board ? Do I have to remove the wheel carriages ?
You asking about the drive shafts or the brushes?
Not sure ... All I know is it needs to be maintenanced .... I picked up some oil I just don't know where to apply it
Vizzin72,
Click Here (https://youtu.be/OtW8Gx_WxL4?t=5m52s) to view a segment of a Bachmann video.
Wow that was definitely helpful thank you. According to this I will have to remove the decoder circuit board to access the motor bearing. I will just be careful I suppose.
Quote from: Vizzin72 on December 26, 2015, 07:44:15 PM
Not sure ... All I know is it needs to be maintenanced .... I picked up some oil I just don't know where to apply it
So you were looking to lube it, but have no idea where or with what?
Quote from: Vizzin72 on December 26, 2015, 11:08:39 PM
Wow that was definitely helpful thank you. According to this I will have to remove the decoder circuit board to access the motor bearing. I will just be careful I suppose.
Yes, the screws, as you can probably see are real tiny. Once you remove the board you should see the silver metal shaft fore and after of the motor housing. What lube did you pick up? Bc those shafts are just one place to lube. And there is oil and there is grease. There is also the worm gears and motor brushes to lube. The gears take grease with Teflon (PFTE) and the motor brushes take Conducta Lube. I had to remove the board from an S4 to do the same thing. I thought noise was coming from lack of lube in the usual places but it was the motor brushes and the Conducta Lube cured it like homemade chicken soup cures a common cold.
I got the screws off no problem. Took the decoder off to the side. I saw the silver shaft and I was able to place some lube on it (to answer your question I went to a specialty shop and the guy told me the particular product was good for gears or for the shaft) I was able to see one small gear through each wheel carriage, I lubed them. Problem persists. I don't see any way of accessing anything else on this engine, it blows my mind that they don't have all the places of maintenance easily. I'm just gonna send it to the repair department and tell them to fix it. I however can't stand not being able to work on my own stuff wether it's cars or small engine etc. disappointing for the price of the engine. The motor bushings that you spoke of seem to be buried deep to the point where you basically have to take the motor out.
Quote from: Vizzin72 on December 27, 2015, 04:40:37 PM
I saw the silver shaft and I was able to place some lube on it (to answer your question I went to a specialty shop and the guy told me the particular product was good for gears or for the shaft)
Sounds like you got one product, likely oil. I prefer grease for gears so it does not get flung/slung around. Getting the screws off is usually not problem, keeping them from dropping into the chassis can be ;).
Quote from: Vizzin72 on December 27, 2015, 04:40:37 PM
Problem persists. I don't see any way of accessing anything else on this engine...The motor bushings that you spoke of seem to be buried deep to the point where you basically have to take the motor out.
Just like had been with my S4, that is until I lubed the
brushes, not bushings. The diagram of your loco looks an awwwwful lot like the motor design in my S4. You don't have to take any more apart. Just look for a couple of "slots" in the black plastic housing of the motor. On the top, you will see the metal "cap" which is the top brush of the motor. There should be a wire connecting to it as well to help identify it as the brush cap. The slots is where you want to put a drop of 2 of Conducta Lube (not the stuff you just bought, it is not the same).
I ended up sending the engine in to Bachmann
Did you bother to first try the Conducta Lube where I suggested?
I did not .... Did not want to fiddle with the engine considering it was new and expensive if rather have the pros take a look at it. I think lubricating a gear is one thing but past that I think it should be sent in.
Nothing to "fiddle" with bro, you had access to where to put the Conducta Lube once you took the light board off. A lot less work than sending it in. I had told you mine was brand new too and that was the noise cure. Just cause something is "new" doesn't mean it hasn't had some minor ill effect from sitting in it's box, that is easily cured. It was worth the try. Would have put the $$ toward the Conducta Lube, it is useful and good stuff to have, if not for this time around, but for the future, spending it there first, before spending it on the cost of shipping.
When it comes back I'm gonna open it up and take a picture of it I will post it and maybe if I can verify the slot you were talking about in the future I'll give it a shot. I'm just the type of if I don't know what I'm doing I don't do it ... Know what I mean ... I'm always up for learning but I wasn't seeing what you were talking about
I actually didn't have to pay for shipping, the dealer I bought it from paid for it, but I may go down there to see if they can show me how to do it right. Their office is only 15 minutes from my house.
I had looked up the parts diagram on what you said you had, when I gave direction, going to the Parts section on this forum's Home page.
Did I miss you asking me for further help on finding where I was referring to?
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/HO_F7-A_Sound.pdf
Quote from: Vizzin72 on January 01, 2016, 11:24:45 PM
When it comes back I'm gonna open it up and ...give it a shot. I'm just the type of if I don't know what I'm doing I don't do it ... Know what I mean
No, I don't to be honest, bc what was I was suggesting was not rocket science and easy to do. Certainly a guy with your talents, knowing how to employ SPDT Momentary toggle switches and latching relays, is capable of putting a little Conducta Lube on some motor brushes.
It is ok, you will reach a point in time where you understand it is better to be able to fix things yourself rather than to rely on others to fix things that are not that complex.
I hear you .... I have reached that point in life I work on all of my own stuff. For example I replace and change the disk and drum breaks on my car because I understand it but I don't replace sensitive motor parts .... For the switches and relays, I am an engineer so I understand that stuff, but the librication stuff we are talking about here although not rocket science .... I know that if I go ahead and spill oil on the wrong place or misinterpret the drawing that Bachmann is not going to honor my warranty .... And I bought the engine for my son and he is a little kid so if his brand new Santa Fe is useless guess what daddy is out over 100 bucks ... Know what I mean .... Eventually I will understand the lube points as you do I'm sure you had to learn all this stuff as well
Quote from: Vizzin72 on January 01, 2016, 11:47:28 PM
I replace and change the disk and drum breaks on my car
While I do change my own oil and replace other things on vehicles, one thing I have always stayed away from is messing with my own brakes. Why? Bc if I screw that up, the car might not stop :D I give you credit, I have run across engineer types, who couldn't start a lawnmower, LOL.
But, getting a little lube somewhere it does not belong is easily solved by cleaning it up/off, and that certainly would not invalidate your warranty. Of all things, Bachmann's Warranty is renowned for being excellent. :)
Not sure what there is to possibly misinterpret from the diagram and my description. "Black plastic end of the motor housing with slots in it and cap on top", don't know how much more descriptive I can be. ??? Did you even read what I had suggested and then looked? You had said on your other thread you "missed" me describing that. Seems more you just did not want to bother dealing with it any longer, you gave it your one (lube) shot and that was it.
Be sure to let us know what comes of this in the end.
Getting late for me, night night.
Got my train back today. They didn't say what was wrong with it but they replaced the chassis
Interesting. Did they say why they did?
All it said is they replaced the chassis ... No other explanation. When I had called them initially they didn't patch me through to a service technician .... I'm pretty happy it works great it's a great engine my son loves it .... I'm just gonna figure it had a bad motor boom that's it
So, they replaced the chassis and the motor?
It just said chassis but I am assuming the chassis come off the production line with the motor installed so I really don't know for sure
Quote from: Vizzin72 on January 12, 2016, 10:08:48 AM
I am assuming the chassis come off the production line with the motor installed...
On that, I would assume it does not since the motor is a separate component from the manufactured, one piece metal chassis and would imagine further down the production line, the motor gets screwed to the chassis..
So yeah it's confusing then ... How would the chassis have anything to do with a humming sound ?
It wouldn't as far as I know, hence my line of questions. ;)