Tearing down and cleaning your motive power for better performance

[seusscaboose]

when was the last time you did a complete tear-down of an engine to improve it's performance?  Complete being broadly defined as taking the axles out and cleaning the gears and not just cleaning the wheels for better pick-up. 

I did two tear downs last night (took me about 30 minutes each) and was reminded how I should really do it more often if I want my fleet to run better. 

Talk about an aspect of the hobby I avoid like the plague!

ya gotta vote to see the results

[Ian MacMillan]

Every 92 days...I dont want to get into trouble.

[Packer]

Whenever an engine starts acting like it needs it.

[wm3798]

With decoder installations being somewhat sensitive, I limit my tear-downs to the trucks and wheelsets.  that's where the moving parts are that need the most attention.  Maybe twice a year on any given engine.

Lee

[asciibaron]

Every 92 days...I dont want to get into trouble.

where do you put the blue cards?

[cv_acr]

Every 92 days...I dont want to get into trouble.

where do you put the blue cards?

What a silly question...

A REAL modeller put a scale blue card in the same place as the prototype. 

[FP45Tony]

Sometimes we might joke about this issue, but it is an important step that many modelers neglect.  A few years back I ignorantly assumed that the "cheaper" locomotives, such as Athearn Blue Box units, required complete "porch to porch" mechanical servicing.  That is, until one of my trusty Atlas FP7s (newer version) started to run a bit on the noisy side.  Turns out it needed lubing and the factory grease had dried out. Mechanism needed cleaning too. 

I'm getting ready to install DCC and DCC/Sound in a good number of my units so they will be partially or fully disassembled for a thorough inspection, cleaning and lubing with Labelle products.

[nscalemike]

Considering that I my oldest power is 10+ years old and I only occasionally clean the wheels, this is probably something that I should think about doing.  Is there a tutorial on here about the proper procedure to clean/lube n scale engines?

[TiVoPrince]

January 
every year I dismantle and clean everything.  Lubricate with Labelle or Atlas products.  Clean and polish all electrical contact points with Flitz.  Repair any damage that the year has inflicted.  Replaced any remaining 12v/1.5v lamps with LEDs.  This year everything with decoders got a pass at speed matching before re-entering service.  With a couple of sound decoders now appearing in the fleet speed tables will no doubt change for next year.  Digitrax releasing a IM tunnel motor sound decoder could be a real hit to Mr. Wallet.  Cabooses and other transponding equipped stock gets shopped for cleaning twice a year because they tend to pick up a lot of grunge.

Most years rolling stock is cleaned and tuned up in July, but the stuff that is under the Winter shopping season holiday layout gets cleaned before it is packed up and locommotives get a mid year shopping for good measure...