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In my experience warm water and soaps/dishwashing detergents just don't cut it. It is sufficient for cleaning the loco's shell, but a stronger degreaser is needed for the mechanical parts. Since all those part are made from pretty robust (unaffected by mild solvents) plastic or metal, my preferred degreaser is Naphtha. I get is in a gallon size can from the hardware store (called VM&P Naphtha), but Ronsonol lighter fluid is the same stuff (but much more expensive). As an alternate degreaser I use 99% IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol, also in gallon cans from hardware store). (91% Rubbing alcohol also works, but I prefer the stronger solution.Of course the standard warning to be careful around these is in order. Both are flammable liquids, but are the best for the job.Grease in the open-frame motor (like Atlas or Kato) can cause problems. If I have a problematic motor, I just dunk it in my ultrasonic cleaner filled with Naphtha. That does a great job or removing the oil, grease and powdered brush material. Naphtha will not cause any rusting of the armature. I then use compressed air to blow all the remaining solvent out of the motor and let is sit for couple of hours to make sure all the solvent evaporates. Actually I sometimes cheat and put the motor in a food dehydrator (I use in my hobbies) to speed up the drying process. Next I make sure to sparingly oil both bearings as the cleaning process removed the oil in them.After this cleaning/lubrication the motor is like new.
Contact cleaner is better than just soap/water. Just make sure to really give the commutator area a good spritz (from both sides of the motor). Then rotate the armature slightly and do it again (few more times).The model is new, so the commutator lots are probably not full of brush dust (which is one of the main reasons for motors misbahaving), but the motor might have an open winding which cleaning will not fix.
Really dumb question. Take the brushes out before spraying?
FWIW, I'm smelling good old dc electric motor stink on this chassis from hell. Gotta get up close, but reminds me of the old CTA smell when I was a kid! 😆
I love the smell of ozone in the morning! DFF
Dammit, every time I see this subject line in the "recent posts" section, I immediately think:"You can't ever use too much lube."...and then I remember we're talking about model trains.
The smell of ozone remark takes me back to the days of my youth when my dad would take me to the Burlington Junior which was an O Scale outside 3rd rail layout in the basement of a funeral parlor in Cicero, Illinois. The owner had a son-in-law who was a Q mechanical department official who would get him drawings of the latest equipment on the railroad. He would scratchbuild models from flattened tin cans and they were powered by K&D motors the size of ones used in mixmasters. The trains ran in two speeds…on and off…and they sparks from the third rail shoes and motors, generated clouds of ozone. The other smell that brings me back is the smell of American Flyer smoke….but smelling ozone and seeing smoke around N Scale is a sign of motor or decoder problems!!Charlie Vlk
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Topic: Is This Too Much Lube? (Read 2905 times)
