Re-Motoring & Offset Worm Shafts

[tehachapifan]

So.....I would like to re-motor my N scale Trix H12-44 and have seen some old threads, etc., where people say they've re-motored them with the LL SW motor, stating they're almost a perfect fit in the Trix chassis. Well, it is indeed close...all except for the worm shaft in the LL motor being offset significantly. The shaft is much longer on one side of the LL motor but is even on the Trix motor. The overall shaft length end to end appears correct, however, so it's not a matter of just shortening one side. I can't imagine attempting to push or drive the worm shaft through the motor is good for the motor, if you can even do that, but I'm not sure how else anyone would've made this work. Ideas? It might, MIGHT, be possible to adjust the worm on the short side so it's barely hanging onto the shaft, but this may be, well, a bit of stretch.

[peteski]

Russ,
I'm confused by your terminology.  The shafts which come out of the motor (on one or both sides) are motor shafts. Even if there is a worm fit on their ends.  If worms are separate from the motor then the worms themselves have worm shafts.  In that design there is some sort of coupling between the motor and worm shafts.

If you are talking about the motor shaft then as you suspect, you can't push it to force it through the motor (to protrude more from the opposite end of the motor).  That would ruin the motor. But any of the shafts can be cut off if needed. They are rather hard steel but you can cut them with a Dremel tool and cutoff wheel.  Extending a motor shaft can be done too but it is trickier. Usually you find the same diameter rod and splice it to the motor shaft using a piece of tubing which has its inside diameter close to the shaft diameter.  Then use a thread-locking compound or epoxy to glue everything together.   But unless everything is aligned properly, the shaft extension won't run true.

[Chris333]

I put a LL SW motor in a Shortened Arnold S2 chassis. Don't know if that helps, but you want the worms centered over the worm gears.

[tehachapifan]

Thanks for the replies and tips! Yes, I meant motor shafts. Nice install in the Arnold model!