Need help with Bachmann 2-6-6-2 re-motor

[Kentuckian]

I am doing the motor swap and other improvements to the 2-6-6-2 that Max Magliaro wrote about in The N Scale Steam Locomotive Information Book 2010 Addendum. He recommends using the old motor to determine the amount of the shaft to cut off of the new motor. I destroyed the old motor when removing the flywheels, and have misplaced/thrown away the old armature with shaft.

I am already in debt to N scale steam karma (thanks again Lemosteam) but I will ask anyway:

Will someone measure the stock motor length with flywheels? That is, the total length end to end including the flywheels. This will at least get me close. If you have an old motor from this engine to measure without the flywheels, that would be even better. I can eyeball from the photos if I have to, but I thought I would ask here first. The stock motors are sold out at Bachmann.

[mmagliaro]

If you are really stuck, based on the photos of the motors I included with that article, some of which are taken on a mat board that has an inch ruler along the bottom, the Bachmann length from the end of one motor shaft to the other, looks like 1.125" (28.5mm).  The motor length is about 16mm, hence I used a Mashima 1015 (15mm) to replace it.

The flywheels are pushed nearly all the way onto the new Mashima, all the way down to the motor body, with just a bit of space to avoid rubbing on the motor body.

I'm sorry, but I don't have a 2-6-6-2 or the original motor to measure.

[nickelplate759]

Max - you mention that the flywheels are pushed down nearly to the motor case.  I've thought about doing this on a couple of repowers, but been afraid to because I couldn't figure out how I would lubricate the bearing afterwards.  What are your thoughts on this?

[peteski]

Max - you mention that the flywheels are pushed down nearly to the motor case.  I've thought about doing this on a couple of repowers, but been afraid to because I couldn't figure out how I would lubricate the bearing afterwards.  What are your thoughts on this?

I made my own oil "guns"using very fine hypodermic tube applicators. Some oils already come in a bottle with hypodermic applicators (although none are as fine as the ones I have). Labelle is one such oil.  Those should be fine enough to squirt the oil in the general area. Apply enough to flood the gap between the bearing and flywheel and the oil should get absorbed into the sintered bearing material. Let is sit for an hour and then use an edge of a paper towel or a tissue (or even a piece of paper) wedged into the gap under the flywheel to soak up any remaining oil.

[mmagliaro]

What Peteski said...
Leave enough room between the flywheel and motor so that you can still insert a pinpoint oiler down in there to
get a drop or two on the bearing.

[Kentuckian]

Thanks, Max! I’m planning to man up this weekend and give it a try. I will post my results.

[Kentuckian]

I did get the motor shafts cut to length and the motor installed. The photo of the motors in the Addendum are about life-sized, so that helped.

After some futzing, the drive train is working. I don’t have everything back together yet, but will try to post a video when I do.

Thanks again, Max! We stand on the shoulders of giants.

[mmagliaro]

Good news, sir!

If you need guidance positioning the motor in the cavity (like shimming it), it often helps to measure the current
that your engine draws with an ammeter, and "futz" with the motor position until you get minimum current draw.
The current draw is one absolute thing that does not lie.  Less current always means you have a smoother drivetrain with less friction.