R2702 Motor Slow & Hot To The Touch

[9M-MBF]

Hi,

I have the Hornby HST R2702, and I fitted DCC decoders to both power cars.

When I first got it it was quite the speedster.

A few months ago it started running very slowly despite full throttle. I inspected the mechanisms and the motor - no obvious cause of jam, and I had oiled the axles as per the instruction manual, to no effect. So I replaced the motor with new - I did it myself.

There has been no change to the slow performance, and I notice that after about 40 minutes of running the metal chassis is hot to the touch - so hot in fact that I couldn't touch the motor itself beyond a second or two. I don't remember this with the previous motor  (it's possible it was running just as hot with the older motor - I can't be sure).

Any pointers? The slow running annoys me no end. I also have the R3138 HST, which runs noticeably faster, though still hot to the touch (not sure if it's as hot as the problematic R2702 as I hadn't opened up the body).

Thanks in advance.

[2e0dtoeric]

You are on the way to destroying those motors, and I'm surprised that the decoders haven't gone phut!

There is no way they should be that hot.

Take the 'lids' off again, remove the motor, and check that there is nothing causing the power bogies to jam, or be very stiff.  Maybe they have picked up a load of fluff or muck, and the gears have gone very tight.

What oil did you use? If it was 3 in 1 or WD 40, you could have partially dissolved the plastics!

Did you lube the motor bearings?

See if the motor spins freely when you apply volts, but BEFORE you put it back into the chassis.

Check if the drive wheels will turn before you re-fit the motor.

What controller are you using?

 

[9M-MBF]

You are on the way to destroying those motors, and I'm surprised that the decoders haven't gone phut!

There is no way they should be that hot.

Take the 'lids' off again, remove the motor, and check that there is nothing causing the power bogies to jam, or be very stiff.  Maybe they have picked up a load of fluff or muck, and the gears have gone very tight.

What oil did you use? If it was 3 in 1 or WD 40, you could have partially dissolved the plastics!

Did you lube the motor bearings?

See if the motor spins freely when you apply volts, but BEFORE you put it back into the chassis.

Check if the drive wheels will turn before you re-fit the motor.

What controller are you using?

 

Hi Eric,

 

Thanks for the response.I had that inkling too which is why I have since stopped using the loco pending any possible corrective steps.In so far as I could tell there was no obvious cause for jam - rotating the mechanism using the fingers seem to suggest it is moving relatively freely.I used model railway-specific oil I picked off Peters Spares.How do I go about lubricating the motor bearings? Strangely enough there is no mention of this in the instruction / maintenance manual, and in any case like I said the new motor I fitted in didn't seem to make any difference.I will try and see if the motor can spin free on its own with power applied, and accordingly check the drive wheels.I am using Hornby's railmaster...

[2e0dtoeric]

The motor bearings - where the armature shaft protrudes through the casing at each end of the 'can', is a yellowish metal disk (usually phosphor-bronze) that the shaft spins in. That is the bearing!

A TINY drop of oil on each one will suffice. Remember the rule of thumb - if you can see the oil you added, that's too much!

[ff2nd]

Ignore the motor for a second. Go to the other ends of the driveshafts, where they go into the top of the bogie. Remove the top, and lift up the brass worm and bearings inside. The grease may well have gone solid and green. Clean them up, oil them when you fit them back, and re-fit the covers. Then run it. It should run a lot better after that.

[2e0dtoeric]

@ff - which is why I wrote - Check if the drive wheels will turn before you re-fit the motor.