# Bachmann F3 Coupler



## grashley (Aug 27, 2015)

I have a Bachmann F3A which was received with the back coupler knocked off. Looking at the diagram has not been much help. It appears I must remove the truck to get to the coupler pocket?? It appears considerable disassembly is necessary to get the truck loose. I can't believe this process is as difficult as I am making it. Can someone provide the steps to get this done?

I have successfully removed the shell.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Bachman repairs*



grashley said:


> I have a Bachmann F3A which was received with the back coupler knocked off. Looking at the diagram has not been much help. It appears I must remove the truck to get to the coupler pocket?? It appears considerable disassembly is necessary to get the truck loose. I can't believe this process is as difficult as I am making it. Can someone provide the steps to get this done?
> 
> I have successfully removed the shell.


grashley;

I'll admit up front that I don't know the answer to your specific question. In general though, removing a truck isn't that hard. It would help if you could post a photo of the F3a with the shell off. Then we could see which assembly system your loco has. I have a couple questions about it for you. Have you called, or E-mailed Bachman? They have a lifetime warranty on all their locomotives. I have read here though that you have to ship the loco to them(in China) along with $25.00. They will then fix the locomotive or replace it and ship it back to you. I suppose this would not be worth the time, and cost , just for a coupler. Was the coupler a knuckle type coupler,(looks like the real thing) or a Rapido coupler?(looks like a giant square hook)
I have some OLD Bachman F units, but I'm not sure if they are the same construction as your(presumably new) loco.

Hopefully someone who knows more about current production Bachman F units will help you. Meantime I'll take a look at the ones I have and see how the coupler/truck is mounted.

sorry I couldn't be more help; 
Traction Fan


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## spookshow (Jun 5, 2015)

Bachmann doesn't make an F3. Do you mean the F7 or the F9?

F9 has four fans up top (one big, three small) and a steam generator at the back. F7 has five fans (one big, four small) and no steam generator.

Cheers,
-Mark


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*My old Bachman F-unit*



grashley said:


> I have a Bachmann F3A which was received with the back coupler knocked off. Looking at the diagram has not been much help. It appears I must remove the truck to get to the coupler pocket?? It appears considerable disassembly is necessary to get the truck loose. I can't believe this process is as difficult as I am making it. Can someone provide the steps to get this done?
> 
> I have successfully removed the shell.


grashley;

 I went out and pulled one of my Bachman F-units out to see how it comes apart. I don't know if your newer loco has the same setup, or not. You said you got the shell off, good.
Under my unit's shell, I found a split frame chassis, enclosing a five poll motor with a brass flywheel on each end. Mine, being old, has the big, clunky Rapido couplers that look like giant square hooks. Sorry to say, it looks like you will have to disassemble most of the locomotive to replace the truck mounted coupler. A split frame engine holds everything in place with two screws that hold the two halves of the frame together. These screws run through plastic insulators. This keeps the frame halves electrically separate, as each is connected to one of the rails. If both half frames were connected, the loco would short out itself, and any track it was on. On my model, the first step in disassembly would be to remove a tiny Philips screw that holds the fuel tank to the bottom of the loco. 
A hint: work with plenty of light, and with the work table covered with a white terrycloth towel. Many of the parts are tiny and the towel will help keep them from rolling off the table. It also makes it easier to see the tiny parts, against the white background. An Optivisor, or other magnifier, is also very helpful.
Next remove the two Philips screws holding the frame together. With the loco lying on it's side, gently lift of the top frame half. At this point, stuff may fall out. Stop, and take a good look, or better yet a photo, of how things go back together. At this point, you should be able to remove the rear truck, and replace the coupler. Then all you have to do is put the whole thing back together!
If all the preceding sounds too daunting to attempt; there is an alternative. You could forget the truck mounted coupler altogether, and body mount a new coupler. However, if you have tight curves,(9-3/4" radius), the body mounted coupler may push against a truck mounted one and cause a derailment. The up side of body mounting is that you don't have to disassemble the loco at all.

Good Luck;

Traction Fan


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## bachtec (Feb 2, 2016)

bachmann f7 only need take the shell out


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## pmcgurin (Sep 7, 2010)

On the Bachman F unit I have changed out couplers without disassembling anything. I worked the Rapido coupler out of the coupler box and put in a Kato coupler from a kit Kato used to market. The rear coupler is fairly easy to replace, if you have a Rapido or other coupler you want to put in. You would put the coupler into the coupler box sideways, with the coupler opening up and then use a pencil or screwdriver to turn it over with the opening of the coupler to the right side (opening up to the right of the loco as seen from the rear of the loco. If you look at how other loco couplers on other locos have the opening you will understand what I mean. You want to get this right, or the coupler will not mate with other cars following it.

In my case I used Kato couplers because they were easy to do, because they were inexpensive at about $6 for twenty couplers, and I was trying to use the Bachman F7s to pull Kato passenger cars. The Bachmans run more slowly at any power setting. So I could put more power on the track to get the Kato lighted cars to light up more brightly without making a train run at fantastic speeds as they would do if pulled by a Kato loco. I don't use DCC.


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