# Remotoring old Athearn Hi F units



## Trainable (Aug 27, 2014)

Hi all, I am usually seen on the O gauge boards, but have recently unlimbered my HO stock from the closet. I have a number of old Athearn F7 A units that have the Hi F drive in them. I have them all running and performing fairly well but even at their best, they do not perform up to the "new" units operation. I am a DC guy at prestent but plan on going over to DCC in the near future. What would some of you experienced HO folks choose if you were to remotor those old F units with something that would later on be converted to or be able to have DCC added? Is this too much to ask for? Is it possible without breaking the bank? I have pretty good skills but have not worked a whole bunch with HO lately. I'm thinking about selling, swapping, trading my O gauge inventory for HO. Thanks for any and all information and advice.:thumbsup:


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Here's one source that offers Athearn repowering kits.

Most of the major mfgrs. sell replacement motors.

When you repower be sure to keep in mind the current
draw of the motor you use. It is important that the
STALL current not exceed 1 amp. That is if you will
be upgrading to DCC. 

I just did a remotor using a Maguchi. It's stall current
was appx. .5 amps. It was an exact replacement for
a Mehano motor.

You can offer your 0 gauge gear in the FOR SALE OR TRADE
forum on this site. There is no charge but you must
post a price for each item or group of items. State
your policy on shipping.

Don


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## Trainable (Aug 27, 2014)

Thanks Don for your reply. I am always looking for source material and contacts. I will be moving this year to a different state. I plan on hooking up with the local model train club and holding refurb / repair day once a month for the local kids to help foster interest in the hobby. The experience I gain from doing things like restoring / repairing the older locos and rolling stock will benefit not only me but the community as well. I will definitely be looking into the forum site to swap (which I prefer) or sale of my Other scale items. My wife says I am a trainaholic. I model 3 scales and have had to dismantle all my layouts in prep for our house sale and move. Remotoring will give me something to do while I can't access a layout. It will also enhance the quality of my motive power.
Regards, Roy


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## Mister Bill (Jan 30, 2014)

Do some more homework. 

I re-motored a GP 9, and it is only slightly better than my older fly wheels, and I am $55 lighter. 

And, I don't think those on girls can be made to go DCC, at least with sound.

The engine runs quieter and probably draws less voltage.

Go to Facebook. There is an Athearn buy and sell group. Motors are listed there all of the time. However, be dang sure the motor you are looking at will fit in your F7. Parts vary from engine to engine.

That is my limited experience.

Bill


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

dcc conversion is relatively easy, and straight forward, i have done two, quite some time ago ...they also got newer athearn motors at the same time .. but end result was less than most current loco's .. even the low cost dcc installed bachmann's ... power pickup [and axle bearings] in the metal side frames was sometimes erratic, with normal wear they would often 'chatter', and even with a newer motor and dcc the useable portion of the speed range was pretty small .. the hi f were easily the fasted loco's that i have ever run ... building up the center of the truck driven axle with styrene would slow them down somewhat, but not a great deal ..and pulling power was lower than geared loco's ..even with new bands .. because of slippage on the 1/8" or so motor drives, the best bands i used were dental braces bands... for a while i pulled the bands and ran them as dummy units, and they eventually went to a collector as display queens... i think i still have a few of those driven axle units somewhere, they are very distinctive, and nothing like current models...  after all these were introduced around 1957 or so

edit .. remembered that i used a thin piece of heavy paper under the original motor, and silicone seal on both sides, let it set with screws in, then removed screws to isolate the motor from the frame ..


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## Trainable (Aug 27, 2014)

Mister Bill, Thanks for your suggestion, "Do some more homework." I am continually doing that as these posts are an example of. My philosophy is to never try and re-invent the wheel. I have shared as much information that I possibly could with others who have interest in the experience and knowledge that I have accumulated in my 67+ years, and consider the experience and knowledge of others to be like tools. Just as the carpenter or mechanic listen and "borrow" the experience of others to hone and fine tune their craft, that is what I am attempting to do here. I value everyones input to help bring focus on a very broad subject. I am looking into the Facebook pages as well.
WVGCA you are correct about the age of my F7 units, 1957-1962 vintage. They have been completely overhauled and new bands installed and they run like a thorobred sprinter. I am interested in slowing them down to usable speeds for switching and passenger service, which the majority of them were built for. Thanks again for your experiences and knowledge.


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## ggnlars (Aug 6, 2013)

At one time there were replacement motors with thicker shafts. The drive shaft and the motor was geared, between the two, the speed was reduced. I have seen a few of these motors, usually they have issues. Another option is to replace the whole drive. The Hi F and BB are the same basic shell. There is some differences in the coupler areas. These can be tailored so the drive will hit. A good used drive can be found for a price that is less than a new motor. 

I agree with what has been said about "new" motors. I'm currently doing some tests on various models with motor upgrades. On of the things I want to understand is when and how much benefit is there in the new motor. There seems to be a lot of confusion about new versus old motors. 

What I know at this point is that the Athearn BB motors are on the high current side, so if your replacing one of those, you will see a current draw reduction. Recent vintage motors are focused on running very slow and quiet. This is accomplished at the expense of too speed and max draw bar force. You get quiet shorter trains, but that may be ok.

Good luck,
Larry
www.llxlocomotives.com


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## Trainable (Aug 27, 2014)

GGNLARS, thanks for your insight Larry. I indeed am looking for a slower puller and it doesnt have to be able to pull teeth either. Shorter trains are where I am at the moment. Im thinking about switching and coupling and uncoupling mostly in reference to the "speed". Would like a little finer control.
I like the 1940's throug the 1960's passenger and light freight lines. I am going to rebuild my layout from scratch as soon as I sell my house and get settled in my new "forever" home. I will have the time and interest to devote to the hobby with my wifes blessing. Now that we are retired, I plan on doing a lot of what I like to do. She will be doing her thing as well.
Cheers, Roy


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