# Problem with engine stopping after 2 mins



## Chattman (Jan 29, 2012)

When cold, this engine runs fine for 2 minutes then it slows and stops and won't run again until it sits over night. I oiled it with 1 drop of oil where it says on the motor to put the oil. This problem started shortly after I used the oil. Did I over do it? Is this motor shot now? 3 n 1 oil on a Tyco 0-8-0 Chattanooga. New guy needs a lil help....thx


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Welcome...

TYCOs didn't make a very good motor, some of us remotor them with motors from CD ROMs...


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## Chattman (Jan 29, 2012)

It's a shame they didn't do a better job on them. The 2-8-0 is a nice looking engine. Anyhow, i'm up for a remotor if it needs it. Your pic shows a nice fit w/o a lot of fab work??? Any tips on what type or brand of motor?
Update on the 0-8-0. I tried her again this am and


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## Chattman (Jan 29, 2012)

and things got worse. It moved around the track very slowly and smoked really bad. I'm thinking that the excess oil is burning off. It ran for longer than 2 mins this time but even at wot she just barely crept along. I have a multimeter. Can anyone tell me how to check if the motor is fried????


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## Nolackofwanna (Mar 10, 2011)

Hi 
The multimeter won't tell you very much without taking the motor apart, what seems to have happened is that the commutator/brushes may have gotten contaminated with excess oil during your lube session. The old carbon residue and oil turns into this semi conductive guk on the commutator of the Armature, the brushes accumulate this stuff on their contact faces and motor operation stops...or in your case a bit of smoke and very poor operation. So...you'll have to open up the motor to manually clean the commutator on the Armature and the brush faces and end bell area. If you have electronic contact cleaner and a Q-tip, you will get it clean, after that scrape the brush faces lightly and evenly with an exacto knife, you'll have to be carefull as most motors have the brushes attached to a set of spring contact arms that provide the brush pressure against the comm, these can't be distorted!! Other motors may have the brushes in "holders" backed by a pressure spring. Once you've cleaned the brushes clean the commutator, if you have a fine grade abrasive stick used for contact cleaning (Ideal makes them ) burnish the commutator, (a rubber eraser for ink will also work) use the tip of the exacto to clean the grooves between the commutator segments , rinse with contact cleaner. Check continuity between the commutator segments with your multimeter you should have a pretty low reading (single digit). If thats good read from each commutator segment to the armature "Iron" thats the laminations that the armature is made of...you should have infinity. Re-assemble ensuring you have good brush pressure, attach the multimeter to the motor terminals , you should see a reading 
that will fluctuate as you turn the armature and will vary considerably between double digit and single digit. If you have that connect your power supply directly to the motor before reinstalling into the Loco , it should rev without assistance and with no hesitation ...reinstall in your Loco ...hope this helps


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Chattman said:


> and things got worse. It moved around the track very slowly and smoked really bad. I'm thinking that the excess oil is burning off. It ran for longer than 2 mins this time but even at wot she just barely crept along. I have a multimeter. Can anyone tell me how to check if the motor is fried????



Smoke is not a good sign.
3 in 1 oil too heavy?

Can you smell the difference? 
Oil heating up will smell different then electric.

Time to look inside.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Chattman said:


> It's a shame they didn't do a better job on them. The 2-8-0 is a nice looking engine. Anyhow, i'm up for a remotor if it needs it. Your pic shows a nice fit w/o a lot of fab work??? Any tips on what type or brand of motor?
> Update on the 0-8-0. I tried her again this am and


It is a nice looking low end steamer. The CD ROM motors were just pulled from junk drives, I don't recall them having a brand name on them. The casing only took a little modifying with a cutter bit on a Dremel tool. The most difficult part is the little pinion gear, it can split if not carefully pressed on. However, I've found that the larger bull gear (_they were made in both white and black plastic_) can be modified somewhat, reversed and used in its place.


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## Chattman (Jan 29, 2012)

Ok, great info. I picked the right place to ask for help. I'll take it apart and give it a good cleaning then see what happens. If that doesn't help then i'll start looking for a suitable cd rom engine..............Thanks guys. I'll keep you posted........Chatt


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

I have one of those motors that you're welcome to, just PM me a mailing address. The only other major modification you'll have to do is turn down the one idler wheel---I did it on a drill with a file---so that it will clear the motor on the back side...










Note that I also picked up a second mechanism and stripped it for its nickle silver wheels, swapping them out with the plastic ones to improve electrical pickup...


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## rbuschone (Jan 6, 2012)

More details and pictures on the Tyco re-motor please! Is there a thread where this is detailed?


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## Chattman (Jan 29, 2012)

So, I took apart the motor and found the black gunk all over everything. Also found that the brush housings had melted at the top which prevented one of them from moving. It was frozen in melted plastic. Broke out the soldering iron and remelted the plastic away from the frozen brush. Cleaned everything up and put it all back together. She runs like new. Unbelievable recovery. I'm gonna clean the rest of my engines too. Thanks a lot guys. I'll be sticking around this place as you guys rock..thx.....Chatt


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Glad to hear it...it is always preferable to get the original iron going---but at least you now know there are other options should you not be able to keep her going.:thumbsup:


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

rbuschone said:


> More details and pictures on the Tyco re-motor please! Is there a thread where this is detailed?


Not much to add to it, but here's my blog posts on it...

http://misterbobsmodelworksemporium.blogspot.com/2009/10/life-like-0-4-0-booster-remotor.html

http://misterbobsmodelworksemporium.blogspot.com/2009/09/tyco-2-8-0-chattanooga-choo-choo.html

http://misterbobsmodelworksemporium...tyco-2-8-0-chattanooga-choo-choo-part_06.html

http://misterbobsmodelworksemporium...tyco-2-8-0-chattanooga-choo-choo-part_08.html


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## Chattman (Jan 29, 2012)

Shaygetz, I have another Chatt with a bum motor so I would like to take u up on ur cd motor offer. I have several tyco engines. I'd rather convert to cd s that part out a good engine.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Just PM me your mailing address and I'll have it off to you. Blessings, BC


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## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

shaygetz said:


> Welcome...
> 
> TYCOs didn't make a very good motor, some of us remotor them with motors from CD ROMs...


got a pic of the bottom of the CD rom drive motor? the flat part? does it sit on the rails or no, how does it hook up to the train wheels?


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

New Berlin RR said:


> got a pic of the bottom of the CD rom drive motor? the flat part? does it sit on the rails or no, how does it hook up to the train wheels?


I think your a little confused!
There is no flat it's cut into the fuel tank portion of the frame.
Them motor brush wires would hook up to the pick-ups on the wheels or to a decoder if it was DCC.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

New Berlin RR said:


> got a pic of the bottom of the CD rom drive motor? the flat part? does it sit on the rails or no, how does it hook up to the train wheels?












Hope that helps...the shaft goes through the block and reuses the original pinion gear...


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