# E unit problem



## GK Trains (Aug 10, 2013)

I have a 28 year old Lionel GP 9 (8030) that has worked well over the years. I recently opened the engine to clean the computator, etc. After putting it back together I was not able to get it to run. There is plenty of power going to the engine and both front and back lights work. It's as if the engine is in perpetual neutral. I looked at all the wiring connected to the e unit and all appear to be fine. Any ideas?


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## BigAl56 (Dec 14, 2011)

Is the eunit buzzing? Maybe the lever moved or bent and it's not activated.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Do the wheels turn freely?


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

GK Trains said:


> I have a 28 year old Lionel GP 9 (8030) that has worked well over the years. I recently opened the engine to clean the computator,


Does not compute!

If the E-unit is stuck in neutral you should try cycling it by hand. Just push up on the plunger for a full stroke and then apply power.


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## GK Trains (Aug 10, 2013)

Thanks for the quick response. I will get back to everyone within two days. We are decorating our home now to celebrate my mother-in-laws 90th birthday tomorrow.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Have you seen this yet?

Part 1







Part 2







This in the T man's O help sticky thread,
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=6748

Another on the e unit.
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=3040









First make sure that the lever did not get a little bent and is making contact here (red arrow).
The lever contacts were the wire hooks up on the otherside. Your e unit may have more? If you bent it a little it nay not be making contact.

While all together and on the track try working the e unit lever and gently tap on the top of the motor. Sometimes the drum is sticking like mentioned and you tapping on the top will make it drop. If it drops while tapping and works you got to spray some cleaner inside of it. You didn't oil the plunger did you? That will make it eventually stick. It needs to be nice and clean.

Tell Grandma HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :thumbsup:
You get here a train?


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

My E-unit testing video: :smokin:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfGst-TV99w&feature=youtu.be


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Rkenny, I never saw that. Nice. Reminds me of the silent movies . I have a funny feeling its not the eunit but something jamming the armature.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

rkenney said:


> My E-unit testing video: :smokin:
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfGst-TV99w&feature=youtu.be



T man ought to add this in our sticky O gauge help thread.
Put it by the others he has in there.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

With my magic oil can Ed, you got it.:smilie_auslachen:

E units either work or not. I normally replace the main parts. Four finger, two finger and drum. With those pieces out I remove the pawl and polish up the cylinder that fits inside the electromagnet. I clean the hole out with oil if no dirt or rust is visible. Goo Gone, sandpaper could be options. That leaves the coil and lever. The lever may loosen up and I insert a steel spacer from a ruler spring, high tensile stuff. IF the rivet needs replacement then the coil must come out.
One time I did rewind a coil. The nice thing about these is one model will work with many engines. To save time you could have a spare and just switch it out. The only tool I use is the spreader. I have done this many times and my vocabulary has cleaned up. It just takes practice to get it all in and aligned.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I don't have the spreader, but I've found that I can spread them very well with the outside of the jaws on my PanaVise, works perfectly for the job. I also keep a couple of rebuild kits handy to fix them when necessary. Like T-Man says, the contacts and the drum are usually all you need to deal with. I have had to tighten the rivets on the operating lever for some of them as well.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

The T man is back. :smilie_daumenpos:


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## GK Trains (Aug 10, 2013)

To answer sim9911's question, I just tested the wheels and they are not turning. In the past, I was able to turn them. Does anyone know what this means? May be it's not an e unit problem.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

If you removed the armature to clean the commutator it is likely not inserted correctly.

With the wheels connected to a worm gear and that to the worm (on the end of the motor armature) I doubt if you could turn the wheels even if it operated properly. That is a gear assembly that only works one way (worm drives worm gear only).

Remove the motor armature by removing the brush holder and then see if the wheels turn.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

My worm gears turn on my trains. Harder then the steamers but they turn. Sometimes they require a spacer. Easy to loose when cleaning. . Im not sure about the ones from the 1970s . I looked at an extra motor I had, I think its 70s , it looklikes there is an aadjustment screw for the armature shaft. Did you put in new brushes or extend out the springs? If so the screw might need to be adjusted. Im thinking the motor is binding up on something.


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

I had a motor lock up a few years ago. it was a piece of FOD caught by the magnetraction.


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## GK Trains (Aug 10, 2013)

Thank you all for your input. Apparently I did not seat the opposite end of the computator (that is connected to the horizontal gears) correctly. SJM9911'S question regarding the turning of the wheels lead me to the fix.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Glad to here it was a easy fix!


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## TrainLarry (Jan 15, 2012)

GK Trains,

Glad to see your loco is running now.

The part of the motor that spins is the armature. The commutator is the copper plates on top of the windings that the brushes ride on that powers up the motor. See here, page 381 for an exploded view of the motor in your loco with the names of various parts. 

Larry


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## GK Trains (Aug 10, 2013)

Thanks for the clarification and the documentation


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Its easier to fix the problems when the parts are identified. I belive my first-ever post was the thingamobob that conects to the turny thing is rubbing on the cylinder looking metal piece. Needless to say it didn't get fixed .


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## TrainLarry (Jan 15, 2012)

The rest of the service manual for the #8030 is on pages 50-53 of the above referenced Lionel supplement. Good to have as a reference in the future.

Larry


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

If possible it would be nice to see how it was installed incorrectly. Just to show how not to do it. You did correctly identify your engine. That is my normal opening question. Glad it turned out alright. So our first e unit thread isn't about an e unit at all.


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