Great video!!! I purchased a AT-AT not long ago, and I does not work. I brought to life many x wings and tie fighters with so many less crews and work, but it was worth it!! After your video, it makes it much easier, even though their is alot more work involved, to take on this task!! Thankyou!!
I bought a Vintage AT-AT about 10 years ago convinced that it was not working. I even tried with D batteries back then with no success (I still kept them). I just saw your video a few minutes ago and without opening it, gave it another try by moving the chin guns bases back and forth while holding the power button and it worked!! THANKS!!!!
Thank you so much!! Racked my brain two days trying to figure out the issues on my C-3PO R2-D2 bank and after watching your video, I checked the motors and they were just locked in place.
This helped so much! The one I have had the batteries left in for about 20 years. Thanks to you I was able to troubleshoot and find out that the electronics still work, just need to clean or replace the terminals.
I have a y wing that still had ever ready batteries from back when they had the black cat jumping through a 9. They were the worst looking batteries I have ever seen. One of the tang battery contacts had corroded completely off. I couldn’t find that type of contact so I had to make one from a piece of aluminum and bend all kinds of ways as it was for the front. Tiny brass bolt and nut and it worked immediately! It was one of the more in depth repairs I’ve had to do on a vintage Star Wars toy.
Thanks for another great video, i had just found a pair of chin cannons and bulb cover to complete my AT-AT. The electrics had never worked, didn't really find anything wrong, just cleaned up the connections and it started working. thanks again.
A small drop of clear "plastic dip" on every connector helps prevent future rusting. It can also be used to fasten the wires along the body so they dont wiggle around so much. Its easy to take of and remove if you need to sometime in the future.
As always, a fantastic video. A word of warning; if your AT AT motor works, I would not recommend removing it from the blue wires. I took it off to test against my snowspeeder restoration project and now I cannot reattach the wires effectively.
@@@toypolloi It just has small delicate connectors that insert into the motor. In fact I just took off the casing of the motor and have managed to fix it (for now). One of the bushes had come off and gone into the centre of the motor. A very fiddly and delicate job learned the hard way, I should never have pulled them off in the first place!
Dug mine out from a couple decades of storage. One I got as a teen from a yard sale. Thought would unveil to my young kids. Knew it had no bulb or guns of any kind. Got some batteries and as expected wouldn't run. But tried a bit of this and that. Then ordered a motor and bulb on eBay. Then found a bulb at local hardware store and that worked so knew the wiring work. Then as video showed give the motor a nudge and then it worked. Amazing how after 30 years in a box it still works. Now to source the other parts. Any good sources for parts be great.
I also do not have connections that separate like yours Polloi. I have taken mine completely apart and it is clean and corrosion free. The only thing I can see right now is the connection wire under the switch button is loose. Would this cause any problems? If not it has to be the motor but there are none on ebay and I don't know where to look for one? Or what size or design I need.
I've just stripped and rebuilt mine. I used my dremel sanding wheel to remove the rust. A great little gadget. I have another atat to restore just need to find someone selling chin gun holders as they're missing.
been working on AT AT and found that the 'hip joints' with the rectangle slots can be made a tighter swing joint by applying nylon washers. still haven't discovered how to restore the clicking joints in the legs
Sorry but I’m going to ask a lot of questions: What do you use to clean the AT-AT walker effectively? Also do you recommend replacement repro stickers? Do you give the plastic parts a hydrogen peroxide bath? (With or without stickers)
Great video, Thank You! Unfortunately for me, my AT-AT green cable does not have the clip-on feature that yours have. I was hoping that it did so I could clean the cockpit better. By the way, if you could answer: How do you know that the motor is dead and beyond repair?
Esteban Rodríguez If the motor is dead it just won't run if you connect it direct to a couple of batteries. They quite often don't work as they will have got water inside them and rusted up. I was lucky with this one that it did work. You can normally pick up a spare motor on ebay.
Thanks for the video. I have one but one of the battery terminals have corrosion and when I tried to clean it the terminal broke. Is there anyway to replace the terminal?
i have one that jams, and can't figure out why. the motor will run, then jam up, like the plastic gears are getting stuck. took it apart etc but it still jams. and ideas?
@@toypolloi Thanks. I took it apart tonight it works great now. Things were intermittent, which meant either an electronical short or the gears needed lubrication. Fortunately, it was the latter. I used synthetic oil that I use on my slot cars.
im wondering if theres a way to restore the click locking joints of the AT AT legs to where they would stay in place. if looking for chin guns i found a seller who sells the (replacement) sets but not original they are more or less acrylic recasts and they did a good job with it,in my experiance i would never buy a AT AT if the butt part is missing, its next to impossible to find but was lucky i came across one for $5.00 on ebay. now im looking for left cheek gun the chin gun set and the bulb and cover.
Freewheeling the motor would have definitely made a difference also could have just been the bulb! The system may require the unblown bulb to make up the circuit...
I got the motor going finally! When I put in the bulb it seemed to fight with the motor and slowed it down to a crawl (the light was also very dim). When I took it out it went full speed again. I'm unsure about the watt for the light bulb since I'm using an unlabelled vintage one. What bulbs should I be looking for or can I update this to a LED?
If the motor is busted, would the light bulb still light up when connection in made with batteries? Or is the whole mechanism reliant on the motor working? Opened up my At-At. All seems in good nick but no response when D-Cell batteries installed. The bulb I have however is 4v I believe.
I don't think it will work if the motor has gone open circuit. They have pretty simple wiring. All in series. If one goes, it all goes. That's why the lights flicker as the motor turns.
Ah I see. Will be trying one more set of batteries (just in case) but I'm pretty sure motor is blown. I can physically turn the cogs and the guns move but no joy when trying to use battery.
I don't suppose you've ever tried to install a non-kenner motor into one of these toys? Are there standard mini motors that would act as a replacement? Perhaps from Maplin or Home-Depot (etc)
Sorry just wounder can you help me...do you know of anyway you could do something to keep on the lights..not necessarily on the ATAT but some of the other vehicles even non starwars stuff.thanks
On my battery tabs they are extremely corroded with green acid. They may be trash. I will try to clean them Any suggestions? I would like to find replacement battery tabs. May be impossible. Need help. Thank U
I just got an AT-At off eBay. Unfortunately they advertised it as having working electrics because the bulb still worked, but the chin guns function is actually dead. So, here I am.
Great video!!! I purchased a AT-AT not long ago, and I does not work. I brought to life many x wings and tie fighters with so many less crews and work, but it was worth it!! After your video, it makes it much easier, even though their is alot more work involved, to take on this task!! Thankyou!!
The complexity that Kenner put into its toys back then is impressive
I bought a Vintage AT-AT about 10 years ago convinced that it was not working. I even tried with D batteries back then with no success (I still kept them). I just saw your video a few minutes ago and without opening it, gave it another try by moving the chin guns bases back and forth while holding the power button and it worked!! THANKS!!!!
Thank you so much!! Racked my brain two days trying to figure out the issues on my C-3PO R2-D2 bank and after watching your video, I checked the motors and they were just locked in place.
This helped so much! The one I have had the batteries left in for about 20 years. Thanks to you I was able to troubleshoot and find out that the electronics still work, just need to clean or replace the terminals.
Glad it helped!
I have a y wing that still had ever ready batteries from back when they had the black cat jumping through a 9. They were the worst looking batteries I have ever seen. One of the tang battery contacts had corroded completely off. I couldn’t find that type of contact so I had to make one from a piece of aluminum and bend all kinds of ways as it was for the front. Tiny brass bolt and nut and it worked immediately! It was one of the more in depth repairs I’ve had to do on a vintage Star Wars toy.
Thanks for another great video, i had just found a pair of chin cannons and bulb cover to complete my AT-AT. The electrics had never worked, didn't really find anything wrong, just cleaned up the connections and it started working.
thanks again.
A small drop of clear "plastic dip" on every connector helps prevent future rusting. It can also be used to fasten the wires along the body so they dont wiggle around so much. Its easy to take of and remove if you need to sometime in the future.
The motor in mine just needed some oil. It works now thanks to your easy instructions. Thanks
+Rick Woodridge That's great. They often do just come back to life with a little turn.
+Toy Polloi it also gave me a chance to clean it. Looks as good as new. Got my falcon to clean now.
Thank you toy polloi , after watching this video I've managed to fix my AT AT .... Keep up the good work .... Cheers 👍👍
Great. Glad it helped.
On my 3rd AT AT Rebuild and I am still referring to this vid - cheers Dave!
As always, a fantastic video. A word of warning; if your AT AT motor works, I would not recommend removing it from the blue wires. I took it off to test against my snowspeeder restoration project and now I cannot reattach the wires effectively.
Does it just need soldering back on? I can't remember off hand.
@@@toypolloi It just has small delicate connectors that insert into the motor. In fact I just took off the casing of the motor and have managed to fix it (for now). One of the bushes had come off and gone into the centre of the motor. A very fiddly and delicate job learned the hard way, I should never have pulled them off in the first place!
Dug mine out from a couple decades of storage. One I got as a teen from a yard sale. Thought would unveil to my young kids. Knew it had no bulb or guns of any kind. Got some batteries and as expected wouldn't run. But tried a bit of this and that. Then ordered a motor and bulb on eBay. Then found a bulb at local hardware store and that worked so knew the wiring work. Then as video showed give the motor a nudge and then it worked. Amazing how after 30 years in a box it still works. Now to source the other parts. Any good sources for parts be great.
Great video !!! Thanks for sharing the info on the D converters . I actually need those .
tee bizz They are very useful. And much cheaper than buying those big old batteries. You can get 'C' ones as well.
I also do not have connections that separate like yours Polloi. I have taken mine completely apart and it is clean and corrosion free. The only thing I can see right now is the connection wire under the switch button is loose. Would this cause any problems? If not it has to be the motor but there are none on ebay and I don't know where to look for one? Or what size or design I need.
would love to see a full on restoration on the a.t.a.t. .love the videos.
I've just stripped and rebuilt mine. I used my dremel sanding wheel to remove the rust. A great little gadget. I have another atat to restore just need to find someone selling chin gun holders as they're missing.
+paulsenior33 You can also clean the contacts with white vinegar. That works a treat.
been working on AT AT and found that the 'hip joints' with the rectangle slots can be made a tighter swing joint by applying nylon washers. still haven't discovered how to restore the clicking joints in the legs
Great video! This will help a lot of us collectors!
Just when I thought the only videos I had not seen, were brand new ones not yet released...haha😊
Sorry but I’m going to ask a lot of questions:
What do you use to clean the AT-AT walker effectively?
Also do you recommend replacement repro stickers?
Do you give the plastic parts a hydrogen peroxide bath? (With or without stickers)
All these questions and more are covered in my other videos. Keep on watching :D
Great video, Thank You!
Unfortunately for me, my AT-AT green cable does not have the clip-on feature that yours have.
I was hoping that it did so I could clean the cockpit better.
By the way, if you could answer: How do you know that the motor is dead and beyond repair?
Esteban Rodríguez If the motor is dead it just won't run if you connect it direct to a couple of batteries. They quite often don't work as they will have got water inside them and rusted up. I was lucky with this one that it did work. You can normally pick up a spare motor on ebay.
Toy Polloi Thanks for the info.
Just check my AT-AT motor and incredibly, it works!
Esteban Rodríguez That's great. The old motors that they put in the SW toys do seem to last very well.
Thanks for the video. I have one but one of the battery terminals have corrosion and when I tried to clean it the terminal broke. Is there anyway to replace the terminal?
xblanco29 I guess you could make one out of a piece of copper sheet. But I have not tried.
i have one that jams, and can't figure out why. the motor will run, then jam up, like the plastic gears are getting stuck. took it apart etc but it still jams. and ideas?
Is there a way to lubricate the motor without disassembling everything?
No, you'll need to take the head apart to get to the motor.
@@toypolloi Thanks. I took it apart tonight it works great now. Things were intermittent, which meant either an electronical short or the gears needed lubrication. Fortunately, it was the latter. I used synthetic oil that I use on my slot cars.
Fantastic thank you
Would you treat the wiring with vinegar just to lift any corrosion even if it worked? (Especially in that switch area which is hard to see into)
Not if it's working.
Amazing ! mine is working again thanks to you / motor was locked up that’s all 👍😁
Great to hear!
im wondering if theres a way to restore the click locking joints of the AT AT legs to where they would stay in place. if looking for chin guns i found a seller who sells the (replacement) sets but not original they are more or less acrylic recasts and they did a good job with it,in my experiance i would never buy a AT AT if the butt part is missing, its next to impossible to find but was lucky i came across one for $5.00 on ebay. now im looking for left cheek gun the chin gun set and the bulb and cover.
Do u have a link for the chin gun recasts?
+Mike Holland go to eBay and type in search bar AT AT REPLACEMENT CHIN GUNS
thanks have bought some acrylic clear tubes and will make a makeshift one according to a repro site. Great videos BTW
Freewheeling the motor would have definitely made a difference also could have just been the bulb! The system may require the unblown bulb to make up the circuit...
I got the motor going finally! When I put in the bulb it seemed to fight with the motor and slowed it down to a crawl (the light was also very dim). When I took it out it went full speed again. I'm unsure about the watt for the light bulb since I'm using an unlabelled vintage one. What bulbs should I be looking for or can I update this to a LED?
+kurilord What batteries are you using? The D batteries that fit are 1.5v each, so a buld under 3v would be best.
yeah, my batteries are 1.5v. I was thinking it was the bulb. I'll look for a new one and see what difference it makes. Thanks!
If the motor is busted, would the light bulb still light up when connection in made with batteries? Or is the whole mechanism reliant on the motor working?
Opened up my At-At. All seems in good nick but no response when D-Cell batteries installed. The bulb I have however is 4v I believe.
I don't think it will work if the motor has gone open circuit. They have pretty simple wiring. All in series. If one goes, it all goes. That's why the lights flicker as the motor turns.
Ah I see. Will be trying one more set of batteries (just in case) but I'm pretty sure motor is blown. I can physically turn the cogs and the guns move but no joy when trying to use battery.
ps thanks for the swift reply!
I don't suppose you've ever tried to install a non-kenner motor into one of these toys? Are there standard mini motors that would act as a replacement? Perhaps from Maplin or Home-Depot (etc)
Maplin sell a motor that I know others have used. I have not used one myself.
Have you ever tried to fix the electronics in a B-Wing?
I fixed mine when I first got it. was very similar to the at-at. a motor to make a sound.
Toy Polloi Ok thanks
Sorry just wounder can you help me...do you know of anyway you could do something to keep on the lights..not necessarily on the ATAT but some of the other vehicles even non starwars stuff.thanks
Replace the push button with a switch. Then they will stay on until you switch them off. Check out my custom slave one project. Cheers
@@toypolloi oh my god brilliant...thank you so much
On my battery tabs they are extremely corroded with green acid. They may be trash. I will try to clean them Any suggestions? I would like to find replacement battery tabs. May be impossible. Need help. Thank U
Buy some thin copper sheet and make replacements from that if they are to far gone.
@@toypolloi thank you
I wish I could fix mine, but that green cable is not like yours. Motor looks fine, but there is no way to tell. Any help would be nice.
Post some pics on my Facebook page and I will take a look.
Anyone know how to fix a legacy collection version?
Dude we're can you get a cheap old at at and a cheap at at driver and is there touch up paint for a 1977 c3p0 if so plz make video about it
Jackson Ballard I picked this up at a toy fair. Got x2 at-at's for £17.
How much? Is the c3p0 paint
And the atat
Jackson Ballard I have not found a paint that looks like the original chrome. If you find one let me know.
Jackson Ballard Ebay?
Where are all the other parts like the legs and guns lol.
+The Restoration of Dr Who This video is only about the electrics. No legs needed for that :)
I just got an AT-At off eBay. Unfortunately they advertised it as having working electrics because the bulb still worked, but the chin guns function is actually dead. So, here I am.