How to do Basic Maintenance on Life-Like Pancake Motors - ONR GP40
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- Опубліковано 21 кві 2020
- I bought this ONR GP40 locomotive a while back and although it ran okay after testing it, I still figured with a bit if work it could be a great runner. I thought I would show everyone how to do basic maintenance on these locomotives since pancake motors were very common during the 80s and as a result there are many still out there today.
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You always make it look too easy, Harrison. Mmmm, pancake and maple syrup, can it get anymore Canadian? You've been using the foam cradle now. Saves on any additional damage to the shells of well-loved locomotives, which tend to be missing minor parts. As Tony the Tiger would say, she runs Grrrreat!
Thanks for sharing. 👍 👍 👍
David Z to G scale how about waffles with it lol
I inherited an old train set from my Dad recently and it hasn’t ran since the 90s. I set it up and it wouldn’t run. I replaced the wiring and cleaned the engine using your video and it works great now. Thank you!
thank you for posting this. i have several old Life-Like Locomotives that are in dire need of maintenance and now I feel comfortable taking them apart. much appreciated.
This video is going to help me fix a bunch of my dad’s old locomotives
I really like the new way you’re filming your restorations and repairs of locos! It’s really helpful when some of us have similar models that need a touch of repair! Great video as always!
I agree.
Started doing restorations of pancakes, very nice for beginners to restore.
The screws into the truck assembly is a key feature. Better than all plastic snap-tabs.
I was thinking you were also gonna clean\lube the other axles/wheels... increases conductivity/decreases drag.
Having model trains for over 40 years and watching you (and other model train servicers) has increased my ability and self trust in servicing my older locomotives such as you have. Thanks a lot!
John BC, Canada
That was fun. So glad to see that foam cradle! Bet the engines are happier too😉
Keep up the great work.
I've needed a good life like maintenance video, Great video!
Is it just me, or are these videos starting to get more and more satisfying?!
Nice! I've bought one Life-like (GP38 Santa Fe), and now I know how to proceed with basic maintenance. Thanks!
Good to hear
I love this engine I love this railroad! I have Ontario Northland in a F 7 from Life Like unit I bought when i visited Toronto Canada many years earlier. Enjoyed watching your work on this GP 38 version. ☺👍
Have one of these units that I have to restore and this video was very helpful.
Thank you for posting
Kenny
Laughed out loud when SMT said “it’s not the quietest loco” because the one I fixed alongside this video is literally louder than a vacuum cleaner!
Excellent maintenance of the Life Like GP38-2 locomotive.
LifeLike was very basic until they started the Proto series. It's interesting to see the guts of these tho!
in case of the n scale LL units the proto motors are proving to be more troublesome than the older motors they replaced- not sure about the HO stuff, but I think the motors come from the same factory.
Great masterclass. You use very precise and accurate language. You make it easy to follow.
Loved the video! I got a Santa fe gp40 for christmas
I just did my Bachmann Chrissie system two nights ago. Lol They are very easy to work on. I would say if you're going to work on one, work on one of these first.👍 Great video keep up the good work and looking forward to seeing your next video.
Now I get the term of “pancake moter “
Nice runner (thanks to your handy work). Really like the colors on this loco
Life-like made some really good stuff back then. I have found that cleaning, and polishing the sides of the wheels , and pickups on the other truck really helps for slow crawling speeds. The wheels tarnish, rust after so many years. Nice video Harrison
Another nice restore!
Very nice video! Even though it’s been awhile since I’ve had a life like locomotive, this video was very intriguing to watch and understand! ~Pedro
Thank you for the tutorial! It helped me save a Bachmann dash 8!
I'm going to restore one on monday that hasn't moved in around 20 years
Excellent! Thanks I have a few of these to do.
Thanks SMT, I have several of these and this really helped
This is a useful video smt keep doing these videos they're great
What a great video and how to video!!!
easy looking but hard doing keep up the good work and guess what im installing a motor on my grampas old engine because of you you inspired me
Very cool video
Nice job, another great video. I usually put them together and then put a drop of oil on the outside of the main or center bearing and let it work in by running the motor. You have to show how Bachmann has that little tab screwed on the side to hold it in the chassis.
cool loco smt! also good advice
Nice video
Nice vid
I remember those Life-like been like 15-20 bucks on average and working better than those Bachmann that cost 200-300+ bucks. Bachmann charges for their locos the same price as an European model(Roco, Fleischmann, Piko, Electrotren, Mabartren) yet the quality is worst than a 15 US dollar Life-like. That loco that you just fixed runs fabulous.
The easiest method of determining TOY train from Hobby grade train is the Pancake motor, Yikes these things are a pain. I mean pain as it's far more fiddly getting those gears back together the rest is pretty basic but I never liked this style for it's pulling power or lack thereof and the noisyness to them. I relegate these to TOY sets and not layouts though others may prefer them for whatever reasons. Never throw these out there is always a part on them that you can salvage for another unit especially as they age the gears crack and spread apart, so save the gears or as I do put the whole unit in a box labled spare parts ;) My nephews are always happy I did for their train set repairs.
Cool EMD locomotive. Thanks for sharing. LJL
That thumb looks like it hurts. Syrup should help it! Lol. Anyways, nice video!
Words cannot describe how long I was in a garage with lots of debre on the floor looking for a tiny spring
It can be a pain...
@@SMTMainline yes it can
Wow, you really took that thing apart. I was wondering when you’d stop and you didn’t. Just kept going until the loco became an exploded diagram.
That's a sick locomotive
Nice. Thanks.
A little Teflon grease inside the gear area will really quiet down the life- like and Bachman pancake style motors . Nice job !
That running gear and motor look pristine, I’m surprised it wasn’t running very well.
Did life-like's pancake motor design come out first or Bachmann? Because one of them ripped off the other. The designs are identical other than the sideframes. Also I tried to lubricate a Bachmann F40PH with maple syrup, and it seized up, probably because it was an Amtrak unit.
The Life-Like locomotives were built by Bachmann for them.
I'm really surprised one of the loco manufacturers hasn't made a modern version of the pancake motor setup using an out-runner brushless motor.
As far as I've found, these old Life Like motors were better put together than the Bachmann pancake motors. The motor is almost always cleaner with no wax tabs, no crazy wiring, but only brass wheels compared to Bachmann's silver wheels. Overall, both run almost the exact same.
Welp that was easy to find (me looking on like 60 different searches for this)
The gear that connected the motor to the smaller gears melted. Little me was so confused as to why my train wasn’t going, now 7 years later I realized I should have stopped putting it at full power.
Using some masking or painter's tape can help to keep all the small brushes, springs and screws together in one spot while maintaining a model locomotive.
I have the same train
Nice i might try this out someday on one of my life like gp38s and also will you show us how to maintenance on the tyco engines someday? I like to learn.
2:24 - we call those "Jesus springs". It springs out and you say, "Jesus, where did it go?" Closely related to E and C-clips, AKA Jesus clips for the same reason.
5:59 - notice that crosshatching on the commutator. I see this also on Bachmann pancake trolley motors. My fix is to chuck that into a drill and start turning that against a 400-grit emery board (foam-core type), suitably narrowed, and work my way as fine as I can get it - 1000-grit to 1600-grit. At that point it should be smooth and shiny like a new penny (assuming it's copper).
On the one motor I've done AND tested with a voltmeter, I took its starting voltage from 7.5 volts to 2.5 volts, which gave much smoother starts (less of a jackrabbit takeoff) and better low-speed response.
If it were me, for ease of maintenance, I'd clip those wires and hook in a 2-pin connector.
i have an athern gp38-2 that was running dry on oil so i gave it oil and it ran quietly
Needs syrup that will fix it
Do some older Bachmann's have these engines? I have a CN f-unit made in the 70s. It ran great when I first got it, but now it can barely pull 3 cars!
Traction tires are gone.
Just to clarify, ONT 1803 is a GP38-2, not a GP40. Note only two radiator fans on top, along with a shorter radiator air intake on the rear.
Do you know how to Take out an Athearn SD40-2 shell from the chassis and putting it back in?
Did you drill a hole in your finger. Idk it just looks like it. This really helped by the way
Harrison, how are you sir? It's a GP 38-2 , I have a Chessie B&O #4810. Not a bad classic loco( slow speed leaves alot to be desired) lmao💯 one of my first locomotives.. have a great evening.
Thanks you one thing can u do how to make a running locomotive to a dummy loco
I unfortunately have a Bachmann with cracked gears. Would you happen to know where I can get replacements?
Professionals in the film and video industries clean their recorder heads with Ronsonol (lighter fluid). Acohol allows oxideation. Ronsonol prevents oxidation!
Nice video…what can you do when the plastic wheels are cracked and you need new traction tires?
It's a GP38 (2 stacks and 2 radiator fans). GP40's have one stack and three fans
Hi Harrison,
Thanks for this very helpful and easy to follow video.
I run o scale but, my nephew runs HO. He asked me to get his 2 Life-like diesel locos running again so I decided to step outside my O scale comfort zone and give it a try. Both engines have pancake motors. When I cracked open the first one I found a tiny plastic spacer under the large gear that sits directly below the output gear on the armature. Is it supposed to go on the top or bottom side of that large gear?
I believe the spacer goes beside the gear but I have trouble remembering sometimes myself.
@@SMTMainline Thanks
Can you make a "How to restore a band-drive" video? I have an old RDC that runs, but won't start without help.
My life-like gp38-2 lights up fine but barely moves, and will only move if the controller is at full throttle, but then it starts smoking. I've taken it apart and the motor looks fine, but on the... comutator (sp?) There is a small burn spot on one of the holes. Do you suspect this part is the culprit and I should get a new pancake motor?
Its nice that life like used blacked metal wheels for there locomotives rather than the shiny silver wheels because there is nothing worse then running a model with shiny wheels it doesn't look realistic so good on you life like:)
Why can I not find those clips on the side to drop the rear wheels!
I've recently got an old locomotive with a motor that looks almost the same, it has an electric smell when it runs and a high-pitched screech sound, how would you reccommed fixing it?
I need to do this like five times with a dude like u harrison.to remember what the hell I'm doing!!
SMT what happened to your thump ???
Is this going to be the locomotive used for the general Lee Express
can you make a video on how to service a Lima pancake motor
I have a old CSX blue and grey 6825 it was bought in 1997 or in the 1980 s i can't get the body of locomotive it dose no screws on it that i can tell can you help me out thank you.
Is it possibly a Life-Like proto? On some locomotives you need to remove the coupler boxes before you can remove the shell.
smt do you have a video of working on life-like three pole can motors
#teamlifelike
What did you do to your finger nail? That looks painful
I drilled into it by accident, it doesn't look good but isn't painful.
syrup always fixes everything just not my mental health
I don't really see you cleaning the brush contact on the armature. Also any flat contacts brass. Might make a difference.
You should do one on a mantua motor
Hello. Check your local bookstore or amazon, ect. Look for a book called Diesl spotters guide. Has reference for locos of all builders ans models.
Hey SMT what kind of oil you are using?
Usually Labelle 102
@@SMTMainline thanks man. Please subscribe also to my channel.
How do you get a life-like apart when the screws are stripped
You could try squeezing the plastic around where the screws are, sometimes the added pressure is just enough to get them out.
@@SMTMainline ok thanks
@@SMTMainline also I have a Bachmann pancake motor but I was taking it apart to fix it and the spring was lost
The commutater is burnt, there are no springs, and the wires came off so mines bad
Life like pancakes are the easiest motor to maintain
Much better design than Bachmann
SMT I have same GP40 it a Santa fe.
Im not sure it is a gp40, this is because there are three fans in the rear instead of two
Hello
He forgot to clean rear bogey wheels all looking oxidised
Noob question here: Why do they call it a pancake motor?
I’m new to this and not an HO or N Scaler.
Matt’s Trains you put maple syrup on it
It's because the armature is pretty flat. It's narrow like a pancake.
@@speedster1093 That only works on Canadian models.
SMT Mainline lol
Speedster10 good one. 👍
I hate to correct you, but that is actually a GP38, not a GP40. I have two of the Foodland ones by Life Like.
what happend to your thumnail (on his hand)
A drill accident... it’s okay now
It's a GP38. Not a GP40. It has the paper filter on top and does not have the larger turbocharger smoke stacks. Hey do a pulling test! I bet it can pull between 7-10 cars max.
You should retitle the video to lifelike pancake breakdown
Why?
SMT Mainline idk I just like that name better 😀
ive ever seen this train they are traction not propulsion wow