Hi Folks. Sorry to start again a new thread over a subject well spoken about in the past. Deciding to overhaul my first Geeps that are have been loging an heavy activity for a few years, I began taking one apart following the instruction sheet. I bugged arriving at the item "spring removal". I know it's an issue for many of you guys as I remember you are desperately looking for samples of these. Indeed I tried to do so using a needle tip, but have been unable to manage. I didn't want to see my springs rocket off without advise, so I gave up. Do you guys have any trick to manage that? Dom
Dom, I run a thread through the spring and tie it off. Then remove the spring with the needle tip and/or a hook probe. Mark
I use a pair of non magnetic tweezers with a short needle nose tip to grab the lower 1/2 of the spring and unhook it while holding a finger on the top to prevent it from flying off.
I didn't have a problem with removal. I ran into problems with installation. The curve part of the spring is fragile and broke. I ended up getting replacement springs and hooked the bottom first then used a small pick hook and was able to get the springs on and in the board.
have not had success doing that by the time I got a new hook spring once in place had lost tension so replaced with a soldered wire connect, solder connection at motor lug first, then stripped wire at point it reach bottom of board and then ran it through the hole for the spring and soldered it in place.
Ok guys thank for the input. Meanwhile a fellow Zscaler from à french spoken forum gave me advise about this: http://www.selectronic.fr/outil-tire-pousse-ressort.html With your above input guys, this tool will be very useful. Many thanks to you. Dom
Just finished to reassemble a GP35 chassis. Found this process rather tricky. I'm not sure it's worth separating all the chassis' components for routine maintenance. However I've a question for you guys: When reassembling the chassis I broke the copper wheel whipper, the part that makes contact from the truck to the chassis. Just ordered Micro-Trains a replacement part. But do you guys think I may solder a small wire on what remains of the wheel whipper to the chassis? Finally, another question: do you guys consider one has to unassemble the chassis in order to check gearings every 30 hours or so? Seems very heavy work for only little use... Dom
my personal experience is that you need to get the wheels out of the truck and that can be done with the truck still attached to the chassis, as that is where dirt collects under the wheel wipers it it is going to collect anywhere and on the tire tread of the wheel, I do very little with drive train and I can get the needle from oil bottle into all those spots while the chassis is still assembled. As for spring I use a curve needle to run thread through center of spring and tie it to engine so should it fly it can'y get too far and is retrievable, and my dentist gave me one of his explores that was no longer use in his practice to hook and unhook my springs with looks very similar to the tool shown from Europe. I usually only do service work until an engine quits running smoothly. I am pretty sure I get more than 300 hours on an engine before I need to service it.
Hi Dom, soldering to the chassis won't work. The wiper is actually a spring which connects wheels to the truck chassis.
Dom, the wipers are damage when you installed the trucks and you are not careful. its easily bend out of shape and break when you are trying to close the chassis. The trick is to watch the wipers tab while closing the chassis. If it even remotely is going to bend the wipers, stop.
Thank you guys for your input. I understand I've been too far fully disassembling the chassis. Now I'm waiting for a spare wheel whipper I've ordered last week and I'll finish to reassemble all my components, then set a few drops of Labelle 108 oil on the gearings... Will keep you advised. Dom
