I have some freight cars with McHenry couplers. One of the knuckles is missing the side spring. I need to order some springs but I have never replaced a McHenry knuckle spring before. Springs are pretty small and look like a challenge to install. Any hints on performing this task?
If it's anything like the spring on a Kadee coupler, its very easy to lose. Run a length of thread through the spring before you attempt to put it in. If you slip, the thread keeps the spring from going flying into the black hole that seems to inhabit everyone's work space. After both ends of the spring are installed, just slide the thread out.
You obviously never met an n-scale coupler spring. Can't even imagine doing that thread thing with an HO one. Harold
I have assembled a lot of Micro Trains couplers so I am very familiar with tiny springs and the black hole under my workbench. If it is similar to the MT springs, I think I can deal with it.
Place some epoxy glue on the little mounting pin that holds the spring to the body of the coupler. That way if the spring becomes off of the other mountings it will have a better chance of staying in place.
I wasn't aware you could order those little springs. Anyhow.....So after looking at the Athearn cars that have the McHeny couplers still on them here's my guess. I'd try a little bit of Microscale Krystal Klear on the little pins that are supposed to keep the springs from flying into oblivion. I think Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement dries clear but stays tacky which might be better to hold the spring. But using it in this small area might be a challenge it's a bit thick. Then as Ike mentioned, use the tip of an Exacto to handle the spring. Totally clean off your work area of anything not needed to install the springs. Maybe put a bed sheet down under where you are working in case one goes flying. And one probably will. Personally, I just replace the McHenry couplers pairs when one of the springs fall out with an Atlas Accu-mate coupler until the time comes that I body mount a LOT of couplers.
I have some McHenry springs (MCH5010) on order so I guess I will find out how tough it is. I am slowly converting everything to body mount but since the McHenry seem to hook up with MT pretty good, I decided to put the ones with McHenry couplers at the bottom of my list for conversion. I had considered using some McHenry couplers on several cars as an experiment but my dealer discouraged it. He seemed to think that quality (flash) was poor and that they would not hold up long term compared to the MT. Spent the whole day yesterday building up MT 1015 couplers. Put about 30 together. Only lost about 3 springs. Thankfully, I have spares.
I did it. Even surprised myself. Boy are those springs tiny. They make a Micro Train coupler spring look huge. The first two springs I tried escaped off to never never land. However, the third time was the charm. Spring slid into place very easy. Picked it up with thin blade and put one end on one prong, compressed the spring and then the other end on the other prong. If that had not worked the third time, I was ready to install a new coupler since I had ordered a few couplers at the same time.
