Why would a Kato C44 make that clicking sound in the rear truck only, only when coupled with another C44, and only facing forward? They run at pretty much the same speed, pretty evenly matched and brand new units.... (They're both UP if that helps any... )
I think it's time to pull that rear truck off and fing the peice of ballast or other itty-bitty something that is causing your click click click. In my expirience,it is always a peice of ballast.Just like you said,only in one direction,and for no apparent reason.
I agree with Dangerboy I had the same click click click in a Lifelike SD 7 and it was a tiny piece of ballast.
Aaaah! That explains it! I've had a proto loco in HO that clicked, and turned out to be a cracked axle gear, but I wouldn't expect that from a Kato mechanism! I think i'll concur with the above, most likely a bit of debris of some kind in the gear train.
Well, I just didn't have the time to break them down last night. They're new units so I find it hard to believe it's dust/dirt/ballast? Maybe it's a matter of frame tension/tightness adjustment on the trucks? I lubed them and they run smooth and quiet...maybe tonight I'll have a chance to completely break them down and work on them. Thanks!
I doubt it will be the tightness of the truck in the frame, if it's making a repetitive noise it will likely be a rotating part of the drive train, so I think I would run it with the shell off first. Running it with the shell off should let you track the noise down to one particular part of the machine, and then work from there. (Having said that, I had a loco once with a repetitive noise which turned out to be a wonky flywheel touching the inside of the hood as it rotated, when I took the shell off to trace the noise it would dissapear!! Very frustrating!! )
.........wonky flywheel touching the inside of the hood as it rotated........ I had just the same thing once, Martyn! Very frustrating until I figured it out
whisper whisper whisper whisper.... Piece of cake, problem solved...turns out there was a small casting burr on one face of one gear in the rear truck. The gear is right up against one side of the casing so in one direction it pushes away from the casing, and in the other it pushes up against the casing, hence the click click click click in the forward direction....quick little Xacto work, cut off the burr, and 100% normal....done!
Long as KATO diesels are the subject here,I have a pair of SD70MACs.One is whisper quiet all the time. The other one has a very low squeak in reverse in one spot only on my KATO test loop.It's not over a joint but half way inbetween the joints.Running forward it is just fine. Oh yeah I love the ditchlites but that blue LED is on its way out.It sucks.
"that blue LED is on its way out.It sucks." Agreed Catt. I love those new golden white LED's from Richmond Controls. They have a link on thier website that shows the bright white, the bright white tinted golden and the golden whites and the look absolutely fantastic.
