Bearden Bearing Block Magic?

UPCLARK Jan 2, 2009

  1. u18b

    u18b TrainBoard Supporter

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    Have you read my document? It is described there.

    Actually, this is the very heart an soul of this procedure. This is where the finesse comes in. You can usually get pretty good results just by taking out the inner bearing blocks (as stated above) ...... "usually".

    But if you want perfection and whisper quiet locos, you need to understand where all sources of potential noise comes from. And one source of unwanted rattling noise will come from lateral moving of the wormshafts. As the hex nut moves in and out of the flywheel, banging against the back wall of the flywheel, in and out, in and out...... this will be a source of noise for your loco.

    Or, if you don't have the hex not far enough out, then the hex nut will move way in, and then the end of the hex nut will dis-engage from the outer bearing!!!!

    So proper position is important!

    So if you want whisper quietness, then you want to move the hex nut OUTWARD toward the flywheel and away from the worm until it almost bottoms out inside the flywheel

    Do this on both sides.

    But you do **not** want to put a bind on the worm. So how can you tell when you have it juuuuusssst right?

    You know you have it just right when you have the loco assembled and you take a small screw driver and wiggle the worm on one side. If the worm wiggles just a tiny bit freely, then it is just right on that side. If it is not free, or if it wiggles too much, then you must re-position he hex nut.

    Test on the other side.

    I usually have to do this by trial and error a couple of times until I get it just where I want it.

    Super quiet locos are worth the effort.

    Ron Bearden
     
  2. CSXDixieLine

    CSXDixieLine Passed Away January 27, 2013 In Memoriam

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    Ron, yes I did get your PDF describing the process (excellent article BTW) and it seemed like the hex nut positiong was the key element, but I was a bit confused because this step seemed to be deemphasized or ignored by posters on other threads that have followed your process. They will emphasize removing the IBB but really don't ever say much about adjusting the hex nut to get the correct shaft adjustment. Thanks for your post above and it really does suppliment your article with regards to the importance of adjusting the shaft via the hex nut positioning. Will be tackling this on at least one loco this weekend, with about half a dozen more to follow shortly afterwards. Jamie
     
  3. u18b

    u18b TrainBoard Supporter

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    Every once in a while, I find a loco that has a combination of a deep flywheel and a short wormshaft. In those situations, the hex nut will not bottom out in the flywheel.

    Well, I'm not the one who thought of it, so I can't take credit for it, but some modeler somewhere down the road said he used a little piece of tissue paper in the flywheel.

    I tried it, and it works--- but, once again, the key is to get just the right amount of pressure on the worm. Not too little and not too much.

    Now, I think you said you were going to do GP15s. This trick would not work since they use the slotted fork worm universal and dogbone coupling inside the flywheel (no hex nuts). You have no option but to just get the worm fork at the right place.

    Search for my review on the Atlas board.
     
  4. jagged ben

    jagged ben TrainBoard Member

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    Hey Ron, isn't there some situation where you used springs from Rapido couplers in this spot? Would that not work here?

    Sorry for my bad memory.
     
  5. u18b

    u18b TrainBoard Supporter

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    Good question.

    Yes, you could. In fact, I have done it before on an SD50 with a particularly loose drive train.

    But the problem with springs is:

    1. Only works with hex nuts. Won't work with new dogbone configuration. (like in the GP15.).

    2. Normally, you want the hex nut to almost touch but have no pressure on the worm. But using a spring requires just a slight amount of pressure. Well this changes the formula a bit.

    Thus springs can make the loco quieter, but can also increase friction. So there is a trade-off.

    Ron Bearden
     
  6. CSXDixieLine

    CSXDixieLine Passed Away January 27, 2013 In Memoriam

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    On the Atlas GP15-1, how does the universal come off the worm shaft? I have mine disassembled but want to find out how the universal is on the shaft before I go pullin' and pryin' on it. Going to check out your GP15-1 post over on the Atlas board again to see if I missed it on there. Jamie

    CLARIFICATION: Is the universal at the end of the shaft pressed on? This is my first BBBR operation and I want to make sure my head is overflowing with information before I press on (or press off, as it seems like I may be doing to the universal on the worm shaft :)).
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 9, 2009
  7. u18b

    u18b TrainBoard Supporter

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    CLARIFICATION: Is the universal at the end of the shaft pressed on?

    Yes. Kind of tight, but just pull. I just grasp the worm with one hand and the u-joint with the other hand. Twist slightly and pull. It will come off.

    Remove the inner bearing block and return the u-joint. But then don't press the u-joint on as far as before. This is where the experimentation begins. As described above.
     
  8. CSXDixieLine

    CSXDixieLine Passed Away January 27, 2013 In Memoriam

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    Thank you O Wise One! :) This is perfect timing because I was just working on this. In fact, I think I just got some grease on my keyboard! Going to the store to pick up some super glue so I dont lose those dang spacers. Jamie
     
  9. u18b

    u18b TrainBoard Supporter

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    What is the superglue for?
     
  10. CSXDixieLine

    CSXDixieLine Passed Away January 27, 2013 In Memoriam

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    I believe on your Atlas forum review of the GP15-1 you indicated the clear spacers could be superglued to the bottom of the motor assembly to keep them in place. I almost lost them a couple of times even when being veeeeeery careful. BTW, I got the decoder installed but did not remove the inner bearing block simply becaiuse I first want to get some running time with this loco with DCC and the IBBs still installed. After a while, I'll remove the IBBs and see if there are any noticable changes. I can say the thing runs much smoother and is more quiet just with having the decoder installed. There was a noticable growl that went away, but that could have been the result of just removing the shell and reinstalling it. Jamie
     
  11. u18b

    u18b TrainBoard Supporter

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    Ok. Yes. We're talking about the GP15-1. Those pesky clear spacers do well to superglue in place. That doesn't have anything to do with the bearing blocks.

    But Yes, I agree.

    Ron Bearden
     
  12. SinCity

    SinCity TrainBoard Member

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    My SD-60 needs help......
     
  13. Delamaize

    Delamaize TrainBoard Member

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    this most likely will not work on an SD60
     
  14. u18b

    u18b TrainBoard Supporter

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    The Bearing Block Magic procedures do not work on SD60s or any other locos with a universal joint.
     
  15. SinCity

    SinCity TrainBoard Member

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    Sorry guys. I meant my C-628. Does the C-628/630 have a u-joint since it is a 6-axle?
     
  16. Delamaize

    Delamaize TrainBoard Member

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    99% of 6 exel units have Universal joints, there for the Bering block trick will not work.
     
  17. sandro schaer

    sandro schaer TrainBoard Member

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    the bearden mod does wonders to the 4-axle atlas engines. modifed quite a few of my gp38/gp40 engines.

    there are a few things i noticed however. if you don't reposition the hex nut you'll have a lot of back-and-forth play of the worm causing trucks to rock back-and-forth as well. i usually just make sure the hex-nut properly sits in the flywheel and use a small piece of foam inserted into the flywheel before the hex nut. a microtrains coupler spring can also be used. it helps to keep the worm properly aligned on top of the truck.

    some of the modified units have dozens of hours of running time. so far i was no able to detect excessive wear because of the mod.



    one word to tightening the screws of the frames. why the hell does everybody think they have to be tight ????? i usually loosen them (kato 1/2 turn, all others 1 turn) on brand new engines. none of my 370+ locos has the screws tightened completely !
     

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