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Burning E type Jag

2K views 16 replies 8 participants last post by  RikoRocket 
#1 ·
Hi all, this is my first post.

I'm new to scalextric slot cars and have recently been buying old collectable models mostly on ebay.
My recent purchase was a C34 E type Jaguar (Made in Spain), which was in need of a tidy up, but I've come across this problem which I'm not sure about - I wonder if there is someone on the forum who could give me advice.

When I put it on the track the motor runs hesitantly then it starts smoking and on inspection the brushes are very hot.
The brushes look ok to me, but what do I know?

Is there a simple solution to this problem, or will it need a new motor (RX)?
Any advice is most welcome, thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
Clean the commutator which the twin brushes rest on with meths. You will also see 2 slits in your commutator, clean these out with a pin.
A smoking RX engine can also simply be your motor burning out. If that`s the case you can either bin it or send it away to a railway model specialist (Google The Engineworks of Canterbury, A1 service!) for a refurb.
Cheers,
Kev.
 
#3 ·
The RX motors are fairly robust, and can be cleaned with ease, steps as follows
1) remove motor from chassis and then with a 9volt battery connect to the motor, this should spin it slowly.
2) if it doesnt then check the brushes these are located over the commutator and look like copper strips.
3) check the spring is in place and that the insulation sleeve is in place and intact.
4) With some very light wet and dry paper wrap this around the commutator and slowly turn it by turning the armature, this will shine the commutator up.#
5) Check the gaps between the plates of the commutator, and clean these gentley with a pin, remove the carp but do be gentle there will be three slots.
6) lightly oil the felt pads 1 at the magnet end and the other is in front of the pinion.

Reconnect the motor to the 9volt battery this should then spin up, reconnect motor in the body and lightly oil all the bearings for the axle and gear.

above should revitalise the motor and give hours of running, if it doesnt I am afraid you will have to look for a new one/

Zen
 
#4 ·
QUOTE (zendragon @ 31 May 2011, 22:00) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The RX motors are fairly robust, and can be cleaned with ease, steps as follows
1) remove motor from chassis and then with a 9volt battery connect to the motor, this should spin it slowly.
2) if it doesnt then check the brushes these are located over the commutator and look like copper strips.
3) check the spring is in place and that the insulation sleeve is in place and intact.
4) With some very light wet and dry paper wrap this around the commutator and slowly turn it by turning the armature, this will shine the commutator up.#
5) Check the gaps between the plates of the commutator, and clean these gentley with a pin, remove the carp but do be gentle there will be three slots.
6) lightly oil the felt pads 1 at the magnet end and the other is in front of the pinion.

Reconnect the motor to the 9volt battery this should then spin up, reconnect motor in the body and lightly oil all the bearings for the axle and gear.

above should revitalise the motor and give hours of running, if it doesnt I am afraid you will have to look for a new one/

Zen
Excellent advice Zen....and thanks also to Kev, I did all the above and the motor runs great now, but..........only with the 9v battery, as soon as I test it on the track it starts smoking again and hardly moves.

I did the test without the top body on and noticed sparking at the bushes - does this defo look like the RX is goosed?
 
#6 · (Edited by Moderator)
QUOTE (zendragon @ 1 Jun 2011, 20:31) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Do you know what type of transformer you are using?, I hope it is a DC voltage and not AC, what you discribe sounds as though it is AC or a digital one

ZenMmmmm.....you've got me there mate!

I'll check and see what I've got although I'm not quite sure what to look for yet???

As I've said I'm totally new to this stuff and willing to learn.

My track which is fairly large consists of 'Start' and 'Sport' mixed....I'm using one controller at one end of the room with the 'Start' track and the other controller with the 'Sport' track, (Two power packs, one controller for each) could this be what's causing this problem? In saying that all my other cars work fine on it, even the old ones.

Just want to take this opportunity in thanking you for your previous tips, today I carried out your recommendations for cleaning and servicing of the rx motor on all my old cars, and I've got to say, they are running a lot better than before. Thanks, but the e type Jag.......(?) mystery.

Billy
 
#7 ·
I would suggest taking out the sport power base and replace with a normal straight.
What controller are you using for the 'e type', it is a puzzle, if as you say it works on a 9volt battery there should be no reason for it not to work on the track, are you using the same controller for the other cars, try putting the battery on the track and see if the car goes around without powering the track if you have booster cables disconnet these as well, I am afraid to say that at distance it is difficult to diagnose problems, if your other cars are going around then I am afraid it does sound like the motor has had it, although for the life of me I can see no reason for it working on a battery and not of of the transformer like the other cars if as you say they are all wired the same I just hope you havent fitted it with a digital chip, just as a safeguard change the insulation on the spring it might be that this is a problem and that it is shorting when it gets more amperage than from the battery.
I would hate to see the motor consigned to the great scrapyard in the sky and if you were closer I would offer to examine for you but there you go, I HOPE all goes well and that you the above will help to solve the problem, the good thing is that if you do have to replace the motor you should be able to maintain it well!!!.
Regards
Zen
PS thankyou for your kind words most people see me as a GRUMP maybe this will help
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
Thanks Zen your comments are greatly appreciated, got me thinking about the insulation on the spring, I've noted the insulation on my other cars with the rx motor are of a plastic electrical wire type, the Jags insulation is like a floppy cloth material - will look to change it and let you know how I get on. Wont be for another week or so as I'm off on a long awaited break...will make this my aim when I get back.

Grump? You never know maybe after I ask you for more advice in future you'll live up to your tag(?)

Thanks again...I've got a feeling you've nailed it regarding the insulation thing.

Regards
Billy

PS Just an afterthought....I've been testing the e type with the sport power base controller, I'll test it with the 'start' power base and see what happens.
Cant do it now, but will give it a test when I get back.
 
#9 ·
QUOTE (zendragon @ 2 Jun 2011, 23:45) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>PS thankyou for your kind words most people see me as a GRUMP maybe this will help

Perhaps if you didn't wear the badge..........
 
#10 ·
I'd also maybe check you're not getting a short circuit somewhere around the braids, if it has a resistor thingy that might be worth looking at (or taking off, these were to stop interference with TV sets possibly?)

I recently got and old Spanish E-type and the top of the body jars the tyres, maybe check the wheels can turn freely too?
 
#11 ·
Hi thanks again everyone....I changed the brush spring on the motor thinking maybe that was the prob, but it's still burning when I put it on the track and after about 5 seconds the motor is very hot.
I have other cars with this motor and all run fine on my track, is this a defo sign that the motor is goosed?
 
#12 ·
If other cars work and the motor runs freely out of the car the problem's not the transformer. It has to be something like the gears or the axle binding or the tyres fouling the body. Do the rear wheels turn the motor freely when turned by hand?

Cheers

John
 
#13 ·
QUOTE (vfr750 @ 14 Jul 2011, 13:44) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>If other cars work and the motor runs freely out of the car the problem's not the transformer. It has to be something like the gears or the axle binding or the tyres fouling the body. Do the rear wheels turn the motor freely when turned by hand?

Cheers

John

Yes John, the wheels turn freely by hand - also turn freely when connected to a 9v battery. I gave this car a good clean, gears, contrate etc, when I first got it, it must be the motor. I was thinking maybe swapping the rx motor with another cars motor (I have an Austin Healey & a Ferrari Berlinetta, both have rx motors) the problem is they all have different guide pins, meaning disconnecting the wiring, then having to reconnect them and I have never done this before. Ach I suppose I'll have to try it.

Thanks

Billy
 
#14 ·
Billy,
I dont see that changing the motor will solve the problem!!!, the motor runs freely when on the 9volt battery, when does it stop running freely, will it run in just the bottem of the chassis, when you put the body on does it stop, as I have said these motors run or they dont the fact that it does on a battery means it is OK, something else must be causing a problem, I hope you have oiled all the felt pads on the motor and checked the axle is free, there should also be a small amount of end flot on the armature, go through the above and check at each stage before moving on, it is possible that the old wires are shorting, or that one of the isulation pads is failing at higher voltage, if the above checks fail we are running out of options
Zen
 
#16 ·
In frustration I decided to change the motor with the old reliable Austin Healey 3000 (couldn't resist) and found when I 'swapped' it into the e type the old horse ran round the track like a 2 year old - turned out that aged 60-a-day heavy smoking rx I got with the e type in the first place was 'slammed' - seems a pity to just throw it in the bin, so I'll stick it on ebay for spares and maybe someone out there will bring it back to life.
In the meantime, the Jag is off limits, with nowhere to go (grounded), the sublime Healey has got it's engine back, and runs nimbly round my track (what an example that wee car is to slot cars).
....suppose that's the end of this thread...just like some of those old 'smokin' rx motors from days gone by...hmmm?
 
#17 ·
Its probably the magnet that needs to be remagnetised - but you need a device to do this and they are as rare as rocking horse poo. A better/cheaper alternative is there is a guy on ebay selling replacement magnets for RX motors, they use modern materials so are stronger and dont need zapping in place like the old ones.
 
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