File this under "Oh well, that didn't work".

[noddaz]

I was tuning (using that word very lightly) my AW-Tjet chassis that was under my Avanti and ran with an informal idea. The idea was what if I sanded the dome off of the stock brushes? The train of thought was that if the top was flat the spring could push the brush against the comm with more brush area actually on the comm. And maybe, just maybe this would keep the brushes from tilting/rocking in the brush holes.
Unfortunately, I was not able to sand the tops of the brushes flat, the brushes ended up wedge shaped. Which of course did not work well at all.
Scott

[slothead]

Don't you just love the boost of Adrenalin that comes along with a bright idea?

My "Oh well, that didn't work" file has been overflowing since I was about 19 and kept trying to come up with cool and creative ways to ask cute girls out.

[RichD]

The stock domed Johnny Lightning/Auto World brushes often do not ride flat on the commutator. I get better performance with plain Wizzard or Slottech brushes that are Xed on the spring side to keep them from spinning. To sand the stock brushes and keep them from tilting you could drill a 1/8th inch hole in a block of wood and put shims in the hole so that the top of the brush will be the right height. If you sand the dome off of the stock brushes you would probably need to adjust the brush springs somewhat or will not have enough tension.

[noddaz]

Not a bad idea Rich.
Now let me go ruin more brushes and a piece of wood.

Scott

[elcaminobill]

Don’t know if you tried it but I recall reading that sanding in a figure 8 pattern helps sand brushes evenly.

[noddaz]

Oh well that didn't work part II

I have been trying to get some of the slop out of a AW Tjet gear plate when I had the idea pressing the idler gear itself to make the diameter slightly bigger for better gear tooth engagement. I used some hand tools to press the gear then reamed the center hole to install it onto the idler post. It was very tight and I decided to use an outside power source (cordless Dremel) to spin the armature and run the idler gear in. Slow was good so a little faster must be better, right? No, it wasn't. It seems I have welded the plastic idler gear to the plastic post from friction.

You don't see that every day. But all is not lost. I just might have better tooth engagement! But the idler gear no longer turns. Make some notes and learn from this and move on to the next experiment.

[BIG E]

Oh well, you can at least save the armature, right? :>) Ernie

[noddaz]

Oh yeah! If I can pry the center gear off I might be able to save the gear plate too.

[Austin]

I have welded the plastic idler gear to the plastic post

Better luck next time. Slow and easy does the job right

[noddaz]

"Slow and easy does the job right"
I don't have time for that! lol

[RichD]

If the idler gear is a sloppy fit you can expand the post using the tool from RT-HO or you can swage the gear itself. You do have to be careful or the fit will be too tight, in that case you could use a reamer to enlarge the hole in the idler gear. If the reamer was too big you could start the cycle over again.
See this article: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PQm...ew?usp=sharing

[noddaz]

Rich the intent was not to close up the center hole of the gear, it was to slightly increase the diameter of the gear. Of course the idler post to gear clearance is now zero. Let me get a bigger hammer to fix that.
Scott

[RichD]

Since the idler gear is plastic you can enlarge the hole using the right diameter drill blank or just try squashing another gear a little less. I have not had a problem with JL/AW top gears except on the driven gear end, as I mentioned in the article the cluster gear assembly often wants to get cocked causing a poor mesh with both the idler and crown gears.

[Fathead59]

Making mistakes is , IMHO , natural . It is learning from your mistakes . And trying not to make the same mistake twice .