Just wondering if anyone has ever successfully dismantled ( & reassembled) the rear truck of this type engine (Mantua/Tyco F7), to replace the traction tires? It's my son's engine, so before I start I'd like to get some insights and guidance. Tuvm Mike
There are a few versions of Tyco/Mantua drives, so you need to figure out which one you have. If you go online and search under MANTUA/TYCO REPAIR or POWER TORQUE REPAIR you will find numerous sites that offer fix it tips. There is a fine YOUTUBE video on POWER TORQUE repair and traction tire replacement. Search under the title HOW TO SERVICE A TYCO POWER TORQUE and it should pop up. Chances are not good for repair. The 70's and 80's Tyco stuff was just too cheap to mess with. The Power Torque is a pancake motor that sits in a plastic axle/truck casing. The drive gears on this drive are weak and tend to strip out. The Mantua 1960's vintage motors (MU-2?) that I have tried to fix are riveted together, and not worth the trouble to try and fix. From what I have read, if these motors are dead, that's it. They are, however, the strongest motor arrangement that Tyco offered. For what a set of new traction tires will cost you, you could be 3/4 of the way to the cost of a good, used Athearn (NOT the Hy-drive rubber band Athearn). You may want to look into the possibility of buying a used Athearn F unit online or at a trainshow. -Mark
Well, I agree w/ all the above. For future reference I was able to pry (actually break) off the side of the rear truck covering the wheel and replaced the worn tires. After replacing the tires, I epoxyed the cover back in place. Kind of like brutal surgery... but it's running A-OK for now... It's more of a sentimental thing w/ my son. He's attached to the old Penn Central F7. Tuvm Mike
If duct tape won't work, epoxy is always an excellent choice. I had an bakelite MG Midget brake light switch fall apart in my hands whilst removing it. Cost for a replacement switch-$65 in 1987 for NOS. Cost to clean the switch contacts, mix up some 5 minute epoxy and pour it into the switch housing with the bakelite pieces, thereby fixing the switch-$2. It worked for years. Your son has good taste. I was a PC nut before the Milwaukee Road became my line. That was back in the early 80's. I received untold grief from all the old foamers for being a Penn Central fan. The only line that generated more contempt was Consolidated Rail Corporation. I still have a PC Tyco GP20 that was the first loco I painted and decaled with my friends Dad. Black with the big white, "PC" on the side. I can still here him asking as we got ready to paint it: "Are you SURE you want this to be a Penn Central?!!". In my case, it was the logo design that interested me. As I grew older and read more, I found the PC, like the Milwaukee, was a great way to introduce myself to the machinations of big business..and big business failures. Poor management, lack of vision, unable to accept changes to the market place, bloated executive compensation, immutable union rules, an unwillingness to respond to consumer demands, arrogance..I learned all this just by researching these railroads. So, you may have a future foamer AND budding economist. -Mark
