Motor adaptation
To make use of the motor from the Lifelike SW 9/1200 mech we needed to re-arrange the worms and flywheel on the shafts, which
can only be done with a gear/wheel puller and small press. For future reference, the top of the motor is where the outer silver
casing has a small hole in it. Please mark it accordingly. The flywheel is placed in the long hood end of the chassis when completed.
When the motor has been re-arranged the worm gears should be sitting centrally over the bogies
Original motor
The altered motor fitted with a brass nut as a dampener
The following steps require the use of a gear puller and press to complete
Spirit Design offers a gear pulling service for those that are not equipped to do so for a small fee.
1.
Extract the cab end worm gear and set it aside
2.
Slide brass nut (harmonic dampener) onto the cab end motor shaft
3.
Push the cab end worm gear forward so that the end is about 3mm from the motor casing
4.
Extract the long hood worm gear and set it aside
5.
Extract the brass flywheel from the motor shaft
6.
Press the long hood worm gear so that its end is 3mm away from the motor casing
7.
Press the flywheel onto the motor shaft about 1mm away long hood worm gear
This completes the motor adaptation and it can be set aside until the chassis construction is almost complete. If you get a slight
imbalance in the motor when testing you may need to counter the rotational forces of the flywheel by adding a small brass nut
drilled out to 1.5mm so that it slides around on the motor shaft as pictured in the “Altered” LifeLike motor photo above
Plywood chassis:
Note the single hole and scribed line at one end of the chassis deck is the reference mark for the cab
end
1.
Glue the plywood chassis top deck (P38) 0.4mmm plywood to the top of (P25) 1.2mm plywood so that the scribed line
across a small hole is at the same end as each other
2.
Glue (P41) to the chassis cab end top paying close attention so that the shape and holes of the bogie are even and
aligned. The notched area goes towards the motor hole in the centre of the chassis cutaway
3.
Glue (P42) to the chassis opposite end top paying close attention so that the shape and holes of the bogie are even and
aligned. The notched area goes towards the motor hole in the centre of the chassis cutaway
4.
Glue the motor fork marked ‘C’ (narrow) (P26) into the cab end of the motor cut out hole paying very careful attention so
that it sits
square
and
vertical
with the chassis floor.
The scribed line points away from the motor and to the
headstock end
5.
Repeat the same procedure for the wide motor mounting fork (P27) that is for the long hood again making sure that the
scribed line points away from the motor and to the other headstock end
6.
Run beads of glue in front of the forks where they join the chassis for extra strength but do not let it encroach into the
bogie mounting slots. Where the forks are glued into the chassis, this is now known as the
‘Chassis Top’
7.
Gently clean the holes where the bogies go with an ‘Oval’ file but don’t remove too much as we don’t want the bogies to fall
out. Check for fit with a bogie and ensure they swivel freely. Use a 2B pencil or softer to coat the bogie holes with graphite
to make a slippery surface for the bogies to spin freely
8.
Open up the 4 screw holes in the chassis deck near the motor opening with a 34 thou/0.8mm drill (no 65) bit
9.
Once dry lightly sand the chassis bottom so that the motor forks are flat with the chassis base
10.
Insert the bogies and depending on the play between the hooks that hold the bogie in and the chassis top plate you made
need to use the styrene buffing plates (P39-P40). I have noticed that some of the bogies for the LifeLike are about
10thou difference in height where they protrude through the holes in the deck and as a consequence you may need to use
the styrene buffing plates (P39 & P40) If they are not needed proceed to
STEP 13
11.
With a sanding stick file away the small meniscus on the 10thou styrene bogie friction plates (P39 & P40) both front and
back which are caused by the lasering process
12.
Using Selley’s hydrocarbon Kwik Grip coat the chassis area in front of the motor mounting forks to the edge of the chassis.
Wait 20 seconds and then press the styrene friction pads (P39 & P40) to the chassis top. Once the glue is dry ensure the
bogie holes are clean by inserting a bogie and rotating it around. If the depth of the chassis is too tight once the bogies are
inserted, gently sand a small bit at a time of the chassis bottom until a free fit but
NOT
a sloppy fit is obtained. It is crucial
to have a neat fit but not a sloppy fit, as this will introduce unwanted harmonics when the motor is running. With a pencil
mark the cab end with a dot using the underside as a guide
13.
Glue both (P43) into the square holes (P30) which forms the decoder/chassis locking plate
14.
Paint the chassis parts black (P25 & P38)
