Portescap Motor Help

[Theakerr]

A while back i remember reading an article about rebuilding a Portescap motor to reduce the noise. I have done a search to no avail. Can anyone point me to the article. Thanks

[MEGair]

Hi

 

It may have been on the old site. I would google "Portescap motor" and see what comes up. I googled LNER Garratt and found the info I was looking for.

 

Mark in OZ

[bertiedog]

Don't know about the article,......... but Portescap should be very quiet, unless the bevel gear has shifted on either shaft to mesh too tight,(or very loose), or the motor centre line is out of alignment with the bevel gear centre line of contact, perhaps the frame is bent. It only needs a few thou out to upset the gearbox bevel gear. The spur gears do not make any noise unless grossly worn.

 

Some later Portescap units have a less fine finish to the bevel gears, and it whines at speed, but all should be generally quite quiet.

 

The gears can be replaced, but if in sound condition, they may need re-adjustment to get the working clearances. The lube is very important, silicon grease thinned with silicon oil seems best, do not use ordinary oil or grease.

 

Stephen.

[Wayne Rite]

Hi,

 

Comet Models have a very good cure for the whine of the later Portescaps,its on their website. I personally won't go near them these days, much preferring the offerings of High Level Kits, more choice and less than half the price! Mind you I don't know what a Portescap sells for these days, I have a couple that I changed out of kit built loco's a while ago, maybe I should put them on the dreaded Ebay and see what occurs.

 

Cheers

[Horsetan]

....Some later Portescap units have a less fine finish to the bevel gears, and it whines at speed....

 

That was because the moulds for the bevels had begun to deteriorate.

 

I still think there is very little to match the free-running qualities of a bevel-and-spur (or contrate-pinion-and spur) drivetrain. And with some flywheels in there......wohohohohohoho

 

A well-built alternative to Portescap / Faulhaber motors is Maxon. They are also coreless and can be had in various sizes, and are available on eBay. The 1516 and 1524 sizes are virtually direct replacements for the motors used in the RG4"C" and "M".

 

.....Mind you I don't know what a Portescap sells for these days, I have a couple that I changed out of kit built loco's a while ago, maybe I should put them on the dreaded Ebay and see what occurs.....

 

They seem to be much sought after on eBay - almost the status of collectors' items now. Anywhere between £50 and £100 each would be my estimate, regardless of whether "C", "M" or "1219" size, although I did see one switched-on seller offer his on a "Buy-It-Now" for the bargain price of ....£125 some weeks ago.

[Theakerr]

Gentelmen, Thank-you. The comet article looks really good, I will give it a try. At them moment I can hear my Little Engines Pom Pom two rooms away, but it runs well! I am most pleased with a DJH motor gearbox that replaced a Portescap in my A5 and was thinking about replacing the the Pom Pom with another DJH, but will give this a try before I do.