I have an Aristo GP40 and the gears are frozen on one end of one motor block. Does anyone know where I can find a new motor block? This was my favorite engine and I would like to fix it for less than what a new USA GP38 would cost. I have several FA1 motor blocks but they don’t exactly fit besides I have a couple FA1’s and a Doodlebug I am keeping them for. I haven’t seen any GP40’s on EBay
Thanks
Jim
Ouch, that is a rare bird… better off buying a 3 axle truck and swapping the gearbox(es) into your 2 axle block.
Greg
I have actually installed FA1 motorblocks on two of my GP40’s. The side rails are a little long, but you can cut off the flanges on the GP40 side rails and bond them onto the FA1 motorblocks. I actually like the performance of the generation 2 GP40 motorblocks a little better than the FA1’s, but if you are battery powered like I am, the FA1 motorblocks draw less current.
Ed
Greg is right. I would take it apart and see if it is one of the gear boxes. The fix would be easy if you can locate one.
I have removed the gear box and it is frozen, Paul, per my original. I will probably have to use one of my FA1 blocks but hate to since they are no longer available either and I have a fleet of FA1s (20+ yrs old) and a Doodlebug that uses them also. Hmm. I do have a FA1 block with a bad motor, maybe I could resurrect it’s gear box. Thanks for the idea Greg.
Jim
You can’t make a FA gearbox work in the GP40, the motor block is way different.
Look for a loco with a bad motor block… interesting, you removed the gearboxes and motor from the block.
So the central shaft is locked? Very strange, normally the motors go in GP40’s
Was it easy to remove the motor?
Greg
That is interesting, Greg. I have 2 GP40’s that I run just about every day with FA motorblocks. Have not had any trouble at all with them. As I mentioned above though, the side rails are too long and won’t fit. You can either cut the ends back, or bond the GP40 side rails onto the motorblocks.
Ed
Ed, you are talking about swapping the whole truck, and both of them. Greg is talking about swapping gears and motors. If I am reading the posts right.
Thanks David… I applaud your reading skills.
Also the FA motor blocks are not as rugged, but Ed changed his to save batteries, which was not mentioned.
It’s pretty unusual for the new gearboxes to give problems, the older style ones crack axles all the time, and have weak power pickup. The gears strip easier.
There is more to this story here…
Greg
Jim,
If you do find that a gear box is bad and replace it I would be interested in the bad one for parts. Please keep me in mind.
That makes sense, David. He is definitely correct in that regard. I did indeed changeout the entire motorblocks.
And Greg, you are right about my making the changeout to increase runtime with my batteries. If you check my first post on this thread I mentioned that very fact. Also that is interesting about the ruggedness. I have many diesels with the FA1 motorblocks, and have never had a problem with one of them. One thing that I have noticed though, is that they don’t have the pulling capacity of the GP40 motorblocks.
Also, an interesting sidelight to this discussion. I have three GN GP40’s that were special manufactured for RLD Hobbies. THey have the second generation motorblocks for the GP40. I run one GP40 with these motorblocks in them fairly regularly and they have performed flawlessly so far.
Ed
There was a problem with the first issue GP40 motor blocks with the motors burning out. Aristo offered free replacements for them at the time.
Exactly, no changes in the gearboxes.
I’m still hoping to learn the exact failure in the gearbox. They are very rugged, but I do know of a specific failure that seems to stem from the lack of lubrication on the axles themselves, which eventually results in this:
