Noisy Ultrascale Conversions

[Penrhos1920]

Most of my RTR conversions use Gibson or Branchlines wheels. But I’ve recently done three Ultrascale conversions; 153 and 158 DMU and 56xx tank, and all of them are a lot noisier than the unconverted loco. There appear to be two different noises. One is the pickups which appear to scrape and judder because of the longer free movement that they have. The other noise sounds more like the gears or drivetrain. My 158 sounds like the old Lima pancake motor.

Am I the only one to experience this? Has anyone found a way to cure the noises?

[Tim V]

Surely if you've converted them they are running on different track?

If so - it's the track or its base.

[Penrhos1920]

Both P4 and OO track are on very similar baseboards. Also the 153 had previously been converted using Gibson wheels and the original nylon gear. Beginning to think that the ultrascale brass gear is the cause.

[grovenor-2685]

Also the 153 had previously been converted using Gibson wheels and the original nylon gear.

So what was wrong with that setuo that you wanted to change it? I have done most of my conversions that way with success.
Regards
Keith

[Penrhos1920]

I was never really happy with the 153 conversion and a cheap Ultrascale conversion came up on ebay. The wheels weren't the right size, there was a wobble....

Wizard of the Moor was here yesterday and he has shown me some tiny bits of plastic flash on the backs of the wheels that are catching on the pickups. Unlike Gibson wheels where the moulding pip and flash are quiet big on the Ultrascale wheels it is tiny. A combination of removing the biggest bits of flash and curving the pickup so that it only runs on the metal tread should solve the pickup noise issue.

[Philip Hall]

I can only speak for the steam engine conversions that I've done using a replacement Ultrascale brass gear, the 28XX and the T9. Both sound the same if not quieter than the Hornby original in 00. I've done the same conversions with the original Hornby final drive gear and I've never noticed a difference.

I can't see that a replacement final drive gear in brass running against a nylon gear would be any noisier, only if it was metal to metal contact. The only extra thing I usually do is to run a steel brush in a minidrill over the surface of the brass gear just in case there are any slightly sharp edges where the teeth have been cut, although I think I'm being unnecessarily picky. I lubricate the gears with a fair smearing of Pronatur grease. There is also a fair amount of play in the mesh of RTR gears and maybe it would be an idea to check that the play is still there.

Philip