Federal Model 17 help

bpollard

Member
Jun 13, 2010
422
USA, SC
Hey folks. I have a rally good condition Model 17 that i am ready to restore. The chrome skirt is in great condition, it has a red (plastic) dome that i think will restore nicely, etc. it has been disassembled, but it comes from a trusted source who states that everything is there.

he told me that the reason he tore it apart in the first place was to restore it, and that the motor wouldn't run. The shaft with the lamp assemblies would freewheel and spin.

is that normal? Is there some kind of clutch or something inside the gearbox? Or am i looking at a stripped out gearbox in addition to a dead motor?

Your advice would be appreciated. This beacon was removed from a 1963 American LaFrance engine, which was our department's first Engine (Engine 10)

thanks
Bob
 
  • Like
Reactions: southpaw
Jun 18, 2013
3,709
PA
Going from your information it sounds as if the gearbox is stripped out.
What do they look like? you should have a fairly large nylon gear that makes contact with the worm gear from the motor and in turn spins the lamp assembly.

Does the nylon gear look chewed up?
As for the motor you can test by applying 12v+ DC to the power wire coming from it, and just grounding it to the motor housing.. does it run?

Fellow elb member @Skulldigger does motor repairs.. and I can vouch for him as I have used his services in the past.

can't really comment further without pictures.. but finding a replacement gear is not too hard.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kadetklapp

dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,766
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
The older Beacon Rays used a fiberous gear instead of plastic. These were known for stripping. If so, the new plastic gear assemblies will fit in their place. Expect to pay $50 +.
 

Skulldigger

Member
Aug 23, 2015
1,739
Georgia / USA
Take the door off of the gear box and you should see this. It may be the gear is stripped or the motor may be positioned too far away from the gear. One other option is the gear is free spinning on the shaft and needs the lock screw tightened. If the motor doesn't work, send it my way and we will try and get it running again.

DSC_0184.JPG
 

bpollard

Member
Jun 13, 2010
422
USA, SC
thanks for all the input guys. I apprecaite it. I am out of town most of the week, will dig into this when i get home.

Be safe
Bob
 

Forum Statistics

Threads
53,964
Messages
449,809
Members
19,103
Latest member
Safetylight5

About Us

  • Since 1997, eLightbars has been the premier venue for all things emergency warning equipment. Discussions, classified listings, pictures, videos, chat, & more! Our staff members strive to keep the forums organized and clutter-free. All of our offerings are free-of-charge with all costs offset by banner advertising. Premium offerings are available to improve your experience.

User Menu

Secure Browsing & Transactions

eLightbars.org uses SSL to secure all traffic between our server and your browsing device. All browsing and transactions within are secured by an SSL Certificate with high-strength encryption.