Spring has sprung

[maczimb]

I have an IHS HO steamer that isn't running quite right.
I decided to give it a good going over, Stripped it down, no problem at which point I thought perhaps the carbon brushes are not making good contact. When I attempted to remove the first brush, the compression spring, sprung on me. The little #$%^er is slightly bigger than a pin head.
I spent about a half hour on hands and knees to no avail.
Don't know where I'm going to get another spring.
I'm sure I'll come up with a solution.
Mean while I will continue to allow the hobby to drive me crazy.
Mac

 

[Larry]

Find a local motor repair business in your town or an automotive electrical repair place & you can get that spring from them, if not, let me know & I probably have one.

 

[NH Mike]

Is a Kadee coupler spring too big? If it is the right diameter but too long you can cut it down. Just a quick thought.

 

[maczimb]

Hi Larry.
Thanks for the advice and the offer.
I just got lucky! I was going through a box of junk that I acquired when I first got into this frustrating hobby about three years ago. In the midst of all the junk was a motor, identical to what I have, it is burned out but the brush springs are intact.
Voila!! the little beast is running again.
We do get lucky occasionally.
Mac

 

[Larry]

When I use to work on a lot of engines I acquired a large spring asst. from a motor repair shop. I've probably used at least a dozen springs from those. I have an awfully hard time finding things on a floor even w/a large Halogen light in my shop.
I usually find missing parts w/the shop vac. I always clean my shop vac out before I clean my shop. That way, if it picks up something I will hear it hit the side & bottom of the metal vac.

 

[maczimb]

Hi Mike.
Thanks for your input.
I did in fact consider a spring from a Kadee coupler, they are a tiny bit smaller than the carbon brush spring, however, there are two Kadee springs somewhere on my garage floor, they also "sprung" when I attempted to remove them from the couplers.
Larry, my garage floor is coated with a textured/speckled epoxy. drop something and it blends in with one of those speckles. All I can do is crawl around on my knees and hope that I feel something either with my hands or, painfully with my knees.
All the best.
Mac