TIPS

N TIPS
Off Highway Vehicle Products, Erie, PA.

Issue 49 January 2005

AC Truck RP Contactor Tip Inspection

The RP contactor presently used on new GE AC truck systems is a model 41A296327AL. A picture of
the contactor is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. 41A296327AL Contactor

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The contactor tips are designed such that the contact plate material on the three stationary tips
migrates to the one movable tip as shown in Figure 2.

Stationary Tips

Contact Plate
Material Migration

Moveable Tip

Figure 2. Contactor Tips

The contact plate material is an insert on the tip surface and is thicker on the stationary tips to
accommodate the material migration to the moveable tip. Reference Figures 3 and 4.

Contact Plate
Material Insert
Thick
Thin

Figure 4. New Moveable Tip

Figure 3. Slightly Used Stationary Tip (1 of 3)

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In operation, the stationary tips seat or wear into the moveable tip because the moveable tip is wider
and then the material migration from the stationary tips to the moveable tip starts to occur. Reference
Figure 5.

Wear in marks due to stationary tips

Figure 5. Moveable Tip Showing Wear In Marks.

Both the stationary and moveable tips must be replaced as a set if the contact plate material on either is
less than 1/32” thick. This is fairly easy to gage on the stationary tips because of the thick contact plate
material insert. The moveable tip is harder to gage because the plate material insert is only 1/16” thick
and because of the stationary tip wear in marks. However, it is readily evident when the contactor plate
material has worn away completely.

The contactor plate material is silver colored while the remaining tip material is copper colored. An
indication that the contact plate material has worn away is that the contact surface has a copper or gold
tint to it at certain points as shown in Figure 6. Also, the wear in marks will look fairly deep and the surface
will look rough due to the slag being generated. At this point in time, the contactor will tend to stick
closed and control system events (faults) will start to occur. Note: the copper / gold tint can also show
up on the stationary contacts depending upon how deep the wear has gone into the moveable contact
main material.

Copper tint

Figure 6. Moveable Contact Tip With Contact Plate Material Worn Away.

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In certain circumstances, the contact plate material will migrate from the moveable tips to the stationary tips. This
phenomenon seems to be site specific and has been correlated to sites with high contactor cycling rates. This
causes slag build up on the stationary tips as shown in Figure 7.
The slag should be removed with a small screw driver if it is interfering with the contactor closure. Take special
care that the slag not fall down into the contactor during removal as this can interfere with the designed
stationary tip movement. See Figure 8 for a detail of the mounting of the stationary tips in the contactor.

Slag
build up.

Figure 7. Stationary Contact Tip With Slag Figure 8. Stationary Contact Tip Mounting

Each of the three separate stationary tips are free to move a slight amount in order to improve seating into the
solid moveable tip. During contactor inspection, each stationary tip should be checked for movement and spring
tension relative to the other two tips. This can be accomplished by simply pushing each stationary tip towards
the contactor back using either your finger or a non-metallic object such as a plastic pen and noting movement
and force needed to move. Do not press directly on contact plate material as this may cause contamination and
or damage to the tip surface. See Figure 9 for details.

If one or more tips do not have proper movement or

spring force, the stationary tips will need to be
removed and the mounting area cleaned out. This
will necessitate changing out the mounting hardware
as it cannot be re-used. Since the mounting
hardware comes in the “Tip Replacement Kit”, the
end user may as well also replace both the stationary
and moveable tips at this time which must be
replaced as a set.

At several mines rapid RP contactor tip wear was

recently experienced. The local GE service
representative noticed that the stationary tips being
used were not those specified by GE. These tips
were designed to have removable tips themselves to
allow for rapid replacement. See Figure 10.
Figure 9. Checking Stationary Tip
Movement And Spring Tension.

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Tip of tip
removable.

Figure 10. Non GE

Authorized Replacement
Stationary Contactor Tip.

After investigation, it was found that the joint in the stationary tip causes overheating during operation
and this in turn leads to rapid tip wear in both the stationary and moveable contact tips as shown in
Figures 11 and 12.
Contact plate
material is
rapidly worn
away. Notice
copper tint.
Discoloration
due Rapid slag
to overheating build up.
at
joint.

Figure 12. Moveable Contactor

Tip Damage Due To Stationary
Tip Overheating.
Figure 11. Non GE Authorized Replacement
Stationary Contactor Tip Showing Discoloration Due
To Overheating
In closing, RP contactor tip inspection and replacement when needed will help prevent the contactor from
sticking and causing control system events (faults). The contact plate material on the tips is silver colored
while the main tip material is copper colored. An indication that the plate material has worn away completely
is a copper or gold tint to the contact surface. The tint will most likely not be consistent across the contact
surface due to slag build up. At this point, the tips will start to stick closed and control system events (faults)
will start to be generated..

Note 1: When installing new contact tips, both the stationary and moveable tips must be replaced as
a set (at the same time). Instructions for tip replacement can be found in GEK-91698A, DC
Contactor 41A296327AL.
Note 2: The two piece non GE authorized replacement stationary tips should not be used as they
result in rapid wear in both the stationary and moveable contact tips.

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Planet Cover Sight Glass

Following are the instructions required for modifying current planet covers to include provisions to
have site glasses installed for oil level monitoring.

The following parts are required depending on wheel model:

Wheel Model Left Side Right Side

GE787 & GE788 & GEB25 41A205770P7 499A919AZP7
Tank Flange Pipe Coupling
GE776 & GE791 & GEB23 41A205770P7 41A205770P7
Tank Flange Tank Flange
All models will require either a pipe plug (N5700P81) or a site glass designed to fit into a 1.25 NPT
fitting for each side

Tools and equipment needed to complete the task:

Stick or MIG welding equipment

Plasma Cutter, Hole Saw or Hole Punch
Appropriate paint to prevent future rusting

PROCEDURE:
The planet cover will need to be removed from the wheel assembly to perform this modification. Refer
to the appropriate OHV manual for this procedure. Failure to do so could potentially cause damage to
the wheel as some models require welding on the backside of the planet cover and all require
additional holes to be added.
Hole location must be identified per the details in Figure 1. Locations requiring a tank flange
(41A205770P7) will require a 2.00” hole while locations requiring a pipe coupling (499A919AZP7) will
require a 2.06” hole. The tank flange is simply placed in the hole until the flange is against the cover
surface. The circumference of the flange is then welded with a 1/8” bead. The pipe coupling is placed
in the hole and positioned so 3/16” of it is past the back surface. The pipe coupling can be tacked in
place and then finish welded on each side around the circumference with a 3/16” bead. A light soapy
water solution should be applied to the finished welds; air pressure from a nozzle should then be
applied around the joint on the backside to check for leaks. The formation of bubbles, as the air passes
through any defective welds, will identify a leak. Any leaks found will need further welding to repair.

At this point the cover can be painted to prevent rust and pipe plugs (N5700P81) or 1.25 NPT site
glass plugs can be installed in the fittings. The cover can then be re-installed on the wheel following the
procedure outlined in the appropriate OHV Manual for that model wheel.

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Wheel Style A (in.) B (in.) C (in.) D (in.)

GE787 & GEB25 22.37 22.37 16.79 16.57

GE788 18.818 18.818 16.78 16.56
GE776 & GE791 & GEB23 17.57 17.57 15.38 7.37

Figure 1 Mounting Dimensions