Now that we’ve got the motor separated from the machine, nosotros tin shop the auto someplace else, to costless upwards some desk space. We won't come upwards dorsum to the auto for a while.
Our side past times side finish is to larn the motor open. In monastic tell to produce that nosotros involve to take away what’s called the armature, in addition to if you lot don’t know what that is, you’ll come across it shortly. In monastic tell to take away the armature nosotros should starting fourth dimension take away the grease wicks in addition to the motor brushes, a multi-step process.
I start past times using a large condom band to larn the motor leads out of the way. (Please banking corporation notation this show was shot twice alongside 2 potted motors. Please excuse whatsoever cosmetic differences betwixt the two.)
Removing the grease loving cup caps
We start alongside the grease cups, 2 curt shafts that comprise the grease wicks in addition to some other fun stuff. The user is supposed to periodically create total the grease cups alongside grease, which the wicks in addition to then deliver to the armature shaft to continue it prissy in addition to lubricated hence the motor tin plough freely.
The grease cups are enclosed past times 2 large, knurled caps:
Sometimes you lot tin unscrew them past times hand, but other times they’re stuck fast past times quondam grease. If you lot cannot unscrew them alongside your fingers, it’s fourth dimension to motility to Plan B: A penny in addition to a pair of pliers.
In the procedure of doing this you lot may ruin the penny, but that volition nonetheless larn inward the cheapest tool you lot ever bought.
First stick the penny inward the pliers. Then utilization the pliers to stick the penny into the slot of i of the grease loving cup caps.
But don’t start unscrewing yet; acre the penny is inward the slot, slide the pliers farther onto the penny hence that there’s no infinite betwixt the pliers in addition to the grease loving cup cap. This volition give you lot improve leverage. Then you lot tin easily unscrew each cap without totally twisting the penny out of shape.
After removing both caps, if the insides of the caps themselves are covered inward old, difficult grease, I wipe off what I can, in addition to then drib them inward a shot drinking glass alongside some rubbing alcohol, to loosen the quondam grease up. They caps volition presently live on joined inward the drinking glass past times some friends.
Removing the grease wicks, springs, in addition to retaining clips
Turning dorsum to the grease cups, alongside the caps removed, nosotros come across this:
What we’re looking for is a picayune rectangular tab that lets us know where to house our tweezers or forceps. In the photograph above, you lot tin come across the rectangular tab inward the right grease loving cup but non the left.
Look at the same photograph alongside some blood-red dots that I’ve added. Those dots grade where you lot would insert a pair of tweezers or forceps. Read on for an explanation.
The left grease loving cup is completely filled alongside grease...
...but if nosotros scrape some grease out nosotros eventually come across this:
What we’re looking at is the exceed of a picayune metallic retaining clip that holds the grease wicks, in addition to a confine containing them, inward place. To take away this retaining clip, nosotros involve to stick the points of a pair of tweezers/forceps where the blood-red dots are inward the photograph below.
Stick the points downwards into the loving cup only 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch past times the tab, or a few millimeters for those of you lot living inward countries alongside a to a greater extent than sensible criterion system.
Then mash the tweezers really gently in addition to clit straight off out of the grease cup. The retaining clip should come upwards out alongside the tweezers. If they don’t in addition to they experience similar they’re stuck, mash only a picayune flake tighter--be gentle hence every bit non to overly curvature the frail clip--and seek again.
Sometimes the retainers come upwards out in addition to convey the confine & wick alongside it, other times it does not.
If it does not, hold off inward the hole in addition to you'll come across the spring.
Pull it out, gently, alongside the tweezers. They should come upwards out alongside the wick. If for some argue they don’t, fish or hence inward the hole alongside the tweezers in addition to clit the wick out. (This may live on a messy process.) After you’ve done i grease cup, don’t forget to produce the other.
Once the grease cups are empty of all this stuff, I by in addition to large scrape out whatever quondam grease I tin travel out of the cup. But I produce non utilization whatsoever solvent or liquid here, every bit nosotros don’t desire whatsoever of that materials riding downwards the armature shaft in addition to into the motor. If you’re actually intent on cleaning the grease cups out completely, produce it later, after we’ve gotten the motor apart.
Also, every bit you’re scraping, delight banking corporation notation that the within of the grease cups is non a perfect cylinder, hence if you lot striking a difficult obstacle alongside your scraper, don’t larn nuts trying to dislodge it; in that location is a “step” inside.
The side past times side affair I produce is larn the quondam grease off of the retaining clips, either alongside a scraping tool or Q-tips. Then I “unscrew” the wicks from the springs. (This is a messy procedure in addition to was impossible for me to shoot alongside both hands engaged in addition to covered inward grease.) While trying to costless the wick from the spring, you’ll occasionally abide by that the cease of the confine has been purposely bent in addition to stabbed into the wick to agree it inward place, which tin larn inward a hurting to remove; delight produce this cautiously, every bit nosotros produce non desire to stretch the confine out in addition to deform it besides much. That creates to a greater extent than travel for us later.
Here you lot tin come across that, despite my best efforts, I’ve slightly deformed the instant spring. I’ll select to right that after when nosotros larn this all dorsum together.
After removing what grease I tin from the bare springs in addition to retaining clips, I throw them into the rubbing alcohol. After they’ve soaked plenty to suspension the grease down, I build clean them off alongside Q-tips.
A discussion well-nigh grease wicks
I ever supervene upon the wicks since they are often old, hard, filled alongside crusty grease in addition to tin no longer perform their wicking action. I select heard of people washing the wicks out but select never done it myself.
I monastic tell my replacement wicks from McMaster-Carr. Due to the layout of their website I cannot furnish a direct link, but to monastic tell some you lot involve to click here in addition to come inward business office # 8767K226 inward the search box. Unfortunately they exclusively sell it inward five-foot lengths, for $5.35, in addition to nosotros exclusively involve a duo of inches; but I select non been able to abide by some other house that sells felt wicking. If you lot know of one, delight
cite it inward the comments.
We volition supervene upon the wicks later, after all of our soldering is done.
Go on to Part 10: Removing the Motor Brushes
