Servicing the motor
Now that our controller is all fixed up it’s time to take a look at the motor. As part of every restoration project I carefully open up the motor and inspect the condition of the commutator, motor brushes, grease wicks, wiring and field core.
A motor service can take several hours and is honestly one of my favorite parts of the restoration process! I love my new desktop power supply and the freedom it gives me to test as I go easily. I especially love it when you take a motor that seems like it’s on it’s last legs and give it all it’s pep back.
This motor felt really sluggish when I first tested the machine but once the old belt was removed and it was attached to my desktop power supply it didn’t seem too badly off. On further inspection I determined that the sluggishness was mostly likely due to the condition of the wiring. While my alligator clamps were able to make contact with some exposed wire and make a better connection, the wires to the contacts were frayed and needed to be replaced.
Inside the motor, the body was very dirty. There was so much carbon dust I was afraid I’d never get it all out! I polished the commutator to a nice shine, cleaned that carbon dust then went on the the grease wicks.
Those wicks were so old and dry that it explained much of the condition of the motor. I removed both the wicks and their springs. Then I cleaned out all the old grease and pre-soaked the replacement wicks in Sewretro grease from the Featherweight Shop.
The armature was dirty so each end was polished to a high shine. I found an extra washer in the machine that was also causing it to bind up.
The motor brushes were in good condition so were cleaned and their springs slightly lengthened to ensure that they make good contact with the commutator. I found one of the copper brush tubes was bent and not letting the brush descend easily enough. I corrected this to allow the brush to drop down smoothly.
I spliced on new wire and connectors - leaving enough of the original wire that future repairs will still be possible.
The exterior of the motor is cleaned and polished as well.
Once it’s all clean, it’s time to re-assemble and test! I’ve found that if you over tighten the motor case you can bind the armature making it hard for the motor to turn. I make sure to tigheten these screws slowly going from top to bottom until they are evently tightened and the armature still spinns smoothly.
Completed Motor
