Re: (ET) Chris's motor and rebuild advice

["Steven Naugler" <snaugler earthlink net>]

Vic,
     I have found that  the GE motors had provisions for holding the 
brushes
back.
    In one case there was a spot where a small piece of wire could be
inserted on each side.  Each wire could hold a single brush back.  (I used 
a
bent paper clip.)  Inserted the wires were parallel to the motor shaft and
protruded from the end of the end bell of the motor.  After both end cases
were installed the wires would be removed.  You could hear the brushes snap
into position.
    In one other case  there was a hole in back of the brushes.  This hole
was in the sides of the end bell.  There I ran a thin string through the
hole, around the brush, and back out of the hole.  I then tied both ends of
the string tightly to a washer to keep the string from being pulled back 
in.
Then with the brushes fully retracted I assembled the motor.  After 
assembly
I cut one end of the string, and pulled the string out with the other end.
    I can't remember which technique went with each type of motor, but 
there
was always some easy way to retract the brushes for reassembly.

Steve naugler
-----Original Message-----
From: vic garza <vtr-garza worldnet att net>
To: Steven Naugler <snaugler earthlink net>
Cc: elec-trak cosmos5 phy tufts edu <elec-trak cosmos5 phy tufts edu>
Date: Monday, January 11, 1999 11:09 PM
Subject: Re: (ET) Chris's motor and rebuild advice


>Thanks for useful info on motor repairing
>At 09:54 PM 1/11/99 -0500, Steven wrote:
>>Chris,
>>4.  Replace brushes if they don't have at least 1/2 their length still in
>>the brush holder.  I usually replace them even if they have 70% life left
>>because replacing brushes is relatively cheap.
>
>Any special tricks to holding the brushes open so the commutator can be
>slipped into place? With some PM motors particularly, the end cap holding
>the brush assembly is proportioned so that strong attraction of the
armature
>by the PM into the case yanks the commutator beyond brush contact so the
>motor cannot be closed up.... Best I've been able to do is use a homemade
>fine stiff wire spreader which I yank out right before closing up.
>
>--Vic
>
>