(ET) E20 motor stud getting extremely hot.

[Don Cohen <bond007d netsync net>]

Model #26AE20ED

Hello all,

I have been following this group since 1999.  Since I haven't had many 
problems, I haven't posted in a while.  I have a problem now, and need 
some advice.  For about a year or so, now, I have noticed a loss of power 
from the ET.  It can't go near as fast as it used to in D2, and the power 
use gauge tends to move up into the red area much faster than it should 
when tractor is under load and pedal is down too far.  The batteries were 
new from Sams Club in the summer of 1999.  They charge up just fine and 
have no trouble holding the about the same charge.  A few days ago, I was 
poking around trying to find some answers and noticed that the A1 stud 
(red #8 wire) on the traction motor was too hot too touch after only 
driving the tractor a few hundred feet in D1, which included going up one 
approximately, very short 35 degree incline.  The stud felt loose at the 
motor (wire itself seemed tight), so I went to the trouble of removing the 
motor and inspecting the brush area where the stud is mounted.  Everything 
looked OK inside.  No evidence of scoring or overheating at all.  The 
brushes and bearing were just replaced last year.  The bottom of the stud 
where the brush connector screws to was a little less than shiny, so I 
cleaned that up - but it really didn't look that bad.  Screw that holds 
the spade connector against the bottom of bolt was fairly tight.  The 
insulator on the stud was intact as far as I could tell.  The bottom nut 
that rests on the square black insulating pad seemed to be rusted on, as I 
couldn't remove it.  I put everything back together and replaced the ring 
terminal on the red wire which was heat fatigued back about an inch.  
Tried the tractor again, and the same problem is there, although it seems 
to get SLIGHTLY less hot as compared to the same use time before. The heat 
buildup is only at the stud and ring terminal.  The wire itself and the 
terminal at the 2A contactor only seems to be very slightly warm, if at 
all.  I did notice that the 2 terminals at the bottom of the R-contactor 
get quite hot also.
 
Has anyone seen this kind of behavior?  Can someone take their E20 for a 
short run of a minute or so, with light to moderate load in say D1 or D2 
and then check the red power wire on the motor stud to see how hot it 
gets?  Also, check the bottom studs at the R-contactor to see if they heat 
up as well, and how much.

I am suspecting that the motor stud itself may be bad, possibly at the 
place where that bottom nut is stuck on, and acting like a resistor.  At 
any rate, there seems to be a lot of voltage dropped at that point for it 
to be heating up so.  I  wonder if between that, and the apparent abnormal 
heating at the 2A contactor, that those are causing my poor performance?  

Any ideas that anyone has as to what may be causing this will be greatly 
appreciated.

Thanks, 
Don C.
Shinglehouse, PA