Re: (ET) Arcing motor

[David C Robie <mycroftxx1 juno com>]

Hi Chip

Charger;  if it's still there and works, you can take out the GE
countdown  timer, and put in an air conditioner type timer (the plastic
24 hour type you get cheap in hardware stores.   The only problem is that
it repeats the time set in every 24 hrs.  To stop this and make it a 'one
shot'  timer, get inside of it and break off the plastic 'pin '  that
turns it on - that way you turn it on then it turns itself off according
to the time you set and don't repeat.  I did this yrs ago to one tractor
and it's still in there working when I need it (which isn't often as most
Etractor charging here is solar photovoltaic)

As to motor:  Take her apart and see if there is a short caused by a dig
either between 2 ajacent commutator bars,  or at the exposed armature
wires next to the commutator or on the other side of the armature.  This
is often caused by foriegn material (China? Taiwan? or some little USA
thingus that fell into the aircooling vent years ago) -  or could be a
little broken off piece of the field magnet scoring the commutator so
deep that it becomes a short, or hittin the armature winding and shorting
wires together.. 
Another thing that is known to happen (especially in 12 motors) is that
the centrifugal 'rpm limit'  switch comes apart with pieces making a
short there - or if getting between armature and magnet, locking the
motor up tight.  You can do without this rpm limiter (if you have one) 
as it's limited by the mechanical resistance of the belt and tranny gears
even in neutral.  I took all gov parts out of my 12 clone (WH 145) rather
than put it all together and have to pull it apart sometime in the future
for the same thing, or hunt for a new assy.   Motor, because of this
mechanical resistance, does not overspeed.
    If you find a short and fix it, clean up the commutator and brushes,
make sure brushes are not sticky in their holders. I usually stone the
brushholder insides if there is any hint of brush binding.  This binding
could be your 'motor stop'  or it could be the circuit breaker feeling a
partial short and heavy draw in the motor.
   Don't worry about a dig in a commutator bar. Fine file the copper so
it's slick where the brush runs across it nothing protruding no sharp
edges. Make sure the whole bar hasn't lifted up high, if it has, with a
hammer and block of wood tap it back even with the others.
    Done a couple of these (but in an 8 and 12)  they are not a big job
except for getting the motors out to work on.  But did a lot of em yrs
ago on prewar vehicle generators, bout the same breed of cat but have a
wound field.

RSVP to this after you get her apart, let us know what happened in there.
Armature shorts, unless externally caused and plainly visible as above,
are very rare.

Dave
Weymouth MA
(NE Chap EAA Sec)





On Sun, 15 Oct 2006 16:48:17 -0400 Chip Gribben <futurev radix net>
writes:
> Hey everyone,
> 
> You all have been a great help before. Here's another issue
> 
> I'm working on an E-10 for someone and the motor is arcing. I don't  
> 
> know much about motors but I can see it arcing through the vent 
> slits  
> in the motor. It also seems to have little power and doesn't sound  
> right which is probably a result of whatever is going wrong with it. 
>  
> After running for a minute or two with the gear selector in neutral  
> 
> the motor cuts out. It still seems to have good torque when I put it 
>  
> in gear though.
> 
> The customer had mentioned it would cut out after awhile.
> 
> Is this something that is repairable, say if I sent it out to Jim  
> Husted, or could it just need brushes, if it uses them? If the motor 
>  
> can be taken apart and put back together easily I can do that if it  
> 
> just needs brushes but I also don't have a problem with sending it  
> out to a shop.
> 
> It may have some charger issues as well. About 4 years ago I  
> installed an EZ-go charger or curtis Charge in it (can't remember  
> which) to replace another golf cart charger that was installed in 
> it.  
> The charger I installed worked for a few years but the customer is  
> saying that isn't working now. What all are you using for chargers?  
> 
> The original charger transformer is still in the tractor but the 
> dial  
> and the timer is gone. I could try to resurrect it but not sure yet. 
>  
> But this is another issue I have to fix.
> 
> This one is a challenge.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Chip Gribben 
> 
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