Cleaning your motor

[BALBOSA]

i take it this will NOT work on airsoft motors?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=mD3nWxmgX70

clever though i expected it to blow up

[Baloo]

Re: Cleaning your motor

Yep it will!

you should only do it with a brand new motor though, and make sure you wash it with totally clean water before drying it.

[happyal]

Re: Cleaning your motor

Yes it works and it's recommend for new brushes. I would do it for any motor when installing new brushes.

[bobfish]

Re: Cleaning your motor

I knew what video this was before I clicked the link.
I am also into RC car racing and there was huge debate over this video by people thinking it would cause a black hole and devour the earth because you're mixing electricity and water.
DONT DO THIS WITH BRUSHLESS MOTORS!

The reasoning behind it is that you wear down the brushes until they are bedded in nicely and you don't have all the carbon getting clogged up inside your motor because the water takes it away.

[TK8456]

Re: Cleaning your motor

I did this on my PTW motor the other day and it worked a treat

Our motors are in a sealed unit, the pistol grip. all that carbon powder has no where to go and WILL effect the way it works

I used a cup of switch contact cleaner though. Also sprayed the hell out of it with condensed air afterwards

[Snowman]

Re: Cleaning your motor

I knew what video this was before I clicked the link.
I am also into RC car racing and there was huge debate over this video by people thinking it would cause a black hole and devour the earth because you're mixing electricity and water.
DONT DO THIS WITH BRUSHLESS MOTORS!

The reasoning behind it is that you wear down the brushes until they are bedded in nicely and you don't have all the carbon getting clogged up inside your motor because the water takes it away.

I love this preconception that electricity + water automatically equals explosions and kittens dying and the end of the universe. If you think (something people seem to be allergic to doing) about how a motor works, there's nothing in there that can really be harmed by short-term immersion in water, especially if the voltages are kept fairly low.

Why not do it with brushless motors? Presumably, not having brushes, it won't benefit them in any way but with even less going on inside them surely it won't actually damage them?

[Coz]

Re: Cleaning your motor

I love this preconception that electricity + water automatically equals explosions and kittens dying and the end of the universe.

It doesn't??????? I'm off to make toast in the bath.

[Baloo]

Re: Cleaning your motor

Depends how you go about it, I regularely use 3000+ volts in sea water with no problems (well sometimes,but that's another story )

[bobfish]

Re: Cleaning your motor

I love this preconception that electricity + water automatically equals explosions and kittens dying and the end of the universe. If you think (something people seem to be allergic to doing) about how a motor works, there's nothing in there that can really be harmed by short-term immersion in water, especially if the voltages are kept fairly low.

Why not do it with brushless motors? Presumably, not having brushes, it won't benefit them in any way but with even less going on inside them surely it won't actually damage them?

If you put a brushless motor in water it would stop, because they work on a central electromagnet which is alternated by two rotating semi circles. my guess is that it would arc across and short circuit to both rather than one then other as it rotates. (not sure if that makes sense but it does in my head)

the other thing is if you have a large enough potential difference you attract whatever ions are in the water which causes a build up on the anode and cathode... which is no good for it.
and yes there would be no benefit to doing it with a brushless.

It doesn't??????? I'm off to make toast in the bath.

think he caught that with the 'especially if the voltages are kept fairly low' Though the voltage doesn't kill you it's the current that kills you. so if you see zomg 2million volts ... you could touch it if the current was tiny tiny. (it would be stupid to but you'd just get burnt) if you saw 5volts at several hundred amps ... you could touch it ... but you probably wouldn't be walking home.

[Tom Andrews]

Re: Cleaning your motor

One minor point no one has mentioned. Don't forget to lubricate the bearings/bushes afterwards. Also, leaving it in a nice warm airing cupboard for a few hours would be a good idea.

[Coz]

Re: Cleaning your motor

think he caught that with the 'especially if the voltages are kept fairly low' Though the voltage doesn't kill you it's the current that kills you. so if you see zomg 2million volts ... you could touch it if the current was tiny tiny. (it would be stupid to but you'd just get burnt) if you saw 5volts at several hundred amps ... you could touch it ... but you probably wouldn't be walking home.

You know I was Joking right? I'm not stupid enough to make toast in the bath, It would get all soggy and I would get Mr Matey in my butter.

[bobfish]

Re: Cleaning your motor

You know I was Joking right? I'm not stupid enough to make toast in the bath, It would get all soggy and I would get Mr Matey in my butter.

of course i knew you were joking ... doesn't 'Mr Matey' go in the butter anyway? surely the bigger issue is soggy toast

[The General]

Re: Cleaning your motor

Or you could run the motor in on 3x AA batteries and once done, remove the brushes, cut a plastic pencil eraser to shape and push into the location the brushes would go. Turn the pinion slowly by hand and it will clean the commutator.

Or just pop the motor out every 10k shots there about and clean the commutator as described. It takes about 10 mins to do.

[The General]

Re: Cleaning your motor

One thing he got wrong though is WD40 is not a good lubricant.

In fact it is a good water displacement spray, which would actually be useful in this situation. WD40 is a very poor choice for lubrication and is not rubber safe in the general airsoft sense.

[Mickydoos]

Re: Cleaning your motor

Though the voltage doesn't kill you it's the current that kills you. so if you see zomg 2million volts ... you could touch it if the current was tiny tiny. (it would be stupid to but you'd just get burnt) if you saw 5volts at several hundred amps ... you could touch it ... but you probably wouldn't be walking home.

2 millions Volts and a 0.001A (1mA) current will still deliver 2kW, which would hurt. 5v at say 300A would be 1.5kW. Both wouldn't do you any good.

The only reason people say "it's the current that kills you" is that it is possible to have 1,000,000 volts at 0 amps but not possible to have 0v at 100amps. Its the combination of the two that kills you.

Seeing as your body will have a fixed resistance, increasing current will increase voltage too.

Still dont fancy sticking my motor in water though lol