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Cleaning sealed motors


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#1 gatormark

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Posted 21 August 2022 - 03:49 PM

Any opinions on useing a spray electric cleaner to clean the comms on these motors?
Mark Conner




#2 Kim Lander

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Posted 21 August 2022 - 04:32 PM

works good for me.



#3 crazyphysicsteacher

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Posted 21 August 2022 - 04:50 PM

Model train comm cleaner works best. But you then need to rerun the motor to set the comm track again.

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#4 Zippity

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Posted 21 August 2022 - 05:53 PM

If it is possible, remove the brush hood hardware from one side of the motor and carefully hold a "TOP SECRET" comm cleaner fibre pen, against the commutator while you rotate the armature in a Dremel :)


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Ron Thornton

#5 Phil Smith

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Posted 21 August 2022 - 11:39 PM

I never cleaned my comms. I was told it's hard on the brushes. Not sure that's true or not.

 

On motor types that last a long time, like Deathstars or Cheetas, they'd run a long time with no degradation of performance. So I never felt the need to clean them anyway.

 

And the times I did try cleaning a comm on a motor that had slowed, it didn't help. So there's that too.

 

That of course that's just my opinion. I could very well be wrong.


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#6 Zippity

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Posted 22 August 2022 - 12:09 AM

A sealed motor that has had its comm cleaned is like chalk and cheese - believe me :) 


Ron Thornton

#7 Sloter

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Posted 22 August 2022 - 09:38 AM

I have done it and it works (Spray electrical cleaner). I break the motor in and then spray cleaner through the small holes, it works!

 

Bob 


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#8 Hot Slots

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Posted 22 August 2022 - 10:11 AM

Mark you've got dirty motors?
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#9 Bill from NH

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Posted 22 August 2022 - 10:37 AM

If you use a good motor spray, such as Pure or one of the RC cleaners, it shouldn't make any difference whether the motor to be cleaned is sealed or unsealed. Try an off-brand product at your own risk.


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#10 gatormark

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Posted 22 August 2022 - 01:04 PM

Hot slots my 3 boxstock Cara do get run quite a bit lol
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#11 Bill Seitz

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Posted 24 August 2022 - 07:37 PM

Spray cleaners work fine for the usual build-up of track grime, lube residue, and brush particles. In many cases, they won't touch the burned-on residues from chemicals introduced into the motor and especially that soak into the brushes. For that, it's better to soak the motor in a container of solvent. Slot racers have used naphthalene (camp stove fuel) and other degreasing solvents for years, and I currently use 99% isopropyl alcohol found at hardware stores, not the watered down stuff in the pharmacy. Mentholated alcohol, aka denatured alcohol, contains methanol which attacks aluminum and needs to be used carefully and sparingly around slot cars. Alcohol doesn't attack polycarbonate bodies, but it will remove the common lacquer paint.


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#12 Nonfractal

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Posted 30 August 2022 - 03:27 AM

Ultrasonic jewelery cleaner. No chemicals.
Shocks all of the dirt from the motor including from between the commutator gaps.
Don't overdo it. Ultrasonics can break the coil fixing resin, leading to the motor throwing coils.
AlanW
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#13 Zippity

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Posted 30 August 2022 - 06:29 AM

I thought that ultrasonic cleaning was a no no for armatures?

 

:)


Ron Thornton

#14 swodem

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Posted 15 September 2022 - 12:07 AM

If you’re talking about toothbrush sealed motors!

You can run them clean if done right

I’ve done a post on here about it a few years back


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