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Motor cooling

2887 Views 18 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  Gaugemaster Controls
Astro's post re: Ninco Subaru got me thinking. I know, it doesn't happen very often! Quite a few motors come with stickers wrapped around them. The one's which concern me are the mabuchi ones such as those supplied in Pink Kar, and also the proslot evo range. The cans, as most of you know have 2 cooling slots (I presume that's what they are) on one side, running parallel to the armature. I usually cut the stickers away from these slots. Am I wasting my time or would it do some good say, in an endurance race?
I know the slots make it easy to spray lighter fluid in to clean the comm (hopefully)



Mark.
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One of the simplest ways to clean a motor is to immerse it in water. That's right, water. Run it under water at low voltage for a few minutes and check the condition of the water. Filthy, ain't it? You don't need solvents because it is not the solvent that is cleaning the brushes and comm. It is cavitation. The same thing that eventually chews up boat propellers. Cavitation is what happens when a spinning surface revolves in a liquid, especially if there are fixed barriers (the brushes) riding against the spinning object, or irregularities in the object's surface (the comm segment gaps). In essence, a negative pressure is formed directly adjacent to the spinning object (comm) and especially behind any barrier (the brushes). This literally creates microscopic vaccuum bubbles which subsequently implode. Multiple implosions happen at high frequency, creating zillions of tiny shockwaves that assault the surface of the comm. THAT is what cleans it.

Also, running a new motor under water for a few minutes is one of the easiest ways to break in a fresh setup.

You can dry it with heat or just let it run in free air, but you do need to dry it out. Then be sure to oil appropriately.

Don't believe it works? Take an old junk motor and try it.
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QUOTE What's you're engineering background?

Whenever the engineers are in the background, I listen!
It was explained to me many years ago by an engineer and confirmed by more engineer-types, so I assume it to be true. And after trying the method, I couldn't deny that it worked. No science wizz here, just a good listener!


QUOTE when you mention low voltage, do you mean AA size 1.5 volt, or maybe as high as a PP3 9volt battery?

3 volts should be quite adequate, so a couple of D cells would be perfect. And it doesn't need to be run for very long, usually just a few minutes. Too much time in a liquid and you are actually etching away the comm surface.
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QUOTE should it be sparkling or still water?

Yes, the motor will be sparkling, and it should still be water...
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