Breaking motors in

[Nicky8694 2]

Hi

I keep hearing that you need to break in new motors is this true and also how do you break it in ?

Thanks Peeps

[Backlash 481]

EDIT.. (Yes sorry, its been a long week)

Nicky,

With brushed electric motors, the brushes transfer power to the commutator on the spinning armature inside the motor..

Because the commutator is round, the face of the brush has an arch in it that matches the exact size and shape (diameter) of the commutator, so that you get the maximum possible surface area of the brush touching the commutator which in turn gives the best possible electrical connection between the brush and the commutator..

Now, with a new motor, the arch in the brush may not be the exact same size and shape as the commutator, and as such, only some of the brush face may touch the commutator, and you may not get the best possible electrical connection..

If you run a new motor like this under load (i.e. in your RC car), you may notice quite a bit of arcing and sparking where the brushes touch the commutator.. That arcing can damage the commutator, and also cause the brushes to heat up and burn off some of their natural lubricants inside them..

So, the purpose of running in a brushed motor is to run the motor at a low voltage (low voltage means low speed) and allow the brush to gently wear into the shape of the commutator without all of the arcing and sparking, so that you get the best possible electrical between the brushes and the commutator..

Understand??

[Gruntfuggly 562]

Oooh - looks like you caught Backlash on a bad day...

To be fair, the topic he means isn't exactly obviously about running motors in, so here's a link:

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=78799&hl=

[mongoose1983 3335]

By the way, I have just tried the TC forums search and as usual it led me anywhere except a breaking in motors thread. Useless as usual.

[Backlash 481]

Nicky, try reading some of these posts..

EDIT.. (and you cant cut an paste search results on the TC forums either..)

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=72127&hl=%2Bwater+%2Bdipping#entry524202

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=61996&hl=%2Bwater+%2Bdipping#entry413111

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=46685&hl=%2Bwater+%2Bdipping#entry296989

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=37907&hl=%2Bwater+%2Bdipping#entry229470

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=32807&hl=%2Bwater+%2Bdipping#entry198113

You could also try to Google "Water dipping RC motors"

[94eg! 834]

It's very simple and does NOT involve water...

If the brushes are removable, run the motor for 1 minute at 3 volts (2 nickle or alkaline cells) over a fan to keep it cool. Then pull the brushes out of the hood to see if the wear mark has made it across the entire face of the brush. If it hasn't, reinsert the brushes, and run it another minute and check again.

If your brushes have serrations on the face (for fast break-in & less drag), then you want to run it in until all the high-points of the serrations are touching the comm all the way across.

Water dipping is specifically for motors with extremely hard brushes (like sealed silver-can motors),

[Backlash 481]

It's very simple and does NOT involve water...

If the brushes are removable, run the motor for 1 minute at 3 volts (2 nickle or alkaline cells) over a fan to keep it cool. Then pull the brushes out of the hood to see if the wear mark has made it across the entire face of the brush. If it hasn't, reinsert the brushes, and run it another minute and check again.

If your brushes have serrations on the face (for fast break-in & less drag), then you want to run it in until all the high-points of the serrations are touching the comm all the way across.

Water dipping is specifically for motors with extremely hard brushes (like sealed silver-can motors),

Ummmm.. Doesn't your opening statement about not needing water to run in a motor contradict your closing statement about water dipping enclosed brushed motors like the "silver can" 540??

Aren't most, if not all of the motors that Tamiya supply with their kits enclosed brush style motors?

[94eg! 834]

Silver can motors are for the garbage. No point in breaking them in.

[Darat76 265]

I stick my brushed motors onto my dremel for a few mins before feeding power through them, simple, easy, quick, and no need for electricity to go near water.

As for a new brushless motor, that gets stuck into the car it's going to run on, and for about the first 5 mins of the maiden run, i just do figure 8's and lazy circles, nothing vigouris (read boring) and keeping the voltage output to the motor below 5 volts. That is hard to do on a 1/8th scale 4s lipo brushless system tho..

Those are just the things I do for my motors.