Turnigy Trackstar motor issue

[SlideWRX 785]

 I bought my first brushless motor several months ago, and finally got around to soldering the connections and installing it.  It hasn't gone well!  It turns out my original sketchy Amazon soldering iron wasn't 80 watts; more like 30, and the questionable solder that came with it was awful as well.  That was all fixed and the Motor & ESC installed.  The calibration didn't go well, as it turns out the sticker on the ESC labelling the A, B, & C connections is backward from the manual picture.  When I tried to calibrate it (set Neutral, then Forward, then Reverse), the forward would only calibrate if I put the controller in reverse, and then the reverse in forward.  I'll double check that the throttle on the controller wasn't reversed when I get the motor back together, and re-try the whole calibration.

Ultimately, I thought I had it setup and tried to run it, and it wouldn't go anywhere; it would stutter and generally not move, and the motor got hot for a minute or less of trying to produce motion.  So being a mechanical kind of guy, I took the motor apart.   And this is where you come in!  after I had it apart, I noticed this 'shim' lying around (the tiny one on the right).  The more I think about it, the more I think it is an unwanted sliver off of the normal shim, and possibly it was floating around and shorting things out.

Before I re-assemble this without that part, I wanted to ask if anyone has a similar shim, or similar experience?  I haven't seen any magic smoke come out, or any sparks or any damage on the sensor board.

 

[MadInventor 3884]

Look suspiciously like a piece of swarf to me

[wolfdogstinkus 1893]

Looks like the pull release for the magic smoke, you'll soon find out when you put it back together but you might need to add some magic smoke just in case some escaped while you had the motor apart.

[SlideWRX 785]

2 hours ago, wolfdogstinkus said:

... but you might need to add some magic smoke just ...

I'll check Amazon.

[wolfdogstinkus 1893]

12 hours ago, SlideWRX said:

I'll check Amazon.

You might be best not checking Google, a whole field of rabbit holes and not much about electric motors unfortunately.

[SlideWRX 785]

SUCCESS!  Removing the swarf fixed it.  No stuttering at all, just smooth operation.  For some reason, the ESC likes my throttle to be reversed, but otherwise working well.

I didn't run it for long since rain was coming, but it stayed nice & cool, or at least barely warm.  When the debris was shorting thing it got hot fast.