Electric Motor Repair

[randy41]

I have a shopsmith that I bought back in the 80's and the motor has died. For a while I was able to start it by spinning the tool by hand but even that doesn't work now.
Does anyone know anything about repairing motors?

no...i dont want to run the shopsmith off the PTO of my tractor.

 

[goaliedad]

If I were in your shoes I would find a good a motor repair shop and have them do it- Call around, check the yellow pages, ask at good old hardware store. good luck

 

[capt jack]

Had a craftsman table saw that also did that. A friend "fixed it" by blowing compressed air into the motor . Saw dust had blocked brush contact. Worth a try.

 

[kenmac]

sounds to me like the start windings may have gone out .What hp is the motor ?

 

[randy41]

i believe that its 1 1/8 HP.
when i took it out of the shopsmith and then plugged it in it belched some smoke. i think it has a capacitor to get it started.
i'm one of those idiots that likes fixing things myself. maybe i need to spend some time trying to find something about fixing motors on the web.
i'll try the compressed air thing as jack suggested.

 

[kenmac]

Harbor frieght had motors on sale last week . Can't remember the sizes or prices. You can check them on line

 

[PineRidge]

i believe that its 1 1/8 HP.
when i took it out of the shopsmith and then plugged it in it belched some smoke. i think it has a capacitor to get it started.
i'm one of those idiots that likes fixing things myself. maybe i need to spend some time trying to find something about fixing motors on the web.
i'll try the compressed air thing as jack suggested.

It's gone now, once the magic smoke escapes there's no hope.

Try a local motor repair shop, they can get it running if anyone can.

 

[randy41]

It's gone now, once the magic smoke escapes there's no hope.

Try a local motor repair shop, they can get it running if anyone can.

ah...kinda like it's giving up its soul.

 

[Jagmandave]

Have to agree, if you let the smoke out it's probably too late............

New motors aren't that expensive, but if it's an unusual size or configuration, the closest electrical shop can tell you what it would take to fix it.

I'v'e found many brushless motors in the past that got magically "fixed" just by cleaning the gunk out so the armature could turn again.

First step, take it off and clean it up with compressed air, then take it to the motor shop for evaluation...........

 

[JerryG]

Randy,
That is the way electric motors do when the capacitor goes out. I have about 60-70 electric motors and have to change a capacitor pretty often. If it has an attached bump (best way to describe it) on the side of the motor that will be where the capacitor is located. Some with have two capacitors. One will be for starting and one will be for running. If it just has one, then it will be for both. You can take the capacitor to an electric motor repair shop and they will have one just like yours but one that works. Or you can take the entire motor and have them rebuild it. The rebuild cost is normally a tenth to half what a new motor will cost.

 

[randy41]

thanks jerry. in this motor the capacitor is attached to a clip inside the housing. i tested it by discharging it then hooking up an ohmmeter on the 10K range and watched it go to 0 then gradually move toward infinity. i read somewhere that this is how to test a capacitor.
but getting the motor to an electric motor repair shop is good advice and is what i will do when and if i can find one around here.

 

[randy41]

2 weeks later.....i brought the motor to a repair shop in Salem, VA a week and a half ago. the guy said he'll look at it and let me know and if i dont hear from him to call in a week. he also said that they will replace the bearings and he thinks it will cost me $80-$100. OK. thats still cheaper than a used one on ebay. so of course he never calls me and then i call him. he's not there. next day he hasnt returned my call so i call again. they havent even touched it because they have some industrial motor jobs that he thinks are more important than my homeowner job. so i found another repair shop in Galax, VA and i called the Salem guy back and told him i'm gonna pick up the motor and get it fixed somewhere else.
yesterday I picked it up and this morning I brought it to the Galax shop. While i waited they took it in the back to evaluate it. 10 minutes later and $10 lighter its fixed. they just blew out the saw dust from the switch...the internal one that switches between the starter windings and the main windings.
well...at this point i havent actually tried it but i'm confident it will work.

 

[kc5dlo]

Looks like capt jack was the winner in this episode

 

[randy41]

i'd say yeah about the dust part but i tried doing that and it wasnt enough. the switch had to be opened up and cleaned out. and i've plugged it in and it does work. so i saved a bit of money today. now if i could just remember how to put it back together.....