blueprinting

[Z and m racing]

monty

i have a couple of 12 motors that i would like to blueprint and fix i was wondering if you could tell me step by step of things i need to do to blueprint my motors. I have a comm lathe a magblaster a powersupply and some other stuff and could you also list stuff that i would need. If anybody would like to put down stuff i would appreciate it.

Zach Holley
E-mail: Jobsqd985@aol.com: :confused: :D :confused:

[Monty @ B.O.W.]

Zack,

Thats a mighty broad question, the sort of thing that gives us columnists fits! I could easily go on for many pages and not exhaust the subject.

Basically, your goal as a blueprinter is to go over every single part of a motor and improve it, if possible. Sometimes the parts are ok but need to be installed more accurately, or more securely. In other cases, the parts have errors common to them which are unfortunate consequences of the manufacturing process. In yet other cases, there may be design features in a particular brand of motor which are not conducive to its best use.

Basic slot - lore dictates that at the minimum you should straighten the can, align the bushings, brushhoods, and magnets, retrue the comm, zap the magnets and make sure parts subject to wear like brushes, springs, and bushings are fresh enough to use.

I hate to be vague, but it really does add up to a lot of info. If you could ask more specific questions, taken one step at a time, I can eventually cover everything you need to know. Step one would be to dissassemble the motor and CLEAN EVERYTHING. This can't hurt! In the process, you should be able to see if anything is worn out, especially bushings, arm shafts, brushes and springs. That should occupy you for a while, and probably leave you with an additional question or two...

[Z and m racing]

Monty,

I blueprinted and cleaned, aligned everything and it overheating but it was overheating before i started so what do i do know.

Zach Holley

[cheater]

Zach, IMO it is unlikely the overheating problem you are having is related to blueprinting. More than likely it is a problem with gearing, timing, a shorted arm, or with something binding somewhere (or possibly AC leakage in the track power).

BTW, I have what I think is a very good motor blueprinting article in an old magazine of which I have a good supply. I sent a copy to Zach and will extend the same offer to anyone else who is interested in receiving one. The darn things take $1.25 of postage to mail, so it would be nice to get 10 bits in return after you receive a requested copy, but unless I get inundated, we'll just do the honor system for that.

Just send me your snail-mail address to slotguy@mindspring.com

[MarcusPHagen]

I tried the email address, but it bounced back, so here's my message:

Thanks for the offer!

Marcus P. Hagen
8750 Clinton Avenue South
Bloomington, MN 55420-2915

Would you prefer the $1.25 as stamps, or a money order?

[cheater]

Marcus,

Stamps is fine, a check is fine. Don't go to the trouble and expense of getting a money order.

BTW, I just tested the mail-to link in the post above and it worked fine. Did you click the link or did you re-type the email address and perhaps mis-type it?

In any case, I'll get a copy in the mail to you tomorrow.

[Z and m racing]

I never even went out on the track with it i just ran it on my power supply and it got really hot. i put the right of spacers in, i zapped the magnets i cleaned the hoods i did everything you told me to do. the only i could see that could be wrong is when i had it my power supply it was really white and sparking.

Zach Holley

[cheater]

Zach, check the resistance between one comm segment and the shaft. It should read infinite resistance, i.e. no continuity. If not, you have a bad arm.

Then check the resistance between adjacent comm segments with a VOM that will read down to .1 ohm. The readings you get should be equal all the way around the comm. If the resistance between one pair of segments is significantly higher than the others, you have a bad arm.

Let us know what you find.

Monty, if you'd rather I not try to help Zach in this forum, please let me know and I'll leave his questions for you to reply to. I'm really not trying to usurp your forum . . .

[Monty @ B.O.W.]

Zach,

One thing that Cheater didn't ask you yet is what sort of power supply and at how many volts were you running? Actually, as I ponder it I have a few other things to check also:

1) Are the comm slots clean? Its easy to get a small copper bridge between segments when truing the comm (this can even happen at the factory), and you need to scrape the slots clean after the cut. The backside of a #11 exacto blade is what I use, but if you worry that you might slip and scratch the comm a suitable piece of .010 lexan can also be used. If the burr on a segment is stronger than the lexan, the lathe is in need of adjustment. Some folks talk about burnishing the edge of the slot with a ballpoint pen. I reccommend AGAINST this practice, it just raises another burr on each side of the slot.

2) Make very certain that the motor is spinning the right direction! Its easy to mess up on this if you've switched from an RJR arm to another brand or vice-versa. All of RJR's arms are "hemi-winds". Its a different pattern of hookup to the comm that results in opposite polarity. This would account for excess arcs and heat, even at low voltages.

Greg, as I recall, the rules are that I get first crack at an answer, but then its free for all. So far, your answers are right on, but I won't be shy if I disagree. As I told Zach, its a big subject and I actually welcome the help.