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How to wash your brushless motors
#1
Crashed into the mud face camera first?
No problem!


We've all been there.
Sun is out but the field is muddy. I'm gonna go fly and I'm sure everything will be fine.
WELL, IT WON'T! Murphy's law states that not only will you crash but you will crash directly in the muddiest patch there is in the field on your very first flight! Big Grin

Chances are your motors will be engulfed in mud and that will be it for the day.
What ever you do, don't try and spin muddy motors as you will only be damaging the bearings inside.
Not to worry. Motors do not have any electronics inside and can be washed but everything else CAN'T.

PS: On the off-chance that you have motors that have INBUILT ESC's please don't try to wash them or you will probably kill them Smile




DISCLAIMER

Do this at your own risk
I think it goes without saying that you should NOT have your battery plugged in...







If you follow the steps there is no reason why you should damage any components.

Step 1
If there are any pieces of mud that can be shaken off the motors do it outside so you don't make a mess of your house and your mom\spouse give you a beating afterwards


Step 2
This is my preference (probably because I'm lazy as well) but I prefer to let the debris dry.
I use remove any bigger pieces using a compressed air spray can that pushes broken dirt off.
[Image: 9Xlybs7.jpg]


Step 3
In your sink get a little pool of hot water.
Don't use running water to clean your motors or you'll end up washing everything else.
In order to get all the dirt from inside the motors I also use a compressed air spray can.

I submerge the motor in the water and apply the compressor underwater
BE CAREFUL NOT TO WET ANYTHING ELSE. Take your time doing this.
Perform a couple of compressions until the motor is fully cleaned of debris.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO WET ANYTHING ELSE.
Repeat process for all dirty motors
BE CAREFUL NOT TO WET ANYTHING ELSE.

[Image: 9VqNF6u.jpg]
[Image: 6LWJNgZ.jpg]




Step 4
You've gone and wet something else.
Make sure you dry it out. The worst of it will be if you wet the insides of a ESC (which means you really weren't paying attention to what you were doing).
I use a blow dryer to dry out my motors making sure to apply only SMALL amounts of hot air. Check your motor warmth every couple of seconds to ensure it's not getting too hot. 
If you have the slightest suspicion that the ESC is wet on the inside you can apply SMALLER amounts of hot air but you might damage the shrink tube and will need to re-shrink it.


Step 5
Leave the motors to cool off and apply some lubrication to the motor. 
Oscar made some nice tutorial that you can find here: http://intofpv.com/t-how-to-lubricate-br...copters-rc


Step 6
Triple examine everything CAREFULLY to ensure no other components were wet in the process before plugging a battery in.
You have been warned (several times actually).



Hopefully you have some clean motors now that will run happily for longer Smile
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  • dragger201
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#2
There is an extra step:

I find after washing the motor... the bearing or something inside the motor can go rusted the next few days if you just leave it... (when that happens, you will hear grinding sound when the motor spins)

It's important is to dry the motor as soon as possible. maybe with a hair dryer, or take it out for a flight Smile
Don't be a LOS'er, be an FPV'er :)  My Gear - Facebook - Instagram - Twitter
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  • dragger201
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#3
(20-Feb-2016, 11:52 AM)Oscar Wrote: There is an extra step:

I find after washing the motor... the bearing or something inside the motor can go rusted the next few days if you just leave it... (when that happens, you will hear grinding sound when the motor spins)

It's important is to dry the motor as soon as possible. maybe with a hair dryer, or take it out for a flight Smile

That's on step 4 Smile
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#4
sorry i missed that part hehe
Don't be a LOS'er, be an FPV'er :)  My Gear - Facebook - Instagram - Twitter
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#5
i gotta do this today lol
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#6
(20-Feb-2016, 11:52 AM)Oscar Wrote: It's important is to dry the motor as soon as possible. maybe with a hair dryer, or take it out for a flight Smile


Hey Oscar...........it's kinda old school, but whenever I get any moisture around my motors................WD40.  It displaces water and is non-conductive...............
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#7
(26-May-2017, 03:44 AM)dragger201 Wrote: Hey Oscar...........it's kinda old school, but whenever I get any moisture around my motors................WD40.  It displaces water and is non-conductive...............

It will also dissolve and displace the grease from your bearings!
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#8
(26-May-2017, 09:23 AM)unseen Wrote: It will also dissolve and displace the grease from your bearings!

I don't know of anything that will clean the inside of an electric motor that doesn't.  Even water will rinse a significant portion of the lube out of open bearings...............

But that is easily remedied.................one of the best tools for "tiny" lube jobs...........hypodermic  syringe with a fine needle.
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  • Fisherking
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#9
Back in the day a few RC suppliers sold bearing cleaning and bearing lube kits.

The cleaner kits were a solvent resistant bottle with a inner wire basket. Half full with solvent, put bearings in basket, shake / soak/ shake for a bit then let the dirt settle out to the bottom of the bottle. Lift out bearings in basket.

If you have some automatic transmission fluid around it makes a reasonable bearing oil - just let the bearings soak in it for a day after they have dried out. Then place on paper towels for a day for the excess to drain. Will leave a film of lube.

If I was taking it "seriously" I'd be rebuilding motors with open dry (well virtually dry) ceramic bearings etc etc etc
Builds: Mini-Quad  -  Tricopter 
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  • dragger201
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