TerryE

My Feedback: (12)

I just got a 400 speed motor (came with the Wattage Hyperwing).

I heard that I should break the motor in underwater - will this work? How do I do it?

Also, is this better than breaking it in "dry"?

Should I oil it after?

Sorry about all the questions guys, but I am new to all of this electric stuff and want to do it "right".
Thanks a lot for the help
Terry

Direwolf

Yes. Simply submerge the motor in a glass of water, then connect it to a battery. Let it run for a few minutes or so or until the water gets dirty. Rinse and repeat with fresh water at least two or three times. If your tap water is particularly acidic or alkaline, then I would go with bottled water. You can oil the motor afterwords to displace the water, but you'll want to rinse the oil out so you're not spraying oil all over your plane. ;-)

-- Brian

TerryE

My Feedback: (12)

Thanks for the info. A few more questions...

Should I use the ESC that came with the motor, or just connect a battery to it?
Should I run it at full throttle, or part throttle?
What kind of oil should I use to lubricate it?

Thanks!

Direwolf

Don't use your ESC... just connect a low-voltage battery to it. One or two D-cells works just fine.

The goal of breaking in a brushed motor is to basically wear down "bed" and polish the brushes so they make a very smooth and even contact with the commutator. This reduces arcing and increaces the efficiency of the motor and the and life-span of the brushes. So, you don't want to run the motor at full speed. Think of how you would sand wood. Not too fast, or else you'll risk damaging the surface, and not too slow, or else it'll take for ever.

Also, I misspoke before. I said run the motor for a few minutes... that really depends on the motor and what you're doing with it. If you're just cleaning the motor, then a few minutes may suffice. However, breaking in the motor may require up to an hour of running. I would run it for about 45 minutes on a single 1.5V cell, and no more.

I personally have never used oil to displace the water. I've only read about it, so I'm not sure which kind of oil is best. I would imagine that you would probably be safe with a mineral oil, such as baby oil. Alternatively, you can take the motor apart and make sure it dries thoroughly. I just use a hair dryer at low-heat to evaporate the water. You can also do this while running the motor at low speed.

-- Brian Stone

TerryE

My Feedback: (12)

Thanks a lot.
I'll try it tonight.