Blade CP: Longevity of main motor?
 

I'm on my original motor from the aerobatic upgrade kit. I probably have at least 50 flights on it using 3S Lipo batteries (TP Prolite 1320) and it still runs well. I can perform forward flight well and have done some ugly looking loops and rolls. I recently put on the Bell mixer upgrade. How long are these motors lasting? Has anyone tried removing the 10T pinion from the original motor and putting the 9T on it? I have very little time on my original motor. I realize that they are only $10 but I would like to use my other motor if possible. What is the usual symptom of a failing main motor? Does it just stop in midair or does it get weaker and weaker?

Chris

RE: Blade CP: Longevity of main motor?
 

If you do not damage a brushless motor, it should out-last your aircraft. If you damage it, there's no telling how long it will last!

Damage chiefly comes in the form of:
1. Bent shafts. Running with a bent shaft will destroy your ball bearings.
2. Heat. Anything the motor does generates some heat. Anything which makes it work harder generates more heat. Running it at too high of a voltage, or too large a prop, will eventually damage the motor through too much heat. Poor ventilation can do this too, even for motors running in spec.
3. Too high of RPMs. This is rare, but you can throw magnets running the motor significantly faster than it's supposed to. Usually this only happens if the attached prop or rotor is badly out of balance; the combination of high RPMs and excessive vibration throw magnets.
4. Crashes. This can do all kinds of bad things to your motor.

Note that none of those is "time". A brushless upgrade, like you bought with the hop-up kit, doesn't have a service lifetime. Just a warranty. It will eventually wear out, sure, but a well-made one will run for years without.

I doubt you'll find any Blade owners with the brushless upgrade who have worn out their motors. It's crashes, mostly, that do that, and the service lifetime will be "some finite period after your most recent crash".

RE: Blade CP: Longevity of main motor?
 

dude
where did you read about a brushless motor in this thread?
in answer to your question, yes you can change your pinion from one motor to the other.
you will need a puller to do this though.
once again, more money on this lovley sport

RE: Blade CP: Longevity of main motor?
 

Thanks for the brushless info but my blade is running on the stock brushed 370 motors. The aerobatic enhancement kit (AEK) comes with the same motor but with a 9 tooth pinion instead of 10.

Chris

RE: Blade CP: Longevity of main motor?
 

I believe the motor loses power as the brushes and the armature wear. At some point when all the brush material has worn, or the armature shorts the motor just quits. As mentioned changing the pionion is easy with a puller ($12-$14) Putting the gear back on the shaft is easy, just lightly tap it on. Without a puller you may be able to get the gear off, but it will be tough with damaging the motor. You need to come up with a way to hold the backside of the pinion while pushing the shaft from the front of the gear without putting any strain on the motor case.

RE: Blade CP: Longevity of main motor?
 

For me the biggest difference in motor life is initially breaking the motor in with a low voltage battery. I have a 2cell AAA NIMH pack that is 600MAH that I use. I first run the motor in "forward" for a few minutes then I run it in revers for a few minutes then I finish the pack in forward again. Wearing the brushes evenly truely makes the difference