Henry motor
- Thread starter bsr
- Start date
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I use 1/4" if there's need. If you DIY, you will have plenty left to buy some cheap sockets. I got an imperial set years ago and never need to buy more.
A couple of high quality bearings probably cost you under £5. £40 - £5 = £35 for pizza or tools. One reason for failure is the manufacturer using low quality bearings. The motor, excluding the contact parts, is pretty much a solid state device and rarely fail. You still have the same problem if you get a new motor. So, DIY can potentially get you something better. German and Swedish bearings are pretty good. Thai bearings are not the best. I have a high quality looking chinese one that I haven't yet used on the washing machine. The price on that was crazy cheap.
I am not convinced you need a lathe to take off some soft copper. Nor do I think the commutator is bad if the contact plates are not dangling or loose. It's unlikely the commutator would have worn unevenly. The rotation would have kept the wear even.
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I took a Henry motor with failed bearing to a local motor rewind company, they advised beforehand on the phone that not all are repairable due to the way they are assembled. Mine was in that category so I didn't bother returning to retrieve it.
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I tend to do my own assessment. If it can be put together, then it can be taken apart. Motors are simple devices and held together by a couple of bolts. The only complication is whether the bearing is pressed on or free sliding. It takes slightly more tools or effort if pressed on. Until a disassembly is attempted, I can't tell you from a picture how the bearing contacts the shaft. From these pictures, the bearing looks pressed into its housing and the housing is mounted on by imperial sized bolts. The shaft could be free sliding. A new bearing could be hammer tapped into place on the outer race. It might even be pressed-in-able by thumb.
Unless there are more pictures of disassembly, I remain unconvinced this motor is in anyway unusual. In any case, it is completely possible the manufacturer might have designed a tamper-proof mechanism or used proprietary bearings. This goes well with low quality bearings to increase motor sales. But, I think unlikely because most manufacturers use standard parts. Rather than making their own, the motor maker would have bought the bearings from the bearing maker. They can cut corners by using cheaper bearings made from cheaper metal/process.
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I gave that clue in #16
Indeed all agreed, however on mine the bearings sat on the outside of the frame and pressed onto the shaft as was the impeller. Bolts held the whole thing together. I was able to undo the bolts which allowed the left end of the frame to rotate but they didn't clear the impeller.
They were able to press the left bearing off but couldn't get to the metal insert of the impeller or behind the right bearing.
I have repaired enough Henry's to know there are a selection of motors used and have no doubts about the differences, equally the motor company let me know straightaway on the phone of the same before I took it in.
Citation needed!
I think you are confusing AF with American thread standards such as UNC (Unified Coarse) and UNF (Unified Fine)
AF does indeed mean "Across Flats" as measurement of any of your AF spanners will confirm
If the OP's motor is like what's in this video, both bearings should be accessible. I think there's only a nut at the metal impeller end holding the shaft in place.
This video gives a clue on how the vacuum chamber is structured. The nut is the only thing holding the shaft in place. Everything else slides off.
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The suggestion to use a hex extension bit was perfect, thank you. I got the rotor off and it cleaned up easily. I put the axle into my drill and spun it against 320 grit sandpaper. The copper comes off fast and the commutator bars look clean. I also checked with a screwdriver that none are loose.
The bearings are fine. I took the opportunity to clean them with WD40, dry and then repack with lithium grease. Lucky as the top bearing drifts off easily but I couldn't shift the bottom one. Probably needs a bearing puller which I don't have.
I took the motor off the impeller unit. It spins without shaking, so I suspect the imbalance is in the impeller unit. There are two divots on the armature but I suspect those are intentional for balancing rather than any damage?
guess the next step is to lever / drift off the impeller casing, clean, and reassemble.
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The bearings are fine. I took the opportunity to clean them with WD40, dry and then repack with lithium grease. Lucky as the top bearing drifts off easily but I couldn't shift the bottom one. Probably needs a bearing puller which I don't have.
I took the motor off the impeller unit. It spins without shaking, so I suspect the imbalance is in the impeller unit. There are two divots on the armature but I suspect those are intentional for balancing rather than any damage?
guess the next step is to lever / drift off the impeller casing, clean, and reassemble.
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