M-55 motor pause question

Rusty,

If your motor has little metal flaps on it, you could try putting in some 3-in-1 Motor Oil (make sure it says "Motor Oil" as there are different 3-in-1's).
http://www.amazon.com/3-IN-ONE-10045-Motor-Oil-Pack/dp/B0083V8MMG

My old Deagan motor was hesitating and I put in a few drops of oil in each of the openings and things are running smoothly now. Note, I am not sure how much is too much, and how frequently oil should be used; I don't have a manual. I believe the newer types of motors (e.g., Oriental) don't have these flaps though. Post a picture if you don't see what I am talking about.

Barry

Electric motors are designed to run at around 1400rpm and are noisy. This is why vibe motors are problematical, they are used in exact opposition to the design spec of the motor.

The little metal flaps that were mentioned is actually a fan, which is used to draw air into the motor and cool the copper windings. I would never suggest putting oil into an electric motor. It is a good way to create a short circuit. The oil should be applied very sparingly to the bearings which are at either end of the armature (the bit that spins). Dry bearings, or worn bearings will cause the stutter, because the torque at low rpm is also very low.

The armature is a cylinder with copper wires running inside it. The outside of the armature is divided into segments that are insulated from each other. The field coil wraps around the armature and consists of two sets of copper windings that create a magnetic force. Mains electricity is variable current, like a sound wave at around 50 hertz. The electricity goes through the field coil and because of the wave it alternates the polarity of the magnetic force. This pulls the oppositely charged segments of the armature, and therefore the motor turns.

Therefore, if the insulation on the armature has failed, the motor will not turn. They tend to stop, rather than deteriorate.

When I have instruments in to repair with electrical problems, the place to start is the plug. Electricity passing though copper generates heat which causes the copper to expand. This means that every year the plugs should be opened, and the connections tightened. Then check the cable for damage cuts, squashing, etc. Cables break down in time as the repeated cycle of heat causes the copper to work harden and become brittle. To check for a cable break, plug it in, put the motor on fast, then wiggle, flex, bend the cable down its entire length - if the motor stutters, that is your problem.

Then you are at the speed control unit. Musser fit cheap switches which break, equally the pots aren't that great either, and also break. The old vibes had mercury switches which never fail, but the rheostats they used to use do. A rheostat is a copper coil (heat) with a pointer that connects at some point along the length. Potentiometers use the same principle, but are smaller and most often made from graphite or ceramics (can't remember exactly)

There is a lot of information in the above, most of which applies to all vibes. However there are lots of specific problems that are instrument specific. I have been fixing vibes for years, so I have come across most things. I hope this helps.

regards
Paul Jefferies
Orchestral Percussion

PS Don't ask a musician about motors, speak to an expert - electricity kills, at the very least it could burn down your house!

Vibe motors are more problematic than the others as they are designed to run with a high potential speed .Even I don’t think putting an oil to these motors is a good practice as it pave way for the short circuithttp://www.powered.com/