Hey guys, at the end of the last season I started noticing that the motor sound was starting to change, however I ignored it at the time because I didn’t want to deal with it. Now I’m preparing the board for spring and as I was checking the motors, the sounds can be heard even when spinning the motor by hand without any power. Are the bearings dying or is it something more serious?
Also in case anyone had a motor die on his/her eSk8, what were the signs that the motor exhibited before dying?
My motors are dual Turnigy SK3 5045 450kv with a 38:12 gear ratio with VESC 4.12
Isn’t esk8 a hobby thing to be used only in good weather?
@vicciu First thing I wold do is open the motors, the bearings could definitely be bad, it’s pretty inexpensive to change but depending on the motor can be a pain
Also the shaft can be spinning on the can
The magnets can attract a lot of dirt, brake pad dust is magnetic and there is plenty on the streets, a god cleaning can remove it and prevent rubbing between the magnets and stator
Do you have access to an air compressor? Before you strip it all down you could try blowing the can through to remove the dust and debris. Its not a bad regular maintenance tip to be honest. If it still has noise and resistance then most likely bearings. SK3 are notorious for stripped set screws so be careful when removing the can. I use the tip of my soldering iron on top of the screw before undoing because its the easiest way to apply heat to a small area.
Cleaning with a compressed air can didn’t seem to change the motor sound. Since I don’t want to deal with changing the bearings, I might just upgrade to a pair of lower KV sk8 motors from hobbyking and fix the issue this way. Thanks everyone for the good suggestions.
Esk8 is a hobby that can be used in all seasons if you prep the board right. @b264 is the one to ask about that. Lots and lots and lots of conformal coating
This right here is why you can be slightly annoying. Read the whole thread and then you might realise you don’t have anything to add or indeed think of something to add as opposed to just repeating whats already been said twice. Just basic etiquette dude is all.