Time to clean the comm

Radio Control Car Action, Dec 2002 by Cook, Sean

I hope you can help me; I'm having blem with my Team Associated T^sub 3^ racing truck. Sometimes when I squeeze th ottle trigger, uck just sits there until I give it a little shove. The Trinity Chameleon motor fine for a but then the problem recurs after a couple of minutes of running. The guy at th sho at I need new motor brushes. Will that solve my problem? [email] Sean Cook

It sounds as though it's time to clean and maintain your motor, Sean. Remove the left and right brush springs from the motor so you'll be able to slide them out of the brush hoods for inspection. If the brushes are chipped, damaged, or less than 5mm long, it's probably time to replace them. Simply remove the mounting screws that secure the brush eyelets to the brush hoods and then install new brushes. It's also a good idea to replace the brush springs at this point; they only cost a couple of bucks, and they probably need to be replaced, too.

Before you install the new brushes and springs, liberally spray motor cleaner inside the motor can to expel all the carbon deposits, dirt and grime. While the motor commutator is still damp with motor spray, install a comm stick inside one of the brush hoods, and handturn the motor counterclockwise several revolutions while applying pressure to the comm stick (having the pinion gear installed on the motor shaft will make spinning the armature much easier). Spray a little more motor cleaner into the motor after you've cleaned the surface of the commutator with the comm stick to remove any residue left over from the cleaning process. Reinstall the brushes and brush springs, apply motor bushing and bearing oil to the motor bushings, and your motor should be good to go. It's a good idea to break in the motor by hooking it up to a 4-cell battery pack and letting it run for a few minutes before you reinstall it in your truck.