Slightly wiggly motor

[SeeUAV]

One of my motors is slightly wiggly. Not by much but by touch you can detect it will a tiny bit of motion on it. The others seem very solid and not even a chance of a wiggle. I tried to find out what holds this in to see if something just needs to be tightened but the screws on the underside of the P2V+'s arms seems to do nothing. Any thoughts or things to check?

Any help (even just guesses) will be very much appreciated.

 

[happydays]

There are some E-clips that hold the two parts of the motor together - maybe one of these has come loose?

Better finding out on your kitchen table than a few hundred feet in the air...

 

[SeeUAV]

Definitely good advice there. I have continued to fly it but I am sure glad you put it that way cos now I am convinced I should check it out before flying again Thanks, I will find out how to pop it open and check out the e-clips.

 

[SeeUAV]

So I opened my p2v+ for the first time to check it out. Wasn't as scary as I expect thinking wires would fly out in all directions it's definitely the bearings. Pulled the motor apart but couldn't "pop" the bearings out. If I pushed harder I think I would have broken something or hurt myself. I bought some lithium grease and used a bit in the motor but I wishing could have gotten inside the actual bearings. I think this will help as it is a little better but should be getting a replacement motor for AUD$45 delivered within 4-6 days. So that's my cause and how I am going to solve the problem, hope this helps someone else.

 

[wharfbanger]

So I opened my p2v+ for the first time to check it out. Wasn't as scary as I expect thinking wires would fly out in all directions it's definitely the bearings. Pulled the motor apart but couldn't "pop" the bearings out. If I pushed harder I think I would have broken something or hurt myself. I bought some lithium grease and used a bit in the motor but I wishing could have gotten inside the actual bearings. I think this will help as it is a little better but should be getting a replacement motor for AUD$45 delivered within 4-6 days. So that's my cause and how I am going to solve the problem, hope this helps someone else.

I also have a single wiggly motor that clicks slightly when wiggled. Have done about 20 flights with no issues and no overheating that I am aware of. Spins freely.

Hoping to avoid motor replacement if possible. What is involved in motor replacement? Cutting cables then resoldering?

 

[EMCSQUAR]

Motor replacement = open shell, unsolder 3 wires, undo 4 motor mount screws - reverse to install. Note - order the correct thread rotation

 

[DownunderPhantom]

If you have a close look at the shaft on the motor just below where the prop screws on you will see a little black dot, that dot is a very small grub screw. I had a very similar problem with one of my motors but I did not notice the grub screw until after I replaced the motor. The grub screw was missing from the shaft which in turn was giving to much extra play.. On the upside, I now have a spare motor. It may not be what is wrong with your motor but worth looking at.

 

[SeeUAV]

If you have a close look at the shaft on the motor just below where the prop screws on you will see a little black dot, that dot is a very small grub screw. I had a very similar problem with one of my motors but I did not notice the grub screw until after I replaced the motor. The grub screw was missing from the shaft which in turn was giving to much extra play.. On the upside, I now have a spare motor. It may not be what is wrong with your motor but worth looking at.

I did notice a hole. Will check this out shortly as see if it's what you spoke of, thanks.

 

[SeeUAV]

If you have a close look at the shaft on the motor just below where the prop screws on you will see a little black dot, that dot is a very small grub screw. I had a very similar problem with one of my motors but I did not notice the grub screw until after I replaced the motor. The grub screw was missing from the shaft which in turn was giving to much extra play.. On the upside, I now have a spare motor. It may not be what is wrong with your motor but worth looking at.

I had a look, turned it a little each way but not much happened. Tried on a smooth motor and it was the same. Doesn't seem to change and there is the little screw thing in all of them.

 

[Garysam]

Checking on my motors now

 

[SeeUAV]

So I took the motor apart again to see what this other little hole next to the bearing which turned out to be nothing. But when I was putting the eclip back on it was a lot harder. After pushing a little bit trying to get the bearing out again I think it's jammed or something but seemed to give me less room on the bottom where the little circle and eclip go. Put it back together (after ages of trying to get the eclip back on) and it's sounds smooth. Because it's greased it seems to be even smoother than the others though. So I guess I have a spare motor on its way now too

 

[erkme73]

I just wanted to relay what happened to me when my clip came off. I was about 500' up when suddenly the bird went dark - no power what so ever. Fell straight down and landed in a retention pond. I found it about a foot under murky water because the LED had started blinking again.

The clip came off, and shorted out the ESC - which killed power to everything. When it impacted the water, it must have dislodged, allowing it to power the LED. After a thorough cleaning and drying all was well again.

The motor will fly just fine without the clip. The magnetic force is stronger than any pull you can apply with lift. It was just the electrical short the clip created rolling around inside the housing that shut mine down. Could have been a lot worse.

It was only a few weeks old, so the dealer sent me a new motor. I've since bought extra motors. I pitched the original one seeing as I didn't have the tools to get the clip back on (the ridge on the shaft was actually not out far enough (still inside the bearings a bit - which is probably why the original assembly didn't work right).

It was a V1.1.1. I'm waiting on my P2V+ to get here...

 

[Sasquatch]

I just wanted to relay what happened to me when my clip came off.
The clip came off, and shorted out the ESC - which killed power to everything.
The motor will fly just fine without the clip. The magnetic force is stronger than any pull you can apply with lift. It was just the electrical short the clip created rolling around inside the housing that shut mine down.

What clip, where is it and what does it look like...any photos for reference?

 

[erkme73]

I just wanted to relay what happened to me when my clip came off.
The clip came off, and shorted out the ESC - which killed power to everything.
The motor will fly just fine without the clip. The magnetic force is stronger than any pull you can apply with lift. It was just the electrical short the clip created rolling around inside the housing that shut mine down.

What clip, where is it and what does it look like...any photos for reference?

The clip is on the back side of the motor - you can't see it unless you unscrew the four screws that hold it to the frame. The very tip of the shaft (opposite of the threaded part) just barely sticks out about 1/8" beyond the base of the motor. In that small section of shaft is a groove. The retaining clip sits in the groove and keeps the shaft from pulling out (up) of the bearing. Without the clip in place, pulling straight up on the prop will pull the motor in half. The stator (the bell part that spins and has the prop attached to it) comes off. The rotor (the part with the windings) is fixed and screwed to the frame.

I just looked to find my original photos, but came up empty. There's another thread here that has some pictures. This is the best one showing the underside of the motor and the clip:

 

[Sasquatch]

Ok, thanks very much for the detailed explanation and attached photo. Hard to believe something that would seem so benign could cause such catastrophic failure to your bird!!!

 

[erkme73]

Believe me, I know. Talk about feeling ill. Nothing like watching it drop like a sack of potatoes - when it's only 10 days old, no less. That clip fits perfectly across the ESC solder points where the motor wires attach to the board. It was wedged under the ESC board. I got really, really luck that day.