Fans - care and cleaning of motor, oil? Looking for suggestions

I had to upgright? fans that stopped working recently. The motor hummed and the blade tried? to turn. Blowing the motor didnt' help nor did picking out any for matter with tweezers. The blade didn't turn very freely by hand. I was unsure of using a solvent to clean the motor, say carb cleaner or something because I thought it might desolve the varnish on the copper windings. I had nothing to lose so I sprayed it down with some cleaner that had bleach in it (all I had) and I spun the blade by hand. Sprayed, spun, repeated several times. I washed the fan well in hot water and yes I got the entire thing wet. I did everything to rinse it except submerging it. I let it dry 24 hours and it seems to be working as good as new. Short term fix? I don't know but it wasn't working as it was. So I was wondering if there was a better way to clean it. It looks like crude get built up between the rotor/armature (the heavy metal thing that spins) and the stator (the piece that doesn't spin.) Should I try a Hydrocarbon solvent or a fine oil and then blow it out? The HC would make sense if it didn't do damage but I think the oil would increase the accumulation of crude. I did search this on the net but most of the responses were how to clean and oil the bearings but I'm not sure that was the problem or it wouldn't have worked after cleaning.....I don't think. On thing I did find was the suggested use of an electric motor cleaner. Is this something special or would WD40 work ok? I'm not looking to lube with WD 40, just use it as a cleaning solvent. Any suggestions appreciated. Demhi Moss

Reply to
Demhi*Noemailplease*moss
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buy new fans, i have never been able tofixa modern fan.

the bearing are bushings, and everything is made to be disposable

Reply to
bob haller

I would oil the bearings with 3in1 oil.

Reply to
hrhofmann

These fans use oilite bronze bushings and when they get gummy they are really goners. You can coax some extra life out of them by taking the motor apart, soaking the bearing in mineral spirits and reoiling them but it is never going to be as good as the lubrication forced into those bushings during manufacture. A little spritz of WD40 may be as good as anything you can do without taking them apart tho. Just don't expect it to last long. Guys used to douse typewriter motors with IBM cleaning fluid (trichloroethane) and they could get them going until they could get back with a new motor. It never seemed to hurt the windings. Mineral spirits probably won't either but I would be careful with lacquer thinner or acetone. Plastic stuff in the motor might go.

Reply to
gfretwell

A couple of years ago I took apart the motor of a 90W 16" fan with three broad blades, the kind I find most efficient. I used a vacuum cleaner and a paint brush to clean it. I've never found dirt on a rotor causing drag, but dust can make the motor run hot.

I believe I used WD40 to clean the bearings. Most of it evaporates, and what's left isn't a good motor lubricant.

I wiped away the excess and gave the rest time to evaporate. Then I used sewing machine oil, like 3-in-1.

After a couple of weeks, it would no longer start on low without a push. It doesn't take much drag to prevent that, so I let it go.

You inspired me. I took the blade off and put a drop of oil on the front bearing. I used a cotton swab to get a little oil to the rear bearing. Now it starts on low. I guess the WD40 had prevented adequate sewing machine oil from getting into the bearings.

Reply to
J Burns

Does anyone know why they call that oil "3 in 1"?

3 what in 1 what? I always wondered why it has that name.....
Reply to
Jerry.Tan

It cleans, protects, and lubricates. George Cole formulated it for bicycles in 1894.

It's mostly spindle oil. I have an old plastic squeeze bottle of Singer sewing-machine oil and a similar bottle of Marvel lubricating oil. I guess they're all spindle oil.

Reply to
J Burns

Three in one will give short term relief, but ND-30 is what's needed. Sold as "Zoom spout turbine oil". Two stroke oil can be used, also. No gasoline, TYVM.

Yes, carb cleaner or ether is a good cleaner. To remove the old oil.

- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Might last a few days....

Really, ND30 is what has worked for me.

- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Blow out the motor with compressed air. This will remove any dust and crud in the open motor areas. Put a few drops of PB Blaster or half and half acetone and automatic transmission fluid on each bearing. Let set a few minutes and repeat until bearings free up. Lubricate with "Turbine oil" or ND20 motor oil and Marvel Mystery oil in a 2 x oil to 1 x Marvel mix. Works well for me.

Reply to
Mr.E

wg 40 is NOT A LUBRICANT, in fact it turns into goo once it dries

i have taken apart newer fans where the bushings are plastic......

Reply to
bob haller

I've found PB Blaster to be good for flushing out crud, but it evaporates rapidly.

That Nazi Deathcamp 20 motor oil (I also use ND30) often does well for bearings. Not tried Marvels. Maybe some day.

BTW, WD-40 is not a lubricant. Says me. It's a water displacer.

- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Mr E has the best suggestions from my experience with same...

Reply to
bob_villa

wd 40 initially acts like a lubricant but within a day turns to a gummy substance that puts drag on whatever you were trying to lube.....

the only thing worse is vaseline, i had a customer once try to lube a bunch of thermofax machines with vaseline. i ended up bring the machines back and immersing the drive system in gasoline, drying cleaning and relubling with light oil.

Reply to
bob haller

ubstance that puts drag on whatever you were trying to lube.....

You would know this from your office machine experience...we had a recall o f many machines (NCR Class 52) because the keys would not retain (gummy det ents from WD). We had always used an "Office machine oil" (blue and white c an) from a supplier in Mt. Prospect,IL...I think?

Reply to
bob_villa

If I spray WD-40 on a squeaky hinge and a month later it still doesn't squeak, I call it a lubricant.

I used to have a shop where the high humidity caused rust. WD-40 protected things like the table of my saw and saw teeth. The stuff that evaporated helped it spread and penetrate. What remained was viscous enough to stay in place and thin enough not be messy. It never turned gummy.

It's possible that it was equivalent to a thin layer of vaseline. I've never seen vaseline get gummy, but I'm sure vaseline and WD-40 can interact with some plastic and rubber materials.

When I used WD-40 to flush the bearings in the fan, I thought that in the end, the lubricant was essentially the spindle oil I added afterward. I was wrong. The viscosity of what remained of the WD-40 was a little too much to start the motor on low. The bearings stayed cool, so I didn't worry.

I'd added the spindle oil too soon. This time it worked. The motor starts on low.

Reply to
J Burns

It seems to be about half naphtha, about a quarter light oil, and about a a quarter heavy oil. I like it better than WD-40 for some purposes.

I keep 20W in an ancient 1-ounce oiler for 1725 RPM synchronous motors. I prefer spindle oil to get into the tight spaces of smaller motors such as household fans. Bicyclists prefer it. It will get into the links of a chain and is less likely than motor oil to make a mess on your white stockings when you pedal to church in your lederhosen.

Fine lubricant, but when I used it to lubricate metal surfaces, I switched to a similar CRC product because I found it left a better lubricating film.

Reply to
J Burns

Don't know, but the blue can is for motors.

Greg

Reply to
gregz

It floats on water. Pb blaster displaces water. I generally use nd 20 pull spout oiler. You might also be able to use LPS 2 . 3n1 blue can. I have used WD 40 to free up bearings, then add oil, since wd40 has very thin mineral oil and spirits.

Greg

Greg

Reply to
gregz

I never saw wd40 get gummy. Get dry and varnished, yes.

That pb blaster melts styrofoam.

Greg

Reply to
gregz

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