Best way to clean electric motor windings

[thermite]

twenty bucks says the local Ace Hardware store won't sell you a gallon of trichlor.

Fair odds are that neither will anyone else!

Sez he supposedly among those a 'dyin of MASSIVEe over-exposure to it.. and maybe I am?

Recruiting Sergeant may have lied about joining the Army meaning you'd get to live forever?

Sgt Major Chesnaky, 52d Artillery Bde, over-limit on years in-service off the back of a waiver signed by Maxwell Taylor hisself said it weren't so.

It would only SEEM like it!

 

[Larry Dickman]

twenty bucks says the local Ace Hardware store won't sell you a gallon of trichlor.

actually, a couple years ago I was in an old mom and pop hardware store looking for some trichloroethane, when way in the back, covered in a few decades worth of dust was a pint can of trichloroethylene. I bought it and since used it on something or other, but in California it's probably a capital offense to have now.

 

[d'Arsonval]

A particular "Best Way" is determined by the nature of the job and what one has to work with.

Motors having excessive amounts of grease on the windings are washed using soap and water.
It's typically accomplished in a cleaning booth devoted for the job.

Before using a pressure washer, the bulk of the debris is physically removed.
Care must be given to not literally BLAST the winding to a point of degrading the electrical insulation.
In that respect, there is an element of knowledge and skill required.

Shops having parts washing machines have the option of getting stators washed while
working on other portions of the repair process.

Ultra sonic cleaning is used on problematic repairs that require that approach.
Another method used on heavily covered, difficult to remove winding debris is
a process where the stator is submerged in a vat, tub, or barrel of water and a cleaning solution.
With the motor completely submerged in the container, a controlled air line is run into the water
to agitate the cleaning solution. From time-to-time, the air line is repositioned in different
locations to reach all portions of the dirty item.

Large pieces of equipment are sometimes cleaned with a process called "ice blasting".

Obviously after all the washing, the item must be completely dried out.
This is accomplished by placing the stator in a controlled temperature oven.
Drying time can vary and is often determined by the size of the item.

People working on stuff like this on their own can creatively come up with other
cleaning methods... including taking the thing to a car wash spray booth.
(Not suggesting to do it that way, I'm just mentioning it... because it does happen.)

If you don't have an oven, you can position heat lamps or even light bulbs
near the stator, and cover the set-up with some form of canopy enclosing the heat.

After the stator has been proven to be "dry" and electrically "okay", it is either re-varnished
or at least spray insulated using an aerosol can paint product.

John

 

[Doug W]

It is a done deal guys.

Light scrubbing with Simple Green and a soft chip brush.
Hosed out with a 40 psi garden hose, did want to risk damage using my pressure washer.
Parked by warm heat of my biomass, oxygen injected furnace, also known as the funky old wood shop stove for a day.
JB Welded in the unneeded grease ports.
Pressed on 2 new SKF sealed bearings, made in France.
Squirted on some nice sort-of- close to Baldor gray tractor paint.
Baked on the finish with my temperature controlled curing booth, also known as setting it near the funky old wood shop stove.

Done, runs quiet w/o the grease stink when it warms up, and looks good too.

Didn't have to start a motor repair biz, locate the last can of trichlor in the Continental USA or sneak it out the backdoor in a brown paper sack all the while fearing it was a EPA undercover sting operation.
Nor harm any animals while sprucing up this motor.

Thanks for the advise,,,, and the well,,,entertainment.

 

[thermite]

Thanks for the advise,,,, and the well,,,entertainment.

"Igualmente". Yah just now gave as good as yah got!



Damned drear week the only thing can be found as springboard to takin' the piss is a few gobs of grease in an ignorant 1-P motor.

 

[3006guns]

Brake cleaner in a spray can, available at any auto parts store. Buy whatever's on sale, several cans can come in handy. I use it for degreasing bullet molds, electrical, etc. Works really well but DON'T use it indoors!

A can of that along with a soft bristle brush will degrease just about anything.

 

[Doug W]

Brake cleaner in a spray can, available at any auto parts store.

Brake cleaner eats paint, not sure what it would do on the lacquer/shellac/mystery coating on windings.

Suspect it would eat it too.

 

[johansen]

Brake cleaner eats paint, not sure what it would do on the lacquer/shellac/mystery coating on windings.

Suspect it would eat it too.

hot water and lots of dawn dish soap is good enough.