Fantastic Fan Motor Brushes / Bearings ?

Man, I'd give anything to gain perspective on photo brush and bearing sizes. The bearing is a ball bearing. Does this mean the shaft opposite the commutator has a bushing.?

I have Windows Office, including Word. Impressive. But my computer savvy is miserable. Is it possible to cut and paste the above info on my end and save it to disk? When I try it, it saves but then when I go to recall it, it demands that I return to the original internet photo site or the page remains blank.

This gives me enough confidence to have Gaby rip into the fan motor. I think I have resolved how to post images here on this site. I want to get the BORG sub-assembled (I have to order (8) 70 mm muffin fan grille guards - I do not trust wire service loops needed to flop the charger ends open in order to disconnect from the ceiling - walls or chargers).

When I do the Fantastic Endless Breeze, I shall post full dimensions, company sources, part numbers, and prices including shipping. St. Mary's Carbon has a premium line of brush material that outwears standard brushes, three to one, and does not wear into the commutator segments. These brushes I have used in alternators, and they are phenomenal. The Japanese make the fan motors, and a fully sealed NTN (brand) bearing (electric motor grade) far outlasts other Japanese brands. Genuine Oilite bushings outwear regular bushings about 2 to 1 (starter motor experience), and soaking the bushings overnight in Super Lube (brand) lubes the bushings for endless years.

I am going to *-attempt to-* construct a single rebuild that will endure say 50,000 hours of operation 5.07 years day and night continuous operation. And pay as little as possible for the parts.

I saved the best for last! ENDLESS THANK YOU'S FOR PROVIDING THE LINKS AND IMAGES. They are to me, priceless. If I can save them to disk I will.

I've got to get busy when I return home and take images of the BORG when apart. Someone, somewhere, sometime, may profit by the images, specifications, and performance.

First is an attempt to upload images to Photobucket, then download to this site. Old people are supposed to sit in a chair, watch TV and vegetate. I am an utter failure.

Just looked at subcamper's pix. I remember that thread and holding the brushes in place reminded me of a power window motor. I used paper clips for that too, but that isn't the issue here. Just looked at brushes on Amazon. Even there, there are many choices. Inexpensive till international issues come in.

To my knowledge, HF doesn't sell motor brushes as such. They do, or at least did, include a set of spare replacement brushes for many of their corded hand power tools.

If we figured out something you could use or adapt as brushes, could one of us in the USA, obtain a set and simply mail them to you, padded envelope?

I found some photos I took of the brush replacement.

The springs are separate from the brushes. The leads are integral with the brushes, so I cut the old leads and soldered the new leads to them.

I'm not sure about the bearings, but in the pictures they look like sealed ball bearings.











Steve

Do you remember if the brush lead (copper wire) came out the top or out the side of the carbon brush? Were the springs integral with the brush? Did you by some miracle manage to remember or write down the part number of the brush or the model number of the tool? Nearest Harbor Freight is a 1,400 mile trip, the same as my Post Office box. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am flying blind down here.

As noted above, the vent motor mounts are different. Cannot use. I will lube the bushings but I still need to purchase a box of them and a box of brushes for the three fans I have. Mexico charges THREE HUNDRED PERCENT duty on items from the Orient. Then the hundred dollar FedEx DHL shipping fee is charged 15% tax. I'm looking at $500 USA dollars to have a fan motor shipped in.

I replaced the brushes in my FF last year because they had worn down so much that the fan became intermittent.

I drilled out the rivets to open the case.

For replacement brushes, I used some Harbor Freight replacement brushes that I had lying around. They were a little too wide, so I sanded them down to fit. The hardest part by far was to hold the brushes retracted while you close the two halves of the motor. The commutator doesn't end up under the brushes until the motor halves are almost touching. I used some bent paper clips to hold the brushes retracted, with part of the clip hanging outside the motor case. Then I pulled them out to release the brushes as the motor halves closed. The permanent magnet is very strong, so as you get them close they snap together.

Steve

There was a thread, probably within the last year, where an OP was working on the motors in his FF's. I forget what his issues were, but have you searched for threads about repairing FF's?

We recently called Fantastic Vent Fans for replacement parts and they didn't charge us. She also advised us that the lids must be square and after years of use might not be. That causes the lid lift to strip and the motor to burn out. She shipped 2 new lids and a lift arm motor assembly and explained how the lids must be installed. Call them. They are awesome!

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Can I safely asssssssume the vent fans use the same motor as the box Endless Breeze fan?

The Breeze motor has a different mounting configuration than the ceiling fans, at least mine are different. I was going to switch one around but I think it was the hole pattern that was different. I took photos but can't find them now.... This is the Breeze motor. The tape covers the small hole I drilled to lube the bearing/sleeve.