Americamper wrote:
covered wagon, you were correct. The motors had gotten water inside. However I disassembled them , cleaned and reinstalled and they are working. I am interested in your bearing oiling trick.
Okay.... here's what you do twice a year, once in the fall and again in the spring.
You take a rubber tipped air nozzle and shoot about 5-10 p.s.i. compressed air into the small hole at the bottom of each white plastic motor cover. It will slide down like a piston so keep shooting small blasts until you can pull it off by hand. Inside the cover you will notice evidence of rust and moisture stains. Now, looking very closely at the steel housing to the electric motors, you will notice a very tiny weep hole at or near the bottom. You should squirt a liberal amount of 3 in one oil in there. Not flooding, but a good amount so you get the bottom bearing that is in the center lobe or bowl shape on the bottom end of the steel housing. That is where the motor shaft and bearing meet and get moisture trapped there. It won't hurt the elect. motor. I think I've squirt enough a time or two to have the oil dripping out a small amount afterwards. Again it won't hurt the motor. Afterward I wipe down the steel housing with a little oil on my hands.
To get the covers back on, I hold onto the top of the jack gearheads so as to not stress them while pushing the covers back up into place. Be sure to not cover the small hole at the bottom of the cover with your hand while pushing upward so air can displace or escape as you push them back up into place.
After about the third year I noticed the covers getting loose in the hot sun. On a very hot day a cover facing the sun fell to the ground. To solve this I placed stainless hose clamps on each cover up near the top with the clamp screw behind the motor so as to not be seen and just look like a ss band around each one. I think it helps stop some of the moisture too.
To better the process of getting the covers back on without stressing the jack gearheads, I think it would be great to use a wood clamp large enough to squeeze it back into place. I would not use a steel clamp but one of the new type used by carpenters and are plastic squeeze clamps seen at lumber yards.
