Fantastic Fan Motor Brushes / Bearings ?

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I have no way of sourcing information about the vent fan motors. Can I safely asssssssume the vent fans use the same motor as the box Endless Breeze fan?

Do these critters use ball bearings? or do they use sleeve bushings?

Anyone out there ever re-brush and re-bearing a Fantastic Fan motor? Successfully?

Replacement motors cost as much as a new fan, and frankly I am out of storage room in the toad. Bearings and brushes would take up a lot less space.

Gabriel, loves to re-build supposedly non-rebuildable heater and AC motors. He drilled the spot-welds in my K-car radiator fan and hand fitted brushes to size with a fine grain honing stone. I came up with a 6volt high-amp transformer and carbon graphite rod and clamp which serves to spot weld new attachments.

But really weird brush design and odd size bearings need to be fathomed before the still-working-fine fan motor comes apart. The motor has in excess of 10,000 hours. I know the fans are reliable but that is too many hours to take lightly. Where I live, a fan can stay running for months day and night. It is used on 12 and 120 volts. I am going to rebuild it before it blows up. Why? When brushes give out the tension spring beneath gouges the commutator. The motor runs just long enough to screw up a perfectly good armature.

Tips, hints, gossip, snide remarks, and high-quality sarcasm are all welcome. Thanks.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

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.

[j-d]

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.

[j-d]

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?

[subcamper]

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

[MEXICOWANDERER]

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.

[subcamper]

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

[j-d]

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?

[sdianel_-acct_c]

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!

[hypoxia]

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.

[NinerBikes]

link

[darsben]

Is this the motor?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fantastic-Fan-Motor-for-12-Volt-DC-Fan-Powered-Roof-Vent-RV-Motorhome-Parts-/201456249578?hash=item2ee7ba6aea:g:AUMAAOSwQTVV8jty&vxp=mtr

[MEXICOWANDERER]

RLS7201
Thank you kindly for the clarification. I'm soooooo deef, a motor can screech and make alley cats a mile distant arch their back - and I'd never hear it.

A splootch of good grease and it'll be ready to rumble, err...I mean run.

I wonder if the brushes are weird? If I could get an idea of what they look like, I'll order an assortment and let Gaby work his magic. I'll mike the shaft and bore and order a dozen bushings. I got some more chicken head switches, the ones that are rated for a zillion cycles.

Lake Atitlan gets chilly in the morning. A nice wood stove and fan should take the worst of it off.

[landyacht318]

I think 4 of these would fit in a 14 inch square opening:

SilverStone Technology Super Slim 180mm Fan with Speed Adjustment Cooling FM182

http://silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=532&area=en

I have the SS AP182 fan, but it does not enjoy charging voltages at max speed, so I limit it to 11 volts at all times.

Mine just ran at various speeds from march to last week continuously.

A bigger fan FF is likely more efficient than 4 of these, except on Low speed. They claim 0.05amps at slowest speed. My AP182 does in fact draw that amount at slowest speed, and is silent and still moves some 60CFM.

Anyway, not an option likely to be employed, but an option none the less.

[RLS7201]

Mex,

Most motors used in a homosapien habitat are bushed. Balls and rollers are noisy.

Richard