“Addressing State of Interior” RE Starter & Generator

[Saskwatch]

Did the search of “how to “ carefully clean up starter & generator , brushes & bushings look ok, put a shine on where the brushes ride (commutator?) with fine emery cloth, cleaned out the crud in the lines of said commutator with tooth brush &. contact cleaner …. Question / 

   Can I carefully run a hacksaw blade down the lines of the commutator to “widen” them out a tad ? 

…….” Commutator” , yes, I learned a new term !  (-;  ?

[greg g]

The short answer is yes.  It used to be part of the service and there was a bench top tool that had a kn ife on a rail slide.  The knife would make the groove deeper, not wider.  It would shave the insulating material down, all that was needed was a couple of passes to do the job.  When I say knife I mean like a cutting tool  like on  lathe mounted in a movable chuck.  You might want to take a trip to your local library to see if they have any old Motors  Manuals in the reference section, or see if there is a you tube video of the process.  I remember seeing it somewhere, maybe second chance garage.

[Marcel Backs]

I would not recommend using any type of metal tool to clean out this area. Isopropyl alcohol and a toothbrush should be tried first in order to clean out any accumulations. Another real  good  (indispensable but a bit pricey) electrical equipment cleaning solution is Deoxit D5 which cleans contacts, switches and any other type of electrical connection that has been exposed for years to adverse conditions. It flashes off quickly and does not leave a film. It does not harm any insulation or protective coatings. Never use any tool which is made of a harder material than the one you are setting out to clean especially if that tool's name starts with "hack". Diligence and care must be taken in order to remove decades of accumulated crud on your old car's electrical system. What you are doing now is a step in the right direction and will prevent any electrical surprises in the long term. All the Best! M

[Saskwatch]

Thank you very much guys , very much appreciated ?

[OUTFXD]

If you do "widen" the gap with something(hacksaw, knife, dremel)  be sure to deburr afterwords so your brushes dont file themselves into oblivion!

[Dave72dt]

The insulating material between the bars is harder than the bars and may hold the brushes up enough to create some arcing.  That's hard on the brushes and the commutator.  An armature lathe has a rotary cutter to trim that insulting material down below the bars and any of the bar material that may have bridged over.

[Booger]

Usually a new set of brushes did the trick

[Tired iron]

i used to work in a motor repair shop and we would do this kind of work daily.  Emery cloth to clean up the comm. Then examine the slots between the comm bars.  Clean out with a small screwdriver turned the thin way if there is any crud or copper filings.  Done.

 

You cut the insulation down only if you've cut the comm down in a lathe in order to even out a comm that's been worn/grooved down from the brushes.  And, in that operation, a hacksaw blade can be used AFTER grinding off the sides of the teeth that have been set out a bit.  In this way, the teeth will cut down, but not out at all.  You don't want to widen the gap of the comm bars.

Have fun!

 

 

Edited February 9, 2023 by Tired iron

[Eneto-55]

I cannot think of the proper name for this type of lathe, but I have MOST of the parts for one I got from my grandpa many years ago.  Oh, it's called an armature lathe.  

 

This is like the one I have, only I'm missing the entire groove cutter assembly (in the middle).  [But I DO have the original motor for it, and it doesn't mount the way this photo seems to show - with the bands.  It is mounted on a rod on the base, so that it can be positioned side to side.]

 

armature lathe

Edited February 10, 2023 by Eneto-55
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