Manky Monkey Motors

hi all got a wolf pillar drill its about twelve months old was working fine then developed a prob when i press the start button it makes the noise as if it wants to spin but don't but if i help it by starting to spin it with my hands it would go but now it just makes the noise any ideas its not had excessive use its not the belts slipping is it likely to be the bushes could it be something else haven't needed to use it in a while but will need it soon any help appreciated. cheers Zak

Sounds like the brushes zak.I take it it has an inbuilt motor,
You may find some plugs on the side of the machine, with slotted heads for a large screwdriver,
Remove the plugs then the brushes,If no plugs you will probably have to strip the drill.
If it's a separate motor,it sounds like it may be a broken connection.

hi hunter,dont know a lot about them but this is the motor it has on it

sound like a capacitor fault. at least to begin with
here's a chart with cap values on it, caps are cheap and worth a try before getting a new motor
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f291/chewie66666/capacitor-table.jpg)
smell the motor, burned motors give off a lovely odor and you'll know its not right
i suppose its out of warranty?

Yes i think Chewie is right there,capacitor.

Hi Chewie i don't think the motors burnt out no smell.... it dose try to spin but wont i think i will try to get hold of capacitor as you suggest....yes it is just out of warranty sods law thanks for your help chewie much appreciated

Thanks to you to Hunter for your help much appreciated

Could be a capacitor fault....Have you tried it with no load by taking the belt off?
Could be dirty contact switches so a dose of electrical cleaner may not hurt either.

I have tried it with out a belt on the motor T.bone but haven't used any electrical cleaner when the prob first occurred i was using the drill and it was fine switched it off for a few moment's then went to use it again a few mommen ts later and it would not spin but i could see the chuck moving slightly as if it was going to spin but would not unless i helped to start it by spinning it with my hand then it would work normally until i switched it off then i would have to do the same thing again to get it spinning

Assuming that it is indeed capacitor start machine, not all fractional HP AC motors are, then the capacitor is faulty. The capacitor is used to artificially create an out of phase shift to the "Run" winding, to enable single phase machines to accelerate from rest. The fact that when you give it a helping hand, it will run up to speed, indicates this, so a new capacitor may be your answer, although you might also find the motor contains a centrifugal switch, which is designed to cut out a start winding, and sometimes these become o/c, needs a strip and check, Morrag

I think it is a capacitor start machine Morrag on the picture bottom right hand corner you can just make it out hanging down looks like a coil type thing with two wires coming from it to the motor think that's what it is anyway......... yes think i need to strip and see if i can see anything obvious to start with. cheers all

my pllar drill and my bench grinder both did the same
you can test the cap witha multimeter if you have one with a capacitance tester

Dis-charge the thing first though  ::)

Will just switching it of or disconnecting the drill for a while do that Tbone i do have a multimeter but don't really know how to use it only brought it to check the out put of the charging system on the bike, am i just looking for a reading between the two connections on the capacitor and if i get one its ok and if its zero its no good or is it not quite that simple cheers Zak

The capacitor is a device for storeing/releasing electrical voltage, when you plug in your device and flick the socket switch on, the capacitor charges with electricity.
Even if you suspect the capacitor to be faulty, NEVER assume it is discharged.
A small capacitor will give you a tingle in your fingers, a large one could hit you like a lightening bolt!

Zak, I don`t do a lot of mains voltage circuit work, so with in mind I am reluctant to answer any further.
Please be careful when inspecting mains electrical equipment.

Having said that, the normal course of action would be to check the voltage, using a voltmeter with connections to the capacitor wires.
To discharge, you need to make a circuit. This can be done by leaving the voltmeter attached and this will slowly discharge it, a faster way is to connect a light bulb between the 2 wires.

A multimeter can be used, in the ohms setting to check resistance.

Ok T bone thanks for that much appreciated

i do mains voltage for a living.
on your meter you could have a capacitance setting, check the manual for how to select it.
the capacitor SHOULD discharge thru the motor windings but i always Zap 'em before i touch 'em, oh and be sure to unplug the damn thing from the wall socket
the capacitor my have "popped" which will be obvious as its come to bits. you wont have to test it then
disconnect the cap (usually spade lugs) and using the meter on capacitance test against the value on the capacitor, if its pretty close then you've got other problems but you ll probably find its way out.
but as it's now not making any noise I'm not sure if you ha vent burned  a winding or a connection so while its in bits give all terminations a once over. be sure to get a motor starting capacitor as one from a fluorescent light or ballast wont be up to snuff
i got a bench grinder and pillar drill, both with blown caps and repaired them with aud20 capacitors, that's a pretty common fault with 240v equipment and company's here throw the gear away thinking the cost of a sparky to be more then the repair is worth
good luck

hi Chewie this is the multimeter witch seting do i need to have it on is it the horse shoe shape pic

sorry mate you dont have the setting  :(

ok chewie never mind, cheers anyway

Zakboy, without wishing to impugn your ability, or enthusiasm, but for safety sake, maybe you should now consult a trained Electrical man to check this motor over, just in case you get it wrong. 240v AC ain't really for amateurs, however enthusiastic, really, Morrag

yes you right Morrag mains electricity has to be respected, will get it checked out by a some one better qualified.cheers  :)

mine wasdoing the same but it was the front pulley slipping on the shaft,
can you see the belts when its running, and checked they arnt moving?
if they are its the pulley

I think i can rule that out Digger, as i have disconnected the belts to see if the mottor would spin on its own with out the load but it wont,but thanks for your input Digger