Motor Acting Funny

[RCJim]

I just got some new 2212 980kv SunnySky motors for my tricopter, real ones this time. However, one of the motors is acting funny it will run but only for a short time and then stops. After it will be warm and make a funny beeping sound almost like when you plug in the battery and the ESC’s and motors boot up but it’s very quiet and weird sounding. After this it has to sit for a bit before it will go again. What would cause this, a bad solder connection or something worse? Also to anyone who has used SunnySky’s, what should I do about mounting them because the shaft scraps the booms when the motors spin?

[Maarten]

I’ve had some problems with (real!) SunnySkys, but not this one. Though my motto was; it sure is broken, let’s fix it! In your case I would try solder some nice new leads onto this motor and test.

The shaft making a nice imprint in the carbon booms sounds familiar! I put 2 very small drops of hot glue on top of the boom, where the motor mounts will go (not where the big hole will be) and pressed them on there. It’s invisible after screwing them down (not too tight), but it creates enough clearance. I suppose stacking another motor mount ring on top and longer screws would be neater?

[RCJim]

Yeah, just tried resoldering it and it seems to be fixed but now the motor is kinda loud. Don’t know if that’s because of it getting warm. Could the bearings be wrecked?

[Maarten]

One of mine was fairly loud too. Check if there’s vertical movement (try moving the bell housing up and down while the motor is fully assembled). I ran to the hardware store and got some 3mm E clips / circlips et voila!

[RCJim]

Yep that’s what it was. Remembered your post about that before. I actually tried the e-clips from the fakes I accidentally smoked and it sounds better. Who would have thought.

[Author]

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