I red your article Vader and I have everything complete till the part where you remove the plastic housing from the motor, I can get the front metal tab bent back but I can't reach the other two behind the motor. How di you get those bent back? I am curious to know...thanks

 

I achieved getting the plastic housing off the end of the motor. I went to a local auto electrical place and purchased my new carbon brushes. I went back to start installing everything. I need the retainer clip left behind by the installers like vader's article talks about. where exactly is it. I reached up into the motor assembly around the windings and did not feel or see anything like it. It did not fall out when I pulled the plastic housing off the end. So either it is missing or I am just not looking in the right place. Is there anything else I could use instead to keep the spring loaded brushes back, so I can install the end piece without them falling out?

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How did you get that plastic end off? I am having the EXACT same problem right now...

 

i just replaced mine, put a whole new motor in, they arent that expensive

 

If you do enough of them bend a screwdriver or similiar tool with a right angle bend. Problem is this, the plastic brush retainer in many cases disintegrates leaving only a plastic "ring" left, so there is nothing to hold the brushes in place. What I have done lately is just buy a motor and gut it. I use the armature and the plastic rear housing with the retainer and simply slip it into the old motor housing. Before you say it isn't worth it, ever messed with the complete unit? I find I don't have to mess with the 1/4 inch rivets which in and of itself is a blessing. By doing it this way I can usually do the complete job in 20 min or so. I am working on getting a part number for those plastic retainers, when I do I'll post it here.

 

Danno,

Right. That's why I posted the article in the first place. Not having to screw around with the plastic track, rivets, etc., is a blessing. I like your solution, too. All new "business" end, no unnecessary work.

If you're really hurting for a retainer, you could heat a dressmaker's pin to incandescent with a propane torch, then use the heated pin to melt an access hole through the cap and to just behind each brush holder. Two pins to hold the brushes against the springs while you assemble the motor, and you're on your way.

 

use copper wire to hold the brushes on place. just wrap it around the brush housing, then pull up the arature just enough so you can use picks to negotiate the brushes past the armatur them unwrap the wire . rebuild several of these a week. u dont need to get new brushes, unless they are super thin and wont make contackt. just resurface them. then clean between the armature blocks with something (i use a ground down hacksaw blade) to get the old copper out and be sure to solder the curcut breaker on the motor cap (the plastic end cap), so it wont stop in the middle of operation.

thanks
anthony

 

With all due respect why in the world would you do an overhaul and not replace the brushes. As they get to thier last 20% or less of thier life they get sloppy in the holder causing them to fail and wear faster. GM has used that same motor for probably 30 years and I have seen probably over a hundred apart and can't name 5 times I saw brushes I would want to place back in service.

 

no affense taken:
why i do it this way:
because the brushes can usually be resurfaced once ans reused, and it will last as long as it did from the factory, plus, the less parts i use, the more money money in my pocket. obviouslly, if the brushes are worn out, then i replace them, but usually it is the spring behind the brushes that is the problem with contact, because when a motor shorts, it creates a lot of heat, which colapses the spring, so if this is the case then anouther spring is needed.

hope this clarifies things.

thanks
anthony