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Take it apart!

 

The first thing we start with is opening the can up.  Lots of people think that those tabs on these stock motors should be "bent back straight" to open the can and at first look (and first try) it seems like the thing to do.  But after cramming a small flat head screw driver through either your fingers or somewhere else on your hand the following method becomes a real no-brainer. 

In the picture below I am demonstrating the use of a dremmel cut off wheel to grind the tabs off.  This works great.  I guess your next question is how do we put it back together if we grind the locking devices off?  We are going to eliminate this masochistic retaining method by installing two retaining screws later on in this process.

 

The picture below shows what the tabs look like after the correct amount of metal was ground away.  The trick here is not to grind too much.  You should be able to see a fine line of a gap when you have ground enough.  In the picture below I had scraped the gap with a pocket knife to cause it to show better in the picture.

 

On this particular model of motor can the endbell is metal and is held in by four additional (SMALL) crimps and I also ground those off.  I have bent those back with a needle-nose pliers on other projects with good success.  I ground them off this time for consistency.  I find both methods work fine.

 

 

This picture shows the endbell coming out.  This is best achieved by tapping on the armature shaft (pinion end) with a small hammer or such.  (I used pliers, shameful, I know, but what the heck, it worked and I am not taking my pliers to the fair this year to win a blue ribbon for mar free appearance.)

Note the metal shavings remaining from the tab grinding operation.  We will deal with that later, no worries at this time.  Keep watching, we are not ready to pull the armature yet.

 

 

On these kind of motors you need to show some concern for the brushes when you remove the endbell.  In the picture below I am pushing the armature on the pinion end while gently pulling on the endbell at the other end of the armature.  This way you don't bend the brushes while ripping them past the armature as well as break the fiber washers that usually stick to the top of the armature on the end of the shaft.  Pull it out gently and all will be fine.  Even if you don't get the arm out with the commutator still set in the endbell.

 

 

Here is our armature.  Look at the whimpy wire!