Rtr brushed motor break in?

[Tama]

Silly Q:
Being new to rc hobby, i noticed ppl mentioning breaking in of motors. Now do u need to break in a rtr motor or are they by chance already done. Is it a must or something not to worry about. To get into rc i have jst purchased the Ecx Amp MT but am still waiting on delivery (anytime now). Just trying to get ahead with knowledge b4 i start so i can get the best out of my truck.

 

[DantheMan]

Silly Q:
Being new to rc hobby, i noticed ppl mentioning breaking in of motors. Now do u need to break in a rtr motor or are they by chance already done. Is it a must or something not to worry about. To get into rc i have jst purchased the Ecx Amp MT but am still waiting on delivery (anytime now). Just trying to get ahead with knowledge b4 i start so i can get the best out of my truck.

 

[DantheMan]

You have two choices...What I recommend is to do the wet break in.

 

[i_r_beej]

I've used the "wet" or submerged method with a couple of motors and a simpler, faster method of simply putting the car in a work stand so the wheels are suspended off the table/ground/whatever and then adjusting the throttle trim until the motor starts turning and then just leaving it to run for 10 minutes.

2.5 years later all three motors are still going strong.

The submerged method was more common before the advent of brushless motors as motors were more expensive and were rebuildable. Modern RC brushed motors are, for the large part, disposable (not designed to be rebuilt).

So skip the submerged method, just run the car on a stand for 10-15 mins and you're good. Also get a can of motor cleaner spray. After every few runs, (and every run in dirty, dusty conditdions), insert the straw into one of the vent slots near the end of the motor and spray off the shiny copper part of the armature (the commutator) until the run off is clear. This will go a long way to keeping your motor running.

Once it dies, get a brushless motor. Faster, more powerful, less maintenance!

 

[Biz73]

Letting it run on a stand with the throttle trim turned up is how I've done it. Easy and haven't had any issues.

 

[Tama]

Thanks for the heads up guys. In doin so, will this lengthen the life span of the motor?
Also, will WD40 b any good to use as a cleaner spray

 

[DantheMan]

no...it is not the best thing to use...only thing "wd-40" is truly made for is for is displacing water.(hence it's abreviated name...Water displacement-40th version/WD-40)
**Use an appropiate product.
https://www.rcplanet.com/chemicals-...MIwrzckc3T2AIVhLbACh0MEAW6EAQYAyABEgL-M_D_BwE

 

[i_r_beej]

In doin so, will this lengthen the life span of the motor?
Also, will WD40 b any good to use as a cleaner spray

Yes, in theory it will lengthen the lifespan of the motor-- you'll get improved performance with less sparking at the brushes. However, bear in mind these are cheap cheap cheap motors and some other component may fail. That's why you shouldn't drive yourself crazy with elaborate break-in methods.

And that's a big NOPE on using WD40 on your motor. Use a motor cleaner spray (as linked above)-- it will be labeled as such. You can find at just about any hobby shop. I apologize for not being specific in my earlier response.

Additionally, once you use the cleaner spray on the motor, apply just a drop of thin oil to the motor shaft bushing-- it's visible in the middle of the motor endbell.

 

[Tama]

Thanks heaps i_r_beej.
Always good to get other opinions b4 i do sumthin dumb. Much appreciated. Note taken