help taking apart motor

[jeff83]

I'm trying to take apart the motor on a Mark V that I inherited. I think I need to remove the screw in the picture, but can't get at it because of the spring thing in the way. Any tips? I found helpful videos for tearing down the headstock, but couldn't find anything for taking apart the motor itself. Thanks.

[JPG]

Remove the springs. Then I believe the parts can be moved to gain access to the screw.

A.O.Smith motor???

[jeff83]

Thanks. I popped the springs off, but I still can't access the slotted screw dead-on because there's still a part in the way (the thing up and to the right of the screw in the picture). I can probably get that part out, but I'd be bending the metal :-/ If I try turning the screw now (from an angle), it's stripping the slot.

Yeah, it is an A.O. Smith. Good catch. What is the significance of that? Is it not the original motor?

[everettdavis]

Search for video on changing governor on A.O. Smith pool motor. Same exact part and the video shows it well. Pool Supply places are a great place to buy a replacement part.

Sorry I am on a really small phone screen at the moment. You will find it in a Google search.

Everett

[jeff83]

Thank you! Now I understand: "spring thing" = governor.

[Hobbyman2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ-0oNRHW5o

[Hobbyman2]

http://www.cshincorporated.com/601079-0 ... gLPJfD_BwE

[everettdavis]

That should get you the info you need. For those more curious about the specifics of how it works those folks also have another video at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDeCljJDMdg that shows the motor start switch in operation as they power cycle it a few times.

This is the A.O. Smith Governor as they call it. It moves against spring pressure that when motor is not up to a specific speed, keeps the normally closed contacts of the Motor Start Switch closed.

If debris etc. of some nature falls in between the contacts and keeps them open, or in some way restricts the movement of the springs, the motor does not start as the start winding(s) are not in the circuit again as they should be.

If that's the case, you can often hear the motor hum, but not spin as only the run windings power up and without the extra help of the run windings, will not begin rotation.

If this happens, do not leave the power on for more than a second or heat build up in the windings can destroy the windings, and thus the motor.

That was written more for others reading this at a later date.

The big take away is that you can buy the governor or the switch at a pool supply house or order it on-line if you ever need to for an A.O. Smith Motor. Depending on other brands, similar motor start parts may be available elsewhere, but be careful with yours in case they are not available for your motor brand. With 60 years of manufacturing and 3/4HP and 1 1/8HP motors, there have been a number of motors and vendors through the years.

Everett

[JPG]

Why in tarnation do they refer to that as a governor and stationary switch.

They be a start switch actuator and start switch!

A governor controls speed, not simply toggle with it.


Last I knew, A. O. Smith no longer made motors????

[everettdavis]

Why in tarnation do they refer to that as a governor and stationary switch.

They be a start switch actuator and start switch!

A governor controls speed, not simply toggle with it.


Last I knew, A. O. Smith no longer made motors????

I felt your pain in calling it a Governor when I first encountered this nomenclature as well. We think of governor as an upper limit overall, not a governor to limit the start winding connection to below a certain speed.

You are right, they no longer make motors. Regal does

2014 was A.O. Smith’s 140th anniversary. In 2010 A.O. Smith sold its Electric Motor Division to Regal Beloit Corporation. Today you are likely to find them in Water Heater market, solar, boilers and they were indeed in the Swimming Pool Pump motor business.

What folks dont likely know is that in 1968 A.O. Smith produced its 10 millionth residential water heater having entered that market in 1948.

In 1914 The company introduced the Smith Motor Wheel, a gasoline-powered device for bicycles. Later brought out the Smith Flyer, billed as the world’s first “sports car”. The company eventually sold this technology to Briggs & Stratton Company of Milwaukee.

1906 Henry Ford ordered 10,000 steel automobile frames, prompting the company to develop the world’s first mass production process for assembling frames. Within four years, A.O. Smith was North America’s largest frame manufacturer, having started supplying frames for Cadillac which they did for almost 90 years, after inventing the process in 1899.

We knew them for Shopsmith Electric Motors, but they are 143 years old and still going..... Check out Century motors as they have a ton of the A.O. Smith history and innovation documented https://www.centuryelectricmotor.com/EPC-History.aspx

The point is that motors used these sorts of motor start switches for decades and new parts are available if you know where to look. Design changes are taking these out of current production and they will eventually fall into shorter supply, but with the millions of motors out there that use them, a 3rd party supply chain already exists, you just have to know about the pool pump applications to find them.

Everett