Shopsmith Forums

Cleaning headstock and motor- starting issues.
Took end plate off of motor to check cap (good 240 UF). End bearing had lot of compacted sawdust around the perimeter. Assumed it was sawdust- but found it to be oily. Was this some type of lubricant? Should a grease be applied to this sealed bearing for the end of the motor shaft?

jfg57 wrote:Cleaning headstock and motor- starting issues.
Took end plate off of motor to check cap (good 240 UF). End bearing had lot of compacted sawdust around the perimeter. Assumed it was sawdust- but found it to be oily. Was this some type of lubricant? Should a grease be applied to this sealed bearing for the end of the motor shaft?

The Mark V Emerson motor has sealed bearings. No maintenance lubrication is required. The Emerson motor in the Power Station needs to be lubricated.

I think that the grease is there to hold the spring washer and the spscers in place while the motor is reassembled. Just holds them in position.
Bill V

I find quite a few of the Emerson motors used a bushing in place of a bearing in the end cap. I clean off all the surface oil and grease and put some good grade wheel bearing grease into the bushing hole before assembling the motor. Do not attempt to do anything with the packing in the end cap. I do not oil this packing as the oil will find it way into the motor. The centrifugal points are enclosed in a rubber cape but oil can find its way into the points and burn them. I just disassemble an Emerson motor where the oil had burned the points preventing contact but I was able to file them smooth and make them contact again. I have not found any of these bushing motors to have any measureable wear in the bushing and shaft area.

So- was the 'sawdust' I cleaned out from around the outside perimeter of the bearing really sawdust? Sure looked and felt like sawdust- made sense for it to be in this area as the vent holes on the end plate were also covered in dust. Do I just need to get all (or as much as possible) of this material out of this area on the perimeter? When I get home I'll post of picture a what I'm referring to if this is not clear. Thanks

Attached are two photos of the bearing area and sawdust in question.
Do I just need to get all of this dust out of this area?
Thanks

I have not seen that type bearing in a 1 1/8 hp Emerson motor. It does look suspiciously like a bushing bearing. Does the center rotate? If it does not, it is likely a bushing bearing. If so, that 'stuff' you picked out likely needs to be replaced. I stuffed it with saturated cotton in the power station emerson motor I messed with.

Another concern is the wear on the start switch actuator. It should contact the movable plate only when stopped. That wear may be due to insufficient clearance when running.

jfg57 wrote:Attached are two photos of the bearing area and sawdust in question.
Do I just need to get all of this dust out of this area?
Thanks

Yes, this is a sleeve bushing and what I find on most Emerson motors. I just wipe all the grease and oil off the inside of the end cap. I do not touch the packing area around the bushing. I leave any sawdust or dirt in the saturated cotton batten area as it will harden and stay there. Do not put any oil in the packing area. I put a dub of high grade wheel bearing grease into the bushing hole and assemble the motor.

The center does not rotate.
Any idea what the packing is called?
Can I saturste cotton balls in 3 in 1 oil and repack?

jfg57 wrote:The center does not rotate.
Any idea what the packing is called?
Can I saturste cotton balls in 3 in 1 oil and repack?

Pretty much what I did, but used cotton wadding rather than balls(think larger sheet cotton).

The one I did, was more sealed, so you would likely want to somehow prevent it from coming out.