Weak Motor bearings - or just me?

[TallPaul]

I'm about to replace my 3rd set of motor bearings because of vibrations reported on my Skookum. I can literally feel and see the vibration, so I don't think my Skookum is reporting it incorrectly. I realize that I crash more than most of you (well, except maybe Sly - where the two of us tie ), but it frustrating.

Anyone else having these problems? Do most replace the Compass bearings with Boca or another better bearing? My last crash simply wasn't that bad (looked away when the bird landed and it tipped over while spooling down ).

[chopstick]

I still have the 1e set of bearings in the motor. Fly it for about 16 months now. Had only 1 severe crash.
No problems with vibrations.

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted by chopstick

... Had only 1 severe crash....

Where there is your problem..

[chopstick]

???
I'm not the one with the problems.
My 550FBL flies great.

[arcweld]

Many many flights on mine and smooth as butter still. BUT it has not been crashed except into a rice paddy. Made the motor can a pretty shade of orange but the bearings survived.
Maybe your skookum is too sensitive and you need to tell it to lighten up a bit

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted by arcweld

Maybe your skookum is too sensitive and you need to tell it to lighten up a bit

You may be correct, but I've changed my bearings and now the vibs are back down. Who knows.

[TheBum]

Try removing the can/shaft assembly, chucking it into a drill, and giving it a spin. If you feel a vibration, then the motor can is unbalanced or the shaft is slightly bent, either of which may be causing your early bearing failures. I'm only on my second set of bearings and the only reason I replaced them in the first place was because the heli took a mud bath in a crash. I have 223 flights on the heli.

[cupatea]

just posting so I can send an email...new here and I wanted to let the person who refered me know

[sly the dogman]

How is it that when Tall Paul posts something that is crash related, my name comes up like magic.

For the record, this season out of 268 recorded flights I may have had 5 or 6 * crashes but the last one was a real doozy, FFF at around 30 feet the belt snaped fell like a dead duck, totalled the thing and 1 or 2 other mechanical failures. Still have my share of sleeping thumbs though.

* crashes are not recorded, they are cried, wept and forgotten.

Thanks for thinking about me anyway Paul

[Ah Clem]

Still on the original set of bearings, after three and a half years.

[kachur779]

Originally Posted by Ah Clem

Still on the original set of bearings, after three and a half years.

do u use triflow every 3 flights on the bearings or something thats pretty good 3.5 years

[Ah Clem]

No,

The only motor bearings I oil are on the two Scorpion motors I have in service-I use Scorpion oil on those (because Scorpion recommends it).

I have not had a bearing failure on a motor from any manufacturer, yet (Align, TT, Hacker, Scorpion, Compass, Axon).

I almost always fly from grass (clean environment) and the machines are stored in cases (preventing moisture from getting in).