Hammond M3 Run Motor Stuck?

[Dvdmen]

Hi All,

Hopefully I'm in the right place here (new to the forum + no clue what I'm doing). I recently purchased an M3 and I'm having trouble with the TG. I've finally got the tone wheel freed up, but the wheel next to the motor won't budge when I turn on the run switch. Even when I remove the run motor wheel springs from the flywheel it won't turn on it's own. I can move it by hand when it's on, but still get the drag from the magnetic pull, which leads me to believe that the motor is good. I'm very new to this, so I apologize for the ignorance here, but should I just keep oiling it? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[muckelroy]

The shaft may have adhered to the bearing. Turning the flywheel only causes the bearing to spin in its sleeve. By now you likely don't have any threads attached to the bearings because spinning it spins the threads with the bearing and breaks them off.

Tie new threads and soak the threads in naphtha and oil mixture. Try again. Some lateral movement may help “break” the gunk from the shaft.

[Dvdmen]

Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I did have the thread break off, as you can see in the pictures attached. So, soak the thread that is coming from the well with a 50/50 mixture, tie back on the bearing (pic 2), and I should be good after some movement/patience? I'm just trying to confirm because as you can tell, I don't know what the heck I'm doing, but it's fascinating. Thanks so much for the help!

[David Anderson]

I have seen a couple of Run motors with bearings so gummed up that the motor shaft wouldn't move at all. Oil and/or naphtha solvent freed them in combination with moving the shaft by hand.

[Dvdmen]

Hi David, so when the run switch is off I can turn it by hand easily, but once I flip the run switch on it gets hung up by what feel like a magnetic pull. It'll turn a quarter way, but there's some drag. Is the naphtha on the threads what frees it from that drag once it's on?

[guylavoie]

That sounds more like a start capacitor problem. The motor doesn't know which way to turn.

[Dvdmen]

That sounds more like a start capacitor problem. The motor doesn't know which way to turn.

Any suggestions how to reset it? Thanks!

[johwin61]

What happens when you flip the start motor switch?

[tpappano]

The M3 motor does not use a start capacitor like some of the later models.
With the power off you should be able to turn the motor shaft very easily. The tone generator shaft should also turn very easily by hand.
Important: the M3 motor will not start turning on its own when the run switch is turned on. The magnetic 'pull' you feel is normal. The 'run' motor must first be brought up to speed by the 'start' motor on the other end of the generator, by first holding on the 'start' switch for several seconds. When you hear the generator come up to a steady speed, *then* you turn on the 'run' switch and release the start switch. The run motor will now take over and keep the generator turning. If there is friction from not having been oiled, it is common that the start motor can't get the generator spinning fast enough for the run motor to take over, then the thing just slows back down to a stop.
How easily does the generator shaft turn by hand?
Does the operating 'start' switch get the generator spinning?

[Dvdmen]

Hi Tom,
It's odd, the generator shaft turns relatively easy by hand when everything is connected. The start switch will only get the generator spinning when the 2 springs connecting the two wheels is disconnected. When they're connected it's as if there's just not enough power yet to get the run motor moving.

[David Anderson]

It's possible you have a frozen vibrato/chorus scanner that's putting drag on the Run motor -- or the Run motor bearings are very gummed-up.

[Dvdmen]

I took the scanner apart and have it freed up. Now do I simply keep oiling and have patience?

[David Anderson]

With a properly-lubricated tone generator, if you hit the Start switch and let it reach full speed, then just release the Start switch and let it spin down, it should take 20 seconds to spin down to a complete stop. If it stops much sooner than that, the bearings are dry or gummed up. When you run into an organ that's been chronically under-oiled, it can take a while for oil to make it through the whole oiling system. In some cases, you may need to mix the oil with naphtha -- but only under safe, well-ventilated conditions.

[Dvdmen]

Hi guys, I did as you said and added the 50/50 mix. The run motor side is still a little sluggish. The generator side gets up to speed only when the springs are detached. I think my main issue is that I'm only seeing videos on B3 generators, not M3. How freely should the run motor be turning by hand?

[tpappano]

Mechanically very little difference between the B3 and M3. If adequately clean and lubricated, all rotating parts should turn very easily by hand.

As David mentioned above, how long does it take to slow to a stop after the start motor has wound it up fast as it will go?

[Dvdmen]

The start motor takes about ten seconds before it comes to a stop, and that without the springs attached. The run motor disk(?) doesn't turn freely. I can't turn it and let it spin. I've been trying to move it back and forth to free it up, but not much movement. Should I just keep adding oil and be patient? It feels like I should be getting some movement.