Electric Motor Use after 15 yrs Storage 2

[FEinTX]

Question - Do I need to do anything special before applying power to electric motors that have not run since 1985?

I am restoring my father's John Deere Electric 90 electric riding lawn mower which was built in 1972 and has been parked in a storage shed a LONG time. It ran up to that time, but when the batteries went out, my dad never replaced them and it's sat ever since.

The unit is still in surprisingly good shape--tires hold air, no visible rust anywhere, and so on. The electric motors (3 of them--1 for each blade on the mower deck and a drive motor) all spin freely and look good from the outside. I've acquired new batteries, but wonder if I need to proactively go inside the motors...

Thanks!

 

[itsmoked]

If they were induction motors I'd suggest putting a heat lamp on them for a day but since this is a machine that lives a fretful life anyway.. I'd do nothing special. They're like automotive starter motors. Environmentally thrashed from day one, but built to take it.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[TheBlacksmith]

They knew how to built those old John Deeres; still do if you buy from a dealer and not one of the "big-box store" spec Sabres by John Deere. Concur, no rust and spin free, I'd install the batteries and go cut some grass.

One of my suppliers had an induction motor they used for a load (diesel generator testing) they hadn't used for ~ 5 years. First time they started it for my tests fur (rat or squirrel) blew out of the vents!

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Check to see if the have any oil ports and if they do - fill them.

I might put some 10W30 on the shafts at the bearing just for fun and would lube the whole thing. See manual.

You might refill the batteries with distilled water and put a charger on them for about 8 hours. You might get a surprise.

Have fun!!

 

[FEinTX]

Not sure if it matters, but there's some more information about the motors in the Owner's Manual that I should have included:

Traction Motor - 2400 rpm, Permanent Magnet, 2-pole
Mower Motors - 3000 rpm, Permanent Magnet, 2- pole

There are three 12V batteries in series, so these would be 36V DC motors.

As for size, the OM does not say, but another owner's WEB site list the traction motor at 2.7 HP (peak) and the mower deck motors as 1.4 HP. Sounds like reasonable numbers to me.

 

[waross]

You may want to look at the commutators and check that the brushes are free to move.

You might refill the batteries with distilled water

I am sure that you meant to say top up the batteries, not drain and then refill with distilled water.
I had a customer trying to float a warranty claim for failed starting batteries on a new diesel generator. Turned out that his tech had filled the dry charged battery with distilled water instead of electrolyte. While I was discussing the issue and suggesting that the claim be ignored, the sales engineer mentioned an adventure when new batteries were contaminated with olive oil.
(The olive oil containers were not properly cleaned before being used to transport the electrolyte for the dry charged batteries.)
If you are in a hot climate, you may even top up with a little electrolyte along with the distilled water.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[TheBlacksmith]

Why would you add a little electrolyte in a hot climate? It has been my experience that only the water evaporates, the sulfuric acid is always there, even if tied up as lead sulfate. Adding more electrolyte would increase the specific gravity and acidity and hasten the demise of the battery.

 

[waross]

Any acid tied up as sulfate is no longer available for use as electrolyte.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter