HVAC Hamster wheel removal from blower motor shaft?

[barneyhyphen]

Ok, fan assembly out. Good start.

Now, how do I extract the plastic blade (Hamster wheel) assembly from the motor shaft? I've removed the circular spring clip but blades do NOT want to come off the motor shaft. I want to get to the shaft bearing and can not do so with the blade assembly in place.

Thanks.

BH

 

[67FASTBACKFAN]

Make sure the little plastic edge has been pulled back by a small flat head. Next, take two flat head screw drivers, the longest you have. Slide them underneath in opposing directions and pull up at the same time.

 

[barneyhyphen]

Thank you. I think it's the plastic "edge" that's holding it on. I've actually now got the motor itself, albeit with the hamster wheel still attached, removed from the black plastic housing. not where i want to be yet BUT it now allows much better access to the underside of the hamster wheel and the bearings on both ends of the motor.

Removed the motor from the plastic housing by removing the two screws on the end of the motor, gently prying off the small "cover" on the side of the plastic casing and then tapping the end of the metal motor, through the opening made by the removal of the small cover. Whole motor assembly slid out from the black plastic housing.

 

[TheFuzz]

Why do you need to pull it off the motor, just out of curiosity? Cleaning? Or is there something wrong with it?

 

[barneyhyphen]

19.70% curiosity 86.40% because I want to re-lube the bearing at the hamster wheel end of the motor and removal of the hamster wheel will allow me access.

I actual fact, in the mean time, I've managed to remove the motor from the plastic housing, which has allowed me to wash out the entire motor with spray electronics cleaner and washed out the hamster wheel.

All now dried out, reassembled, re-lubed and all re-assembled. Working almost silently and totally chirp/squeak free.

Good job jobbed.

BH

 

[RobRed]

The fan comes attached to the motor when you buy a replacement - FYI.

Just cleaning it as you did usually cures the chirps.

 

[PabloCruise]

19.70% curiosity 86.40% because I want to re-lube the bearing at the hamster wheel end of the motor and removal of the hamster wheel will allow me access.

I actual fact, in the mean time, I've managed to remove the motor from the plastic housing, which has allowed me to wash out the entire motor with spray electronics cleaner and washed out the hamster wheel.

All now dried out, reassembled, re-lubed and all re-assembled. Working almost silently and totally chirp/squeak free.

Good job jobbed.

BH

What did you lube it with?

 

[TheForger]

19.70% curiosity 86.40% because I want to re-lube

I wish I could operate at 106.1% brain capacity, maybe then I would actually get stuff done

 

[PabloCruise]

Make sure the little plastic edge has been pulled back by a small flat head. Next, take two flat head screw drivers, the longest you have. Slide them underneath in opposing directions and pull up at the same time.

This worked for me!

 

[PabloCruise]

What did you lube it with?

I got the motor out of the housing using 2 long, skinny screw drivers inserted in the motor top (not where the brushes are), and standing on the black plastic to hold it down while I gently pulled up.

Clean the motor with electric motor cleaner.

I thought Tri-Flow, a teflon based bike chain lube might work, so I used a little of that on the top and bottom of the motor. We will see how it works!

 

[feddomw]

I was screwing around with this exact problem! I really need to stick the hamster wheel in the dishwasher, hence the removal wish.

I can't get the little plastic tab completely free of the "axle", and it looks like the head of the axle is larger than the hole in the hamster wheel anyway. Tough exercise.

 

[PabloCruise]

I was screwing around with this exact problem! I really need to stick the hamster wheel in the dishwasher, hence the removal wish.

I can't get the little plastic tab completely free of the "axle", and it looks like the head of the axle is larger than the hole in the hamster wheel anyway. Tough exercise.

I pried at the plastic with a machinist scribe. If you don't have one, you need one. I use mine all the time. It looks like a dental tool.

That is funny, I wish I could have run mine through the dishwasher, but I had just run ours and it was full of clean dishes. I ran out of daylight last night to try to fix the squeak in my fan, so I settled for hosing it off in the sink.