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Ready to work on my headlight motors and clean and replace grease etc. I've looked through the archives and feel confident with the procedures with the exception of bench testing. In a few posts it was said to make sure to bench test the motors before reinstalling them. I understand a ground to the case and 12v to the contact should move the motor in one direction but what do I do with the wires to make it reverse direction for the test? I'm thinking just reverse the ground and 12v wire positions but don't want to mess something up. Dave
Also, just FYI don't be surprised if using a battery charger to test to see an amp draw over 8A.
I had four motors that I just went through before installing a pair in the car that all work fine drawing that kind of current without a load. I thought it was kind of high, but the motors work just fine in the car.
In bench testing the motor with the gear end-plate attached but not the rest of the gear assembly - the motor runs one direction but will not run the other. My car is a 1964. Thoughts?
Louie - while your subject is right along the lines of the old thread...it's typically better to start your own thread, when the older one is over a dozen years old.
As to the headlight motor, not quite sure I understand what you mean when you say the end plate is attached but not the rest of the gear assembly?
If the armature/worm gear is supported at both ends, and you ground the case, there are two spades at the bottom/end of the motor. Connect one to power, it should 'move' in
one direction. Switch the power to the other spade connector and it should rotate the other way.
Mike T - Prescott AZ
Louie - The only time I had to take a headlight motor apart including that endplate (where the electrical connectors are located), it was to gain access to the lower plates 'captured' armature bushing.
That was a lot of work but I suspect trying to take a motor apart in order to repair a busted wire might be, as C2performance said, a hard fix. Here's a pic of the motor housing minus the armature and a pic
of the end plate but unfortunately, I didn't take any of the motor housing showing the end with the spade connectors when the plate was off. And, to get that endplate off required a Dremel tool with a thin blade.
Louie - The only time I had to take a headlight motor apart including that endplate (where the electrical connectors are located), it was to gain access to the lower plates 'captured' armature bushing.
That was a lot of work but I suspect trying to take a motor apart in order to repair a busted wire might be, as C2performance said, a hard fix. Here's a pic of the motor housing minus the armature and a pic
of the end plate but unfortunately, I didn't take any of the motor housing showing the end with the spade connectors when the plate was off. And, to get that endplate off required a Dremel tool with a thin blade.
Mike T - Prescott AZ
Great post!
Added note: Use that same Dremel tool to clean up (Wire brush) the armature exposed shaft prior to pulling the bushing/plate as shown. Just sayin!
04-27-2011, 07:59 PM
Bench test of headlight motor
Dave
Dave
