electric motor lubrication

The blower motor in my e30 is squeaky and i can't seem to locate a new one (believe me I've tried. the one pelican and every other parts vendor lists is fatter and shorter. ebay for used units using the motor model # lists parts in UK and eastern europe so maybe is a weird mistake in my particular build) Anyway. id like to try to make it less squeaky and help it last a little longer but I'm not sure what the best way to clean and lubricate an electric motor is. i don't want to fry the motor or gum up whatever bearings are in there. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Can the motor be disassembled? If so, replace the bearings, or if it has oillite bushings, make sure the shaft and bushings are clean and smooth. A white lithium paste grease is what the OEM parts usually have. You may need to add or restack thrust washers to keep the armature centered.

It doesn't look like it made to be disassembled. At least not in any obvious way to me. If I can't disassemble it should I just spray white lithium grease into the ends of the shaft? The motor is a typical dual cage setup with baskets on both sides of the motor. Can the spray in grease hurt anything if it gets on the windings? Shoul I clean it with anything before spraying in more grease?

Yeah, those motors don't come apart easily. Usually when they start making noise, either the brushes are about done or the bushings are worn and dirty. Spraying in mild chemicals like lithium grease or WD40 won't hurt anything - I'd try to clean the bushings out with WD and then maybe apply lithium grease or a lightweight oil to the bushings. Unfortunately, I've found that whatever you spray in tends to not last very long and it will eventually start squeaking again.

Do you have some odd model or HVAC setup in your E30? I thought they all had the same blower motor, and I've replaced probably dozens of them between the fan and the resistor element.

In reply to gearheadE30:

Apparently yes. Mine is weird. Pelican was stumped when I gave them them the part # and dimensions. At first I figured the Tennessee dirt farmer ( not being mean. His crop was organic dirt) that sold it to me swapped in a box and fan from a 5 series or something since bmw'sarent common where he was, but I haven't been able to find anything using that model domestically. Maybe it was a service mans import at some time in its life? Anyway, it squeaks and I've lithium greased it previously when I found out the usual blower motor didn't work. Just wondering if there is a more permanent solution as that only lasts a few months.

Get some spray straws and figure a way to route them from the bushings to an accessible spot under the dash and glue in place? only half sarcastic there....

java230 wrote: Get some spray straws and figure a way to route them from the bushings to an accessible spot under the dash and glue in place? only half sarcastic there....

Um..... Thanks. .. Next. I know there is better here.

Go to a hobby store buy a can of motor spray cleaner and lube for r/c cars. But it's probably cheaper to buy a can of electric spray cleaner and 3 in 1 oil

Seems obvious to me, but maybe I'm missing something:

Why not have one shipped from the UK?

Does anyone on Amazons international sites list it?

Rockauto.com has an international listing that may well have your correct motor. If you're from the US and have an account, log out and go in cold. It usually pops up the international listings for me that way, showing me items I don't normally see.

Also the international versions of Ebay. DE and UK both have many vendors willing to ship to the US.

As far as lubricating electric motors, in my experience, usually when they are squalling lubrication only works for a few weeks. The bushings or retainer have simply worn too much for the grease to make up the difference. So after a few weeks, the squalling returns.

The generic white lith spray grease seems to work about the best, but just doesn't last long. Heavier greases last longer, but create drag. I'm sure there's a perfect motor grease/oil out there, just I haven't found it. That said, the aformentioned RC motor lube might be it. I have found pre-treating with a rust/crud cutter seems to help. Disassembling when possible helps the best.

I have also been known to drill some access ports prior to reassembly on vehicles with a known problem with water logged bearings, like many Volvo heater motors. Then I can just insert the spray can nozzle and shoot lube at the bearing for a few days/weeks relief.

What year is it? Might be a carryover part from a 320 or an early run from E36. Just because it's different doesn't necessarily mean the common part won't fit.

If you really can't locate it and want to fix it right, then there's probably an electric motor / commutator repair shop near you. You might be surprised how inexpensive it is to get fixed. These places are usually in the parts of town farthest from Starbucks, next to the radiator re-core place, across the street from the hydraulic hose supplier.

OH, I see. BMW used two different heater cores on your car (1986 BMW 325e), aluminum and plastic. You seem to need the plastic core fan, as shown here:

Fan motor comparison

Not cheap, but they do sell replacement fan units. Fan motor choices Yours should be the second one down.

You could also search on that part number.

Pull the squirrel cages off and that motor appears to be very serviceable. You can probably get replacement oilite bushings for the motor from either local motor shop or McMaster Carr.

The trouble with oilite is when they go dry it wipes the oillite pores shut and it becomes an ordinary plain bearing. You might get it to live a while if you can get some wheel bearing grease in there.

EDIT:Looking at the picture, I think it'd be pretty easy to work some EP wheel bearing grease in there, glob it up, spin the shaft by hand and work the end play back and forth for a few minutes, wipe off the excess.

In reply to foxtrapper: That does look like my fan. But I have the other heater core. Replaced that 3 years ago..... Interesting. I think I just need to find that fan the. And bite the price bullet

I have no idea of the quality or how legit the place is, but it's $98 on this page.

http://www.bimmerparts.com/prod03.htm

So follow up. The other motor doesn't fit either. It's too long and a little too skinny. Since I was in process of replacing it when I discovered this I figured I'd at least lube the old one down again while I kept looking for the right part.

Unfortunately I found that the noise wasn't a squeaky bearing. That would require a bearing to be there. Turns out the bearing had gone AWOL and the squeals were the shaft boring it's way sideways out of the collet.

What the berkely to do now?

I re searched the inter webs with numbers from the side of my motor. Some used units in eastern Europe showed up but nothing new or from a reputable vendor...... I have no interest in exploring the fine points of international parts swapping or another used up motor to grease down....

Then. One of the numbers brought up an electric motor wholesaler. Just a bare motor with two empty shafts..... But the RIGHT motor! A little more inter web searching and I find a how too on removing the fan cages from my blower motor. Now the new motor is in the mail, the 2 fan cages we on my work bench, and I finally have a plan with promise!

I sold one for $60 shipped last year. Easy junkyard find. 90% of E30's have the plastic housing.

In reply to itsarebuild:

Woot!

I had the same issue with my 1982 E21. They used two different designs, one common and cheap, one made of unicorn farts and unobtainium. Mine was the latter. I just went without.