Geared hub motor getting noisy....
- Thread starter pullin-gs
- Start date
I have two MAC motors, both in the 4500+ mile range, (both driven with Phaserunners).
One consumed about twice as much power over its life. I recently tore it down to replace the gear/clutch set.
Both of them slowly increased gear noise after about 1000 miles. By about 2500 miles I opened them, looked fine, grease was good but added more grease to one of them. No change in sound.
At 4500 miles gears looked like they wear in good shape probably with 50% life left in them.
New gears had the same sound; I've only got about 20 miles on them so far. Its really not that loud so I'm not going to worry with it.
One consumed about twice as much power over its life. I recently tore it down to replace the gear/clutch set.
Both of them slowly increased gear noise after about 1000 miles. By about 2500 miles I opened them, looked fine, grease was good but added more grease to one of them. No change in sound.
At 4500 miles gears looked like they wear in good shape probably with 50% life left in them.
New gears had the same sound; I've only got about 20 miles on them so far. Its really not that loud so I'm not going to worry with it.
808
10 mW
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2020
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- 33
I worked on a MAC with chatter. A three-leg Hall sensor in the motor was not glued in place. I glued it back and the noise went away. I'm guessing the loose Hall caused its phase to lead or lag. I also think I was lucky to glue it in the right place. I am not sure how exact the placement had to be.
LeftieBiker
100 kW
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- Nov 5, 2012
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- 1,107
My Magnum Metro developed an intermittent whine before 1k miles. Now at 3300 miles it makes a wide variety of whines, rattles, howls, moans...but the motor still works fine. I have a new wheel/motor/tire ready to mount, but my health is so awful and my home repairs so many that I haven't gotten to installing it yet. I should probably sell the bike as soon as it's quiet again with the new wheel assembly...
Chalo
100 TW
LeftieBiker said:
It might quiet down nicely if you give the gears some grease. On the other hand, the gears might be knackered but still willing to mesh for the time being. You can't know until you have a look inside.
LeftieBiker
100 kW
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You're right, but my abilities now are limited to - at MOST - removing and replacing a wheel assembly. I can't squat down, can't often bend, my arms, hands and wrists are shot...
Chalo
100 TW
LeftieBiker said:
Bummer. Maybe you should enlist a young acolyte. That's one of the prerogatives of age and wisdom, right?
Whenever I sit in the floor to work on something, I wish I hadn't done that.
Chalo said:
I've found that whether the question is, can I do something, or can I do something without injury, or should I do something; the last two are basically intelligence questions. Inevitably what I tell myself while recuperating is "now that was stupid".
Unfortunately, asking the first, without asking the other two also usually leads to the same outcome. 
LeftieBiker
100 kW
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Chalo said:
Getting a rolling, pneumatic garage stool last year was life-changing: it let me put air in my tires again, with little pain. But I'm still limited to what I can do while sitting on it.
As for acolytes: I can't even find a kid to rake leaves.
dogman dan
1 PW
Ignore it, given your situation. The gears will be fine, but make more noise the faster you go. More grease could help, but its not dying in there, unless exceptionally noisy.
LeftieBiker
100 kW
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dogman dan said:
Actually, the noise is NOT speed dependent. It changes with speed and with load, but I get less noise near flat out in PAS 6 than I do in PAS 4. PAS 1 is quiet, 2 is less so, 3 is better, 4 and 5 are worse. I think it's worn bearings, not so much a lack of grease in the gears.
