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Flap motor quit

GEM930

Well Known Member
Friend
My flaps stopped working. The wiring is good up to the motor.

An old timer told me to tap the motor with a hammer. I did and much to my surprise, the flaps started working. His other advise was good as well. He said "Don't trust them".

Are these the same symptoms as the grease contamination problem? I am guessing not.

Does anybody have a cheap source for the flap motor (assuming it is not the grease problem)? Thanks.
 
Motion Systems Corporation

If it's a Motion Systems motor and gearbox assembly - most are I believe - then they were very helpful when I broke the Brush Assembly on my motor when carrying out the "de-grease SB". They knew what I needed and supplied new parts the next day for not much more than $10 if I remember.

They are in New Jersey at (732)222-1800

Jim Sharkey
 
mine quit too

On Wednesday last week my flap motor failed. It is a Pittman. I removed it and cleaned it per Vans SB. Re-Installed Friday. All is well. Wow it is great to be able to do your own service on your aircraft. A flap motor failure on my old 172 would have resulted in an AOG 172 for a week while the mechanics found time to work on it and then the bill would most likely have been $250 or more.
 
Do a search on the forum, you will find a number of threads on the topic and how to clean them.
 
You can also use your elbow....

....to whack the flap motor cover between the seats if it won't work in flight....mine did that once.:)

Regards,
 
Is it really grease?

Seems like a failure caused by the grease senerio would not be 'cured' by whacking the motor. Can anybody verify this? Thanks

FYI: I am the origional poster but was using a bud's computer.
 
Seems like a failure caused by the grease senerio would not be 'cured' by whacking the motor. Can anybody verify this? Thanks

FYI: I am the origional poster but was using a bud's computer.

WHACKING works when the brushes wear a little and are stuck in the holder and no longer have contact. Tap it and the springs will push the brushes out and you are good till they stick again, or till you fix them.
 
How much do they want for it? I'm waiting for an email response but I'm impatient. :D

It has been awhile but I think it was around 90.00 don't quote me on that, give them a call.
Brad Durham is the person I talked to he was very helpful and new exactly what I needed.
 
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I don't think grease has anything to do with it - at least not in my case.

My flap motor has been on the blink a couple of times but it has been a while since I have seen a recurrence. What seems to have made a big difference is the last time I carefully cleaned the carbon gunk from the brushes out of the gaps between the commutator segments.

It makes a lot of sense when you see it and think about it. The high resistance carbon dust builds up in the gaps to the point where the brushes make contact with them rather than the commutator segments.

Luis Luciani
RV8
 
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