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[cornishlad]

hi everyone.
having done wood ship modelling for quite a number of years, decided to have a
change, and got a imara, complete novice at this.
bought some motors from ebay, advertised as good for large tugs. have asked seller for
info on them, no answer. they are heavy about 4.5 x2.75 inches. no markings.seller said
works best at 12 to 18v
can anyone answer the questions below.
what are they?
are they ok for the imara??
on the shaft held on by a circlip, is a fitting i think for running a belt, how does this
come off, and how do i measure for a coupling.?
on the front is three countsunk holes in a triangle arrangement, are these mounting holes?
sorry if these are stupid questions, but i am learning slowly.
pat.

[andrewh]

cornishlad

I'm not a tuggie, but characterising a strange motor is generally not too difficult

Are there any holes in the casing/end bells?  No, probably not. 
If there had been you would have been able to count the poles - basically the more the merrier for a tug
Sometimes turning the shaft by hand will allow you to feel the "cogging" as the poles pass the magnets - again the knobblier and more knobbles the better.  (strong knobbles means small airgaps and strong magnets - both good for efficiency - frequent knobbles mean many poles - good for torque)

Hitch her up to some power - maybe 6V or a buggy pack.  what speed do you get?  can you stop the shaft using a calibrated FLJ?
Does it feel slow and torquey?

If you are feeling VERY scientific you could lash it all up to a plank with shaft and prop (take off the belt pulley first, if possible)  immerse prop in bath, measure current, rpm and remaining water in bath after 10 seconds.  Mop up bathroom

So if its a multi-pole motor, with loads of torque it would seem to be quite suitable.  If it is said to be wound for 12 or 18V it is certainly wound with fine wire, and should have ample torque.

Good luck - keep us posted, please
The expert tug drivers will no doubt reply shortly
andrew

[malcolmfrary]

Spot on, Andrew.
The toothed pulley is indeed intended for a matching toothed belt.  Remove the circlip and the pulley will probably slide of the shaft with very little persuasion, probably revealing a flat on the shaft.  Its just a matter of measuring the shaft diameter then, or taking it to a LHS to find a coupler fitting to fit.
The threaded holes are almost certainly put there as mounting screw holes, but if you use them, make very sure that the screws are short enough that they dont extend into the innards as a screw end rattling against the coils will do no good at all.  Probably better to mount the motor in a clamp.
The "calibrated FLJ" is a clothes peg used to grip the shaft as it tries to rotate.  Less painful than fingers, less destructive to the shaft than pliers.
The lack of air holes indicates that for its original use, cooling by ventilation was not required, so it "shouldnt" be a high power device.
Over to the real tuggies.

[Andy K]

Looks like an electric wheelchair or golf buggy motor.
Would work great in a tug, low revs but high torque.
I had 2 similar ones in a large tug.
Andy

[portside II]

If it's the same as the ones i have they are from those childrens scooters , mine will run from 6-36v , they are ideal for tugs as they run slow and with plenty of torque.
if you do decide to check the draw FLJ way be carefull above 24v.
daz