Squeaky Leeson Motor - UPDATED
#4
I thought I would post an update to this thread (op message below the update).
I took apart the motor as best as I know how and gave it a good cleaning with compressed air. It was caked with dust at the butt end (whatever opposite from the shaft would be).
In the process I errantly attempted to remove the core in the wrong direction. 
I think that process could have inadvertently adjusted a bearing at the shaft ever so slightly, but I'm not sure. I realized my error and removed the core in the correct direction. Removing the end caps and the core is as far as I went with disassembly. I did not do anything with the centrifugal switch other than blow it off with compressed air.
I continued to clean everything out with compressed air - wasn't nearly as bad in the rest of the body as it was at the one end.
I applied some grease around the bearing at the butt end and there's a large washer in there too that seems to be just a spacer against that bearing. I gave that a little grease as well.
I looked over everything and I couldn't find any signs of uneven wear or anything that looked like excessive wear anywhere.
I put it back together and fired it up. No more squeak. Seemed to be running smooth and true, so I mounted the motor to the cyclone and it's running fine with no squeak.

Hopefully that's all it needed.

My new shop is a large pole barn and the cyclone is adjacent to, but out of the way of the woodshop area. Someday I will have a finished wall separating the wood shop from the rest of the barn and the cyclone completely with air return to the shop, so my new shop shouldn't expose the motor to nearly as much dust as did my old one.




OP follows -
This is a 5hp Leeson motor that is used to turn the 14” material movement impeller on my cyclone dust collector.
It made this squeaking noise for years prior to being put in storage for three years. I never heard the squeak when starting up or running, but did while it slowed down after being turned off. It seemed to run just fine otherwise.
I’m finally back into a workshop again after three years and now getting this cyclone setup, but I want to (finally) address the cause of this squeak before hoisting this thing on top of the cyclone.
Looking for ideas on potential causes and fixes before I start taking it apart.
Link to video of squeaking motor below.
Thanks

http://youtu.be/9JA8QxQ3V7c?si=EIhlXoyqbq72Tj8N
Ray
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#5
(02-07-2024, 09:03 PM)DogwoodTales Wrote: This is a 5hp Leeson motor that is used to turn the 14” material movement impeller on my cyclone dust collector.
It made this squeaking noise for years prior to being put in storage for three years. I never heard the squeak when starting up or running, but did while it slowed down after being turned off. It seemed to run just fine otherwise.
I’m finally back into a workshop again after three years and now getting this cyclone setup, but I want to (finally) address the cause of this squeak before hoisting this thing on top of the cyclone.
Looking for ideas on potential causes and fixes before I start taking it apart.
Link to video of squeaking motor below.
Thanks

http://youtu.be/9JA8QxQ3V7c?si=EIhlXoyqbq72Tj8N

Taking a guess from the sound it is probably something to do with the centrifugal switch.   Roly
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#6
(02-07-2024, 09:26 PM)Roly Wrote: Taking a guess from the sound it is probably something to do with the centrifugal switch.   Roly

Another possibility is that the fan is slightly rubbing on the fan cover.
See if you can put a piece of steel rod against the cover as the motor slows.  You should be able to feel the rubbing.
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