Motor got wet What do I do ?

[knpc]

I was out running my boats this morning and one of the cooling lines came off on my df33. The boat took on a fair amount of water. My esc and reciever are raised up so they were fine, but the motor is mounted low and was sittting in water. I'm letting it dry out now but is there something I should do to the motor to prevent long term damage?
Thanks
Kevin

[NativePaul]

Blow it out with an airline or canned air then re-oil the bearings.

[knpc]

Thanks for the fast reply, I will do that right away. Will the motor getting wet shorten its lifespan ?

[jcald2000]

WD-40 will keep the magnets and stators from rusting then reoil the bearings.

[sailr]

The motors will actually run underwater. Brushless motors don't care about getting wet. Just tend to the bearings and it will be fine.

[paulwilliams]

Brushless motors don't care about getting wet.

Some can rust very badly indeed, to the point that the laminations swell and split. I would imagine that rust on the rotor could also affect its balance. What brand of motors are you running that are impervious to water? I'd like to see Lehner's/Plettenberg's/Mega's/Neu's response to a warranty claim on a rusty motor

NativePaul and jcald2000 are correct: remove the water, either with compressed air or with a water-displacing oil like WD40 and re-oil the bearings asap. The longer you leave the bearings with water inside them, the more likely they are to fail.

Paul

[sailr]

Paul, I'm sure you are correct. I didn't make myself very clear. I am simply saying they will continue to run. Of course you should shoot them down with some corrosion X or something after a dunking. I don't like WD40 as it can make seals, shrink tubing, etc. swell up and deteriorate.

I have had numerous NEU, Feigao, Aquacraft, etc. motors that have never demonstrated any problems after dunking. I have never seen laminations rust or swell or split but don't dispute it could happen.

Thanks for correcting me. The motors will run underwater! I remember back in the day when we broke in brushed motors by immersing them in water and running them!

[paulwilliams]

I have never seen laminations rust or swell or split but don't dispute it could happen.

I have - the motor was basically scrap as the laminations had swelled to the point of touching the rotor. I guess it depends on the motor, and whether the laminations are lacquered or not. Feigao have a bit of a reputation for rust, from what I've heard.

I remember back in the day when we broke in brushed motors by immersing them in water and running them!

yep, the fastest way of making a bucket of dirty water, with questionable results on the motor! Running-in motors is something I do not miss at all.

Paul