brushed motor in water?

[jgammill]

Everywhere i have searched says that brushed motors can be ran in water without any problem. I just finished waterproofing my scx 10 and took it out for a test, everything worked fine until the motor goes under water then it "glitching" trying to go back and forth on its own with me not able to control it. I'm assuming it is arcing across inside the motor. I am running 11.1 lipo. What can I do to fix this so it doesn't give me problems when the motor becomes submerged?

[Charlie-III]

Sounds more like an ESC or RX issue, motor will either do what the ESC tells it, or stop.....NOT glitch back & forth.

[the_ghetto_rig]

Originally Posted by Charlie-III

Sounds more like an ESC or RX issue, motor will either do what the ESC tells it, or stop.....NOT glitch back & forth.

x2..

I can run my brushed motors completely submerged with no issues..

[muddawg]

been running brushed motors since the 80s never had a problem with the motor getting wet. did you get the rx waterproofed good

[Coops]

My bet is a wet rx. I ran my rustler through a deep puddle once and a similar thing happened. I dried it out and it's been fine since. It was a SR3100 fwiw.

[Drail]

toss the rx in a balloon and send it

[jgammill]

I plastidipped everything. I can dunk the rig while holding only the motor in the water and that is when it starts acting up. As soon as I pull the motor out of the water it stops. The rx and esc are not even in the water. Everything acts completely normal as soon as the motor is out of the water.

[Twisted Nuts]

What kind of motor? The closed can Axials, HPI, Traxxas, etc... Can be run underwater with minimal wear.
A rebuildable can doesn't need to be run under water under torque(in a rig) most of the springs are fairly strong and just Burn the brushes and comm. I have set them up so they will run with minimal wear but it's not really worth the loss in power and speed.


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[Wheel_Works]

We use to break new brushes in, in a jar of water back in the day so you should be fine

[Charlie-III]

Originally Posted by jgammill

I plastidipped everything. I can dunk the rig while holding only the motor in the water and that is when it starts acting up. As soon as I pull the motor out of the water it stops. The rx and esc are not even in the water. Everything acts completely normal as soon as the motor is out of the water.

Sounds like you may not have caps installed on the motor and the arcing from it is glitching your radio.
AM & FM are very pissy with this, but it can affect 2.4ghz as well.

Does your motor have caps on it?

[Grizzly4x4]

If your radio is 2.2G, is the tip of antennae above water?
My Spektrum will work fine in the water until the antennae goes under.

[Twisted Nuts]

Yes you can break a motor in under water using about 3V's, I do it to. But if you put a rebuildable can motor under water in a truck under power your just askin for trouble.

Does the RX light go off or blink for just a second when this happens?

[jgammill]

I just have a backup motor in it right now. It's a RC4WD 55t and yes I'm using 2.2 radio. I will have an update after work. I did find a couple wires going from the esc to the rx that had a cut on them. Maybe they were arcing across to each other. I liquid taped them and will test it when I get home. Not sure about the caps on the motor.. The antenna never went under water.

[jgammill]

well the fixed wires didn't help so I tore into it more. After really looking everything over I found a small crack in the end of the bec where I had sealed it. When this all started it was acting like it only had half power. Now the esc will not bind with the rx. If the bec is shorted out will it cause this to not bind?

[jgammill]

Well when I was replacing the BEC I took a look at my rx. I cut open the plastidip and found water in there also. Got a new rx and bec and installed. Then I dipped each one 4 times letting them completely dry each time before I dipped them again. Took it out this morning and it still acts the same way. But its only when all the electronics are under water. As soon as I pull it out it quits glitching back and forth. Could it be because my antenna is being submerged. It is 2.4 and I have it laying down the frame.

[Grizzly4x4]

Originally Posted by jgammill

Well when I was replacing the BEC I took a look at my rx. I cut open the plastidip and found water in there also. Got a new rx and bec and installed. Then I dipped each one 4 times letting them completely dry each time before I dipped them again. Took it out this morning and it still acts the same way. But its only when all the electronics are under water. As soon as I pull it out it quits glitching back and forth. Could it be because my antenna is being submerged. It is 2.4 and I have it laying down the frame.

Very good chance. Mine and a few others I have seen will act up or quit completely when the antennae goes under.

[jgammill]

When yours did it, did it just stop or start glitching and going back and forth?

[Twisted Nuts]

I have the antenna on my SR3100 tucked in the case and stored in the factory SCX10 box and I have NO problems putting the entire truck under water. Although water never actually touches any of my electronics otherthan my MMP and Novak motor.


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[Grizzly4x4]

Originally Posted by jgammill

When yours did it, did it just stop or start glitching and going back and forth?

Once the antennae goes under it stops, when it's close to going under it will work off and on.

In the Scale Nats Top Truck Challenge 2010 there were several rigs that quit in the deep water hole, while others kept working. I don't know why though.

[jgammill]

I think I will go ahead and place everything in balloons just to make sure and then reroute my antenna up a bit higher as well. If I haven't already fried something else. Anyone else using the plastidip having problems getting a good seal? After my rx went the only place I could think water could have came in is around the bundle of wires but I dipped them about 3 inches high also. I guess I will find out if it still works when I get home this evening.