I just got my phantom 2. I flew it a couple of times for under 5 minutes. 4 flights total. I finally got it out in a open field and let it soar. The phantom did great. went home and then about an hour later went back out and one of my motors refused to spin. When you manually spin it theres like a grinding noise inside. No metal flakes just rough to spin. Any ideas? I tried putting some oil in the bearings but i was unable to get to the bottom bearing. I didnt have the proper allen tools. Iv read on sites that the bearings suck and replacing them is what most people do. I was unaware of lubing and maintenance required to the motors. Is that something you guys do before every flight?
motor issues
- Thread starter jigsaw57
- Start date
It's probably NOT the bearings.
I would put it at a 99% probability that the circlip came off the bottom of the propeller shaft. This occurs either after a crash or can just be knocked off during shipping or rough handling.
If you pull up on the prop, does it move up and down or come out of the motor once it breaks the magnetic pull? If so, that's what it is.
In order to repair it, you will have to remove the top shell and put the circlip and bushing back on.
CAREFULLY, turn the Phantom upside down and remove all of the screws (not the motor screws) that hold the shells together. Keep a cloth under it and watch for a very small bushing and/or circlip to fall out....you do not want to lose either. Inside, there will be a non-ferrous bushing that goes on the shaft between the circlip and the bottom of the motor. The circlip goes on the end of the shaft holding the bushing and the shaft in place.
The bushing will (or hopefully will) be loose and rattling around someplace inside the shell. The circlip is most likely inside the motor stuck to the magnets. If not, then it will be rattling around inside the shell with the bushing.
Put the propeller shaft through the motor, place the bushing over the shaft and then carefully push the circlip back into the the keeper groove at the bottom of the shaft. Be careful. If it slips, it can shoot off to the darkest and most difficult location in the room where it will never be seen again...or....it could (most likely) fly back into the motor and stick to the magnets. Always check the inside the magnets first. The circlip is ferrous so it usually sticks to the magnets but the bushing is not and can fall out.
Hope that helps......
I would put it at a 99% probability that the circlip came off the bottom of the propeller shaft. This occurs either after a crash or can just be knocked off during shipping or rough handling.
If you pull up on the prop, does it move up and down or come out of the motor once it breaks the magnetic pull? If so, that's what it is.
In order to repair it, you will have to remove the top shell and put the circlip and bushing back on.
CAREFULLY, turn the Phantom upside down and remove all of the screws (not the motor screws) that hold the shells together. Keep a cloth under it and watch for a very small bushing and/or circlip to fall out....you do not want to lose either. Inside, there will be a non-ferrous bushing that goes on the shaft between the circlip and the bottom of the motor. The circlip goes on the end of the shaft holding the bushing and the shaft in place.
The bushing will (or hopefully will) be loose and rattling around someplace inside the shell. The circlip is most likely inside the motor stuck to the magnets. If not, then it will be rattling around inside the shell with the bushing.
Put the propeller shaft through the motor, place the bushing over the shaft and then carefully push the circlip back into the the keeper groove at the bottom of the shaft. Be careful. If it slips, it can shoot off to the darkest and most difficult location in the room where it will never be seen again...or....it could (most likely) fly back into the motor and stick to the magnets. Always check the inside the magnets first. The circlip is ferrous so it usually sticks to the magnets but the bushing is not and can fall out.
Hope that helps......
Thanks for the help. I will look to see if thats it and let you know. In anticipation of bad bearing ,i ordered some nice boca ceramic bearings anyways. Either way i will post my finding when i get my new bearings and have time to take the motor out.
Thanks for your help, the exact same thing happened to me today, after a crash. Your post helped me diagnose it.
My question is: where can I get a replacement bushing or circlip? I actually flew the phantom once more briefly before figuring out what happened so I fear I have lost at least one of the pieces. I have looked at several sites and found many of the Phantom 2 vision parts and have already ordered many some spares but can't seem to tell how to get a replacement circlip or bushing.
Any suggestions appreciated.
I don't hear anything rattling around or see anything stuck to the magnets.
Thanks for your help and advice.
Regard, Tim
My question is: where can I get a replacement bushing or circlip? I actually flew the phantom once more briefly before figuring out what happened so I fear I have lost at least one of the pieces. I have looked at several sites and found many of the Phantom 2 vision parts and have already ordered many some spares but can't seem to tell how to get a replacement circlip or bushing.
Any suggestions appreciated.
I don't hear anything rattling around or see anything stuck to the magnets.
Thanks for your help and advice.
Regard, Tim
TSM said:
Don't know abou the bushings, but I got these clips from Amazon which seem to be working out great:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EW ... UTF8&psc=1
Make sure you give the motor housing a good tug after you mount the motors back, just to make sure the clip is seated properly.
I also got this tool which doesn't help in removing this size clip, but it does help push them back on.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006C3 ... UTF8&psc=1
To remove them I just use a really tiny miniature screwdriver blade that fits in the open space of the clip and just pop it off.
Thank you all, I just ordered some extra clips and the clip setter which will be very handy if I have to do this again.
To UAVinsurance, perfect description, thank you very much.
I just finished reassembly and everything was exactly as you said it would be. Found the clip inside the motor. Bushing I thought was missing since I flew it while still loose, but I got lucky and found it inside just like you said.
Thanks again.
To UAVinsurance, perfect description, thank you very much.
I just finished reassembly and everything was exactly as you said it would be. Found the clip inside the motor. Bushing I thought was missing since I flew it while still loose, but I got lucky and found it inside just like you said.
Thanks again.
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Hi Guys,
Searched the net and found this topic. I crashed my PV today into some trees.
Nothing serious and only at a height of about 6 foot. But it shattered 2 of the blades.
I had the same problem with the circlip coming loose and jamming the motor.
The problem I have is that I just can't get the circlip on, there isn't enough space with the brass bushing on there. I cannot even get a small knife blade in the gap (in fact I cannot see the grove at all) the space between the casing looks the same as the others, so I think the casing sits right, so I am a bit stumped?
Any ideas? I was wondering if the grubscrew in the top of the casing allowed for lengh adjustment or if my bottom bearing could have moved?
Searched the net and found this topic. I crashed my PV today into some trees.
Nothing serious and only at a height of about 6 foot. But it shattered 2 of the blades.
I had the same problem with the circlip coming loose and jamming the motor.
The problem I have is that I just can't get the circlip on, there isn't enough space with the brass bushing on there. I cannot even get a small knife blade in the gap (in fact I cannot see the grove at all) the space between the casing looks the same as the others, so I think the casing sits right, so I am a bit stumped?
Any ideas? I was wondering if the grubscrew in the top of the casing allowed for lengh adjustment or if my bottom bearing could have moved?
I had the same experience, being unable to visualize the slot for the clip. I got a bright light and magnifier and still could hardly tell if it were there or not and to this day cannot say for sure. But what I did was grab the clip in a tweezers or forceps or needle nose pliers and basically force it back in place and it has worked fine since for the last six hours of flying until I crashed it into my house due to dog hazard and have caused the same bearing and clip displacement again but have not had a chance to disassemble and fix it again just yet.
Hmm I see what you mean, but that is basically what I saw too. Perhaps I just slid it on with no gap, I am not sure. When I take it apart again next, in about a few weeks as I am not going to get to it until then, I can check more closely. It is curious that the motor I need to fix again for the same problem, is the motor I fixed before. So now I am wondering if I never fit the clip into any slot myself. But I can tell you after I fixed it the first time, I have flown very high winds and high altitudes and a few rough landings and logged maybe a total of 6-8 hrs flight time with no issues until a disastrous crash the other day that dislodged it again.
In your pic it kinda looks like I see a gap just to one side of the brass bushing. I would just slide it on and give it a go and see what happens in a test drive without actually taking off or at least only a low altitude hover over grass or some soft surface. Remember the clip is only about 1mm thick so the gap is barely visible. Sorry I cannot be of more help. You might try calling DJI and talking to tech support. My experience with them on the phone has been very good. Jorge is who I have spoken to a few times and they always call back and never seem rushed to get you off the phone. I called the number from the US website in California.
In your pic it kinda looks like I see a gap just to one side of the brass bushing. I would just slide it on and give it a go and see what happens in a test drive without actually taking off or at least only a low altitude hover over grass or some soft surface. Remember the clip is only about 1mm thick so the gap is barely visible. Sorry I cannot be of more help. You might try calling DJI and talking to tech support. My experience with them on the phone has been very good. Jorge is who I have spoken to a few times and they always call back and never seem rushed to get you off the phone. I called the number from the US website in California.
