i found this old motor in our barn and i would like to use it. the only problem is that it spins the wrong way. how do i switch the rotation from counter clockwise to clockwise ( looking down the shaft from the front). it is an old GE 1/2 hp electric motor with a 2 prong plug.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-5/1006725/Pic0000.jpg

If it were a Baldor motor I would tell you to exchange wires #5 and #8...
have you taken off the terminal cover yet? sometimes there is a diagram showing the correct wires to change (either wire numbers or colors...)

Reverse the wires going to the brushes.

Reverse the wires going to the brushes.

assuming that it's a 0 degree motor, if it has any advance to it, it'll be a bit slower in reverse

Yikes! The amount of mis-information here. It's an AC motor ... it doesn't have brushes.

First take off the cover plates and look for any wiring diagrams. Take pictures of whatever you find (diagram or just the terminals inside.) Post those here.

It has a capacitor which means it's probably a capacitor-start motor (or it could be a capacitor-run motor also called a 2-phase motor.)

Anywho it will come down to swapping 2 or 4 wires (if they are available at the cover plate.) Take a look and tell us what you find.

CP

It may have a shading coil or start windings too. A single phase electric motor will continue in whatever direction it is started in, you just need to figure out how to start it in the opposite direction.

the motor says single phase on it. i will look inside it this evening.
thanks

There are also many motors out there that you can flip the armature around inside the housing to reverse it.

There are also many motors out there that you can flip the armature around inside the housing to reverse it.

Please Explain?

Please Explain?

Take bolts out of motor housing.
Open housing.
Flip stator over so the armature is now reversed in relation to the stator.
Put housing back together.
Reinstall bolts.

the motor says single phase on it. i will look inside it this evening.
thanks

Your house only has single phase power, so that's the only way it'll work. :D

Take bolts out of motor housing.
Open housing.
Flip stator over so the armature is now reversed in relation to the stator.
Put housing back together.
Reinstall bolts.

That is what I really was trying to say. I have an electric die grinder that ran backwards when I got it (used) and I did that to get it to operate correctly.

If its anything like all the air cond motors. You should have two wires to swap and splice back together. Quite a few ac motors have brushes they are known as a universal motor as they will run on ac or dc. Hell for the trouble and time you have spent go to any harbour freight and by what you need.