switch rotation of electric motor - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

masonmachines · 07-29-2005, 10:28 PM

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.

[IMG]http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-...25/Pic0000.jpg [/IMG]

CRO · 07-30-2005, 12:43 AM

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...)

BamaJeeper · 07-30-2005, 06:31 AM

Reverse the wires going to the brushes.

blazer_hack · 07-30-2005, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BamaJeeper

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

CP8071 · 07-30-2005, 03:40 PM

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

Tim84K10 · 07-30-2005, 06:24 PM

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.

masonmachines · 07-30-2005, 08:09 PM

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

Buddha's Ghost · 07-30-2005, 09:29 PM

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

'71 800B · 07-30-2005, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buddha's Ghost

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

Please Explain?

Buddha's Ghost · 07-30-2005, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by '71 800B

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.

Tim84K10 · 07-30-2005, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masonmachines

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.

BamaJeeper · 08-02-2005, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buddha's Ghost

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.

gigihurt · 08-02-2005, 08:18 AM

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.

07-29-2005, 10:28 PM	#1 (permalink)
masonmachines Registered User Join Date: Mar 2002 Member # 10736 Posts: 2,015	switch rotation of electric motor 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. [IMG]http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-...25/Pic0000.jpg [/IMG]

07-30-2005, 12:43 AM	#2 (permalink)
CRO Registered User Join Date: Oct 2001 Member # 7588 Location: Beautiful B.C. Canada Posts: 862	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...) __________________ 1948 Willys 1952 M37CDN Powag Last edited by CRO; 07-30-2005 at 12:45 AM.

07-30-2005, 06:31 AM	#3 (permalink)
BamaJeeper Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Member # 14620 Location: North Alabama Posts: 144	Reverse the wires going to the brushes. __________________ Priest "The time has come to liberate the potential of the coming porkappocalypse."

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07-30-2005, 03:40 PM	#5 (permalink)
CP8071 Wheeler Join Date: Jun 2002 Member # 12491 Location: North Georgia Posts: 213	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

07-30-2005, 06:24 PM	#6 (permalink)
Tim84K10 Banned Join Date: Nov 2003 Member # 24704 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,430	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.

07-30-2005, 08:09 PM	#7 (permalink)
masonmachines Registered User Join Date: Mar 2002 Member # 10736 Posts: 2,015	the motor says single phase on it. i will look inside it this evening. thanks

07-30-2005, 09:29 PM	#8 (permalink)
Buddha's Ghost Registered User Join Date: Mar 2000 Member # 334 Location: Auburn, WA Posts: 1,067	There are also many motors out there that you can flip the armature around inside the housing to reverse it.

08-02-2005, 08:18 AM	#13 (permalink)
gigihurt Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Member # 43867 Posts: 28	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.