Oil in the Motor

What kind of problems would having a little oil in the motor windings of a 30 hp motor on an ac drive.

We are having intermitant stops on the motor and pulled it from the gearbox to check.

The motor has some oil from the gearbox front seal leaking.

I want to know if i should replace the motor or send it out to be cleaned?

What kind of problems can this cause?

Generally, oil will grab and hold dirt, leading to poor cooling of the motor, possible bearing wear, and premature failure. At the worst case, some oils can attack and denature the enamel and/or plastics used in the construction, which will result in a boom.

If it's just a little, probably no worry though.

Kid

I repeat what rdrast said. In addition I would ensure there is a drain hole in the motor. Would not be hard to put one in while you have it on bench.

If you really want to clean out the motor then from my experience air is a waste of time due to the oil NEVER use air over 15 psi and keep nozzle a foot away from windings lest you blow them apart. The electrical cleaners claim to not damage insulation but I am leery of them and prefer soap and water to clean with in this case. PITA and long process especially when you gotta dry it out, then megger and then reassemble.

I think I would be a little more concerned with the leaky seal draining the gearbox.

Dan Bentler

I also would worry more about the gearbox getting low on lube.
We have been cleaning motors by soaking the rotors in soapy hot water, then a hose rinse. With a lightbulb and fan it will be dry in the morning. Obviously only 10 hp and smaller.
Good luck.

Hi Kid,
A 30 hp motor is of good size, so I am sure it runs something heavy duty and of importance. If you have been having intermittent stops in which you have found oil in the windings (not knowing how long oil has been in windings before causing trouble) which apparently caused damage to the motor. You could clean it, test it then put it back in service, but if I were you, I would replace it or have it rebuilt by a good motor shop. It all depends on your budget and how important it is to have this motor stay running and problems you will have if this motor fails. Of course you need to get the front seal replaced on the gearbox. What it boils down to is a gamble of saving money by cleaning it which it could run for many more years or it could fail in a few days, weeks or months. You should think about it before you make a decision on what to do.
Sincerely:
Maintenance Man

Kid

Is this the motor on that oven you also posted?
Adding - I have seen many a motor (hydraulic pump etc etc) with oil on windings run for years. If just a little oil I would not worry - if motor was flooded then that is different but that is not the case here. As I said in other post and if the oven I would go thru it and ensure there are no mechanical problems first.

dan

I found a spare so we are going to change it and sens it out to the motor shop to be cleaned and checked.

It is on the oven system. We did find several mechanical issues and we are repairing them now.

I think we may still have issues with the drive also.

Looks like this was never done right to begin with.

give it a rinse dry it as the cooling will be a lot better.