Electric brushless motors are a cool thing. Most - if not all - of the competition guys use them and they are nowadays also part of many "premium" ready-to-run packages and also available as "budget to high-end" aftermarket option curs. What is so cool about them? Easy: They are virtually maintenance free as they do not need carbon brushes (hence the name "brushed" motor) or copper commutators as seen on the "old school" motors. But "virtually" maintenance free means there is a bit of service left for you to do every couple of runs if you want to keep your expensive investment in the best possible shape.
Like every part of your vehicle the motor should be cleaned when dusty, dirty, muddy or even wet. We guess you knew that before. This is best done by extracting the motor from the chassis and by cleaning the precious little gem with a soft towel, brushes or special cleaning clay. When the motor is at hand you can also visually check the front and rear bearings. The rear one are often hidden at current motors meaning they are less prone to become dirty and/or damaged. If you feel that the internal parts of the motor need a clean (that's when the motor is obviously dirty on the inside) then grab those tools and go ahead!
Step 1 – If not done before, unsolder or disconnect the controller wires that route to the terminals of the motor. Also unplug the sensor wire if you run a sensored system.
Step 2 - Detach the motor from the chassis.
Step 3 – Then undo the front (and rear if apparent) screws that secure the front middle and rear parts of the motor can. The rear ones often allow the access to the sensor plate.
Step 4 – Deposit all parts on a secure place like to make sure nothing gets lost during the rebuild.
Step 5 – Clear the rotor (that's the rotating part of the motor), can parts and stator (that's the static part of the motor, the thingy with the copper windings) carefully with a rag, brush and small doses of motor cleaner or denatured alcohol. Too much motor/brake cleaner can harm the insulation of the wired resulting in short circuits and failures.
Step 6 – Dirty bearings are best cleaned with a cotton bud, a drop or two of motor cleaner. Simply wipe away any dust and dirt making sure you do not rub the dirt into the bearing but away from them. Damaged or too dirty bearings need to be replaced with new ones. Check the spare parts list of the manual that came with your motor/car or visit the manufactures website for replacement parts. The bearing above is already cleaned and ready for the next step.
Step 7 – When cleaned, apply a small drop of ball bearing oil from the inside of the can and wipe away excessive oil with a dry cotton bud.
Step 8 – When everything is cleaned and oiled, put the parts together in reversed order, making sure you use the correct screws and the correct motor timing on sensored motors.
