Motor noise...

E.Carlson

E.Carlson

Joined
Mar 28, 2016
Messages
811
So I recently noticed that my motor for my grinder, 2hp Leeson, is making a grinding noise upon starting and stopping. It runs quiet during operation, but for maybe the first 2 or 3 and the last 2 or 3 rotations it makes a "chunk chunk" noise.
Not many hours on the motor. It's about a year old with maybe 40 or so knives on it.
Are there parts on these that commonly wear and need replacing or maintenance?
I have a whole lot of work I need to get done by Christmas and don't want to be stuck unprepared if something goes out.
 
Possibly bearing problems. I would remove the load (drive wheel or direct drive shaft), and then see if it still makes the noise. If the noise goes away or lessens I would suspect bearings. Some motors have bearings that need lubricated, others have sealed bearings. What is the model number on your motor nameplate? Are you running it direct drive or pulleys?
 
As Odog says, could well be bearings. Pop case apart and check bearings. They're pretty cheap and easy to replace. The bearings should last a LONG time, but sometimes a bad bearing gets installed, or the bearing will spin on shaft or inside case making a noise.
 
Odog27 said:
Possibly bearing problems. I would remove the load (drive wheel or direct drive shaft), and then see if it still makes the noise. If the noise goes away or lessens I would suspect bearings. Some motors have bearings that need lubricated, others have sealed bearings. What is the model number on your motor nameplate? Are you running it direct drive or pulleys?
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It's direct. It's running an Esteem grinder. I'll check the plate for the motor at lunch.
I've never done any poking around in a motor like this, but I guess it's time to start.
 
On a direct drive, it's critical that the motor shaft is pretty dead on in perpendicular alignment with the grinder. Even a small misalignment will wear bearings over time. Look for lube points or look up the motor specs or post the model number.
 
Nice! That's kind of why I said to take the load off. Helps isolate where the noise is coming from and gives indicative info as to what the problem may be! Loose drive wheel is easier to fix than bearings.
 
Yeah, I had run it with the belt off and was still getting the noise. When I checked the drive wheel for slop it slid right off the shaft! I'm lucky the belt was keeping it from completely coming off during use.
Thanks for the suggestions!
 
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