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Author Topic: Bodine Sync motors overheating on occasion Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 01-03-2010 04:09 AM                     Hello again all. Now, it's my turn for a little help. Scenario: Bodine sync motors mounted on 5 star soundheads. Got a note from one of the theatres that I service and they noticed that when they spin the flywheel to set the intermittent sprocket to lace up, that the flywheel is "hotter n'hell" when touched. Yet, this is not a constant issue but just an rare to occasional issue. The Simplex 35 has no drag on it-turns with no resistance. Trap and Gate tension is correct where there is no film drag resistance on the mechanism during operation. Motor starts up with no hesitation - spins up normally knowing that the starter circuit inside is doing its thing. These two motors, at the times when I'm there, have given me no problems in the past when I'm there to observe these operations. Yet, they've had issues with fluctuating line voltage like almost a good 5 volt difference. Would this be the cause of this overheating? For, at one time, one motor got so hot that the thermal inside opened causing this one motor to die and I told them to let it cool down to allow the thermal to close to get back to normal operation. When I worked with the P3GPS units by Christie, those Bodines would act up as well - overheat to where the thermal opens and we would have to let them cool down until the thermal closes. Thx for any help on this one. "Dang", guess I'd better tell them to head to Leeson's if Bodines aren't the winning ticket. thx -Monte  |  IP: Logged Ian Parfrey Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1049 From: Imbil Australia 26 deg 27' 42.66" S 152 deg 42' 23.40" E Registered: Feb 2009 posted 01-03-2010 05:01 AM                     Monte. I'm not overly familiar with the Bodines, but is it possible the starter circuit is not being switched out after full speed is reached? Do these motors have mechanical starter switching or electronic?  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 01-03-2010 08:44 AM                        Monte; have them run the motor for several hours before you get there. (Open the gate, no film) See if you feel the heat after that time. If you do, yoiu may have a bearing that grabs only when hot. Louis  |  IP: Logged Shaun Flichel Film Handler Posts: 42 From: Regina, Sask., Canada Registered: Sep 2002 posted 01-03-2010 01:33 PM                     We used to have a solid pipe to wack the motor on the back. I think its the start winding sticking.  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 01-03-2010 01:41 PM                  quote: Monte L Fullmer ...sync motors... So Monte, which is it...A sync motor or an induction motor with a centrifugal start switch and start winding? Most sync motors have a start capacitor and a run capacitor and no centrifugal start switch. If the start winding of an induction motor didn't release, it would burn up. If a sync motor, I would suspect a faulty capacitor.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-03-2010 01:52 PM                     Aah! It's those old "Jethro Bodine" motors! I've seen about a half dozen of those just overheat and die for no apparent reason. Switched them with a brand new Leeson motors and never had a lick of trouble with them again.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-03-2010 03:07 PM                     Actually buddy... take the cover off the fan end of the motor and you'll prbbly find that end of the fins completely clogged with dirt. Once they are clogged it prevents proper cooling of the motor and it'll eventually burn up... This problem also exists on Christie projectors which use a similar Bodine motor... Mark  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 01-03-2010 03:49 PM                     Hi Phil - they're syncs since they have the two caps -the start and run caps - attached to the frame. Yo, Mark - not a cooling issue since I've already blown out the rear ends of these things, but do agree with Randy's statement about seeing Bodines go without any reason, for this location already has three Leesons attached, which are tonnage better motors than Bodines in the long run. Do have some spare Bodines to do a swapout, but just wondered why this sudden heatup situation. Thx all for the help - Monte  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 01-03-2010 04:13 PM                  Thanks Monte for clearing that up since many comments in this thread related to induction-type motors...  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-03-2010 05:22 PM                     the bodines have had issues but then so have most sync motors  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 01-03-2010 06:45 PM                     K, got back from doing that swapout with another Bodine and got them on their merry way even though the original one wasn't getting hot or experiencing any problems .. (sorry on the misconstrue about starting circuits, but I thought I was hearing a startup circuit swinging one over, but that's was coming from a LEESON motor and don't know the circuitry too well when it comes to sync motors) , but have to ask: on how to check for bad caps if the possibility of having either a bad start or run cap could have caused this heating issue (or, as what Louis said on bearings are grabbing on occasion) so I can keep my butt covered next time since the office uppers gets all panicky when stuff like this happens and turn the fire up full blast underneath me for me to cure the issue? thx-Monte  |  IP: Logged Michael Voiland Expert Film Handler Posts: 219 From: Naperville, IL US Registered: Aug 2009 posted 01-03-2010 09:07 PM                     These motors are hot things. We have 4 of them mounted on top of pro 35 projectors. One is currently dieing. When I go in in the morning and the thing is cold the start winding sticks on and the whole thing vibrates until it works its way loose. Then its fine for the rest of the day. The vents for the bodine motors are those fins that run under the cover for the fan blade. They get plugged up with large clumps of dust. Take an air compressor with a basket ball filling fitting at 80 psi or so and blast the dirt out. The still run very hot.  |  IP: Logged Jake Spell Master Film Handler Posts: 294 From: Johns Island SC Registered: May 2009 posted 01-03-2010 11:04 PM                     best way to check the cap is to buy a meter that reads micro farads, both fluke and fieldpiece make them, and I know supco make a meter that only reads micro farads.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 01-03-2010 11:36 PM                     quote: Michael Voiland The vents for the bodine motors are those fins that run under the cover for the fan blade. Thx..I usually take the end cover off and do the brush method to rid of the dust stuck inbetween the fins on the frame... -Monte  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 01-04-2010 01:00 AM                     (missed the time limit to edit previous post) Would multiple (three second) bump starts per a period of time cause the start caps to begin failing? If so, would I need to enlarge the rating on the caps or add a bleed resistor and if so, what size? Wonder if this is the beginning of this whole fiasco.. Now, the big huge question is so I can put this topic with my uppers to bed so I can be left alone over this: I do the cap check and they're okey. I run a bench test on these things with hooking up a cheater cord to the inlet wires and let it run by itself .. and it doesn't heat up .. what do I tell them? Yank out all the Bodines and put in LEESON's would be the obvious answer...but....that's an illogical solution right now. Thx again for all the help for me on this topic... -Monte  |  IP: Logged

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