I Guess Sometimes You Just Need a Sledgehammer

[Aaron Gillette]

In my 1920s AOU 16 inch brass blade GE fan, it was working fine. Then it had a short in the stator. Took it apart, fixed the short, reassembled, and no more short, but now the rotor would not turn until considerable effort was used. Started taking the motor apart, and the rotor would not come out no matter what. I've never seen this before. Eventually, I had to use a vice and a sledgehammer to get it out. It appears that, somehow, the front brass bearing on the rotor case, which holds the rotor shaft, got jammed, and now I don't know which, if any, of its components are still salvageable, nor do I have the slightest idea how it is all reassembled. There seems to be some sort of set screw in the motor case which holds the brass bearing in place. One of the bearings three components looks like a finishing washer. The other has four slots around it, one of which is open (maybe I destroyed it). I am including some photos, if someone could help me. Thanks.

[Anthony Lindsey]

Bearing then the "washer" thing which is angled inside the wider part goes toward the bearing center then the bearing retainer which has the slots.   The slots are for you to tighten it.   I use a small pair of needle nose opened up and put the tip in the opposing slots and tighten.  There's a tool that does it better but that will work.    There should be a mark on one side of the bearing where the "washer"  has been sitting for 100 years if you want to put it in the same way.

[Aaron Gillette]

Thanks, will try.