After some 3000 km, this mid-drive motor is grossly overdue for some maintenance. I can see the specks of eroded metal mixed in the dark, gunky remains of whatever factory grease they used in here.
I don’t know where locally to get the Mobilegrease 28 that everyone recommends, but I did find some high-temp white lithium from the auto store. But just removing the old grease has already consumed half a roll of paper towel. And I can’t exactly dunk a motor into gasoline as degreaser.
I’ll carry on wiping.
Why not?
Probably fire and explosions and sadness.
There might be some plastics in there the would take that personally.
Not the sadness!!
Not when it is off and the power is disconnected.
I was thinking more like if there’s still some petrol left in the nooks and crannies when it’s turned on and the power is connected.
but maybe it’ll be fine.
but maybe not.
all I know is that electricity ignites gasoline.
When they stuff it full of new grease any gas that didn’t evaporate will be pushed out.
They will be fine.
Inside a gasket-sealed motor housing, gasoline that remains stuck inside would have nowhere to evaporate to, and would dissolve and interact with the new grease. Plus, stuffing a motor housing full of grease would be more relevant for marine applications, where the grease keeps water out. But in a land vehicle, the grease just needs to coat the moving parts for lubrication. A correctly-chosen grease won’t fling off the gears at high RPM.
I think for gasoline, it is so volatile that it will readily evaporate from all cavities if shaken out and left to dry for a while. But during this time, the vapors must be managed because it’s all combustible. Still, I’d rather not do that unless I have to, and the brake cleaner suggestion from earlier would still be an easier idea.
I should clarify that when I say “motor”, I mean the motor housing plus the stator, as I can easily remove the electronic control board, the rotor, and the intermediate and final gears. The housing appears to be cast aluminum so that alone could be submerged, but it’s the stator that I’d rather not have in gasoline.
I have no idea if the insulation on the windings or the glue attaching the stator to the housing would dissolve in gasoline. And removing the stator seems to be more effort than a toothbrush and brake cleaner.