ARRRRGH! Smoke escaped from the motor!

[pushrod]

My 3100 stunk up the garage yesterday!

I stopped the cut I was making, and then restarted the saw. It runs slower than normal, and when I tried to cut, it seemed to have reduced power.

Pulled it apart to discover the armature has a serious burn on three of the commutator flats.

Checked Sears Parts, and the armature is a discontinued item. Ryobi has it for only $105 and change(!).

Is there a cheaper and (hopefully) more robust fix? It seems there are more than a couple smoked saws in the various forum.

The other issue is how to get the armature out of the saw housing. The parts diagram doesn't show a circlip like the 3000 uses, so I'm assuming I need to drive it out.

[leehljp]

In the last month to six weeks, there have been at least 2 people parting out their BT3. IF one still has it you can PM them or at least wait until someone else parts out theirs and get their motor.

I will look for those and see if I can find those posts.

FOUND 2:

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=37019&highlight=Parting

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=36323&highlight=Parting

Contact them.

[pushrod]

I knew I should've just checked with you, Hank.

'Course, I figured you or Lee would've come up with a turbo kit by now.

Thanks for the bird-dog!

[jspelbring]

Magic

I hate it when the magic smoke escapes. It's really what makes everything go. When it escapes, the magic is gone, and the thing won't work anymore.

Someone should invent a magic smoke injector. That would make repairs ever so much easier.

Good luck on your repairs!

[eccentrictinkerer]

I think there's a motor available on Ebay. Search "ryobi bt3100".

Good luck!

[pushrod]

Thanks for the responses, guys.

Skip in SC is sending me the motor and arbor from his "break sale".

Sure it's an old motor, but it can't be as well-used as the one I smoked.

[pushrod]

Trees again tremble in fear!

Well, the motor Skip sent was on the doorstep last night.

After feeding the kids and getting them to bed, I went out to the garage and pulled Ol' Smoky out of the saw and installed the "new" motor.

The quality of construction of that little saw is quite high! I was very impressed how well made and how well thought out everything is down in the guts of the saw.

I was making sawdust not quite two hours later. The job was fairly straightforward, though prolonged by cleaning and waxing and lubing, as well as by my measured progress doing something I'd never done, complicated by no instructions.

So then, I'm cleaning and picking up. I look at the drive belts, which are in a sorry state, and are "burned" in a couple spots.

I think to myself, "Self - is it possible the smell and the poor performance was all due to these belts?"

So I put the motor back together. Set it on the floor next to the saw and plugged it in. Put a foot on it, and hit the start button.

A blue flame shot 4" out of the back of the motor! The motor ran, although it was rather noisy. It is indeed "toast".

A buddy said to strip the copper off of it and sell it at the scrap yard.

Thanks again, Skip!

[Uncle Cracker]

Glad you got 'er back up and running... They truly are "the little saw that could...".

[skipwill]

Thanks for the responses, guys.

Skip in SC is sending me the motor and arbor from his "break sale".

Sure it's an old motor, but it can't be as well-used as the one I smoked.

It makes me feel good when my trusty BT can be resurrected in several other BTs around the country.

Glad it worked out well for you!!!