Life-Like motor dimensions?

[mike_lawyer]

I know many of you have used the newer Life-Like diesel motors for remotoring projects.  What are the measurements of the motor?  I am wondering if i.could fit one in a Kato Mikado for a lower top speed.

[peteski]

I know many of you have used the newer Life-Like diesel motors for remotoring projects.  What are the measurements of the motor?  I am wondering if i.could fit one in a Kato Mikado for a lower top speed.

If you are talking about the one which looks like the current Atlas and Kato motors, then its dimensions are close enough to those other two to be considered identical.  Atlas motor should work too.

[mmagliaro]

Mikado Motor: .378" W  .573" H    .938" L   (not counting the little bearing hubs that stick out at the ends)

Atlas Scale Speed  .369" W   .550" H    .928"  L

So you're in luck.  The Atlas motor is actually slightly smaller than a Mikado motor.

If you were thinking of the 1990s era LL diesel motor, that's a completely different animal.  Is that what you meant?
I ask because that one has lower RPMs than most other N motors.

[SkipGear]

Following. I have considered doing the same thing. I have an Atlas slo-speed motor setting in my project box for just such an experiment.

[mike_lawyer]

Following. I have considered doing the same thing. I have an Atlas slo-speed motor setting in my project box for just such an experiment.

Interesting, I have always liked those Atlas slo-speed motors in my diesels.  I would be curious about how much torque they have at lower ends of the speed spectrum.  Any idea where you can pick up some of those slo-speed motors for cheap?

[mmagliaro]

Interesting, I have always liked those Atlas slo-speed motors in my diesels.  I would be curious about how much torque they have at lower ends of the speed spectrum.  Any idea where you can pick up some of those slo-speed motors for cheap?

eBay
Look for     dual shaft 5 pole toy motor

You'll see a couple of sellers from China selling lots of these skew-wound motors in the gray housings.
Out of a given batch of 10, expect about 5 to really be "A" quality.   The good ones, after you run them a little in both directions, should start on the bench at around 2 volts, and the best ones can start at around 1.5v.   The "so so" ones won't start until about 3.5v.   The bad ones makes all sorts of noise, won't run, or have obvious corrosion on the armatures.
But for about $2.50 a piece, it's still a good deal

[mike_lawyer]

Is it the ones that are entirely enclosed in a metal case, or the ones where you can see the internals of the motor? 

[peteski]

Is it the ones that are entirely enclosed in a metal case, or the ones where you can see the internals of the motor?

None of the Life-Like motors are fully enclosed - they are all open frame where you see the internals.  The newer one is just like the Atlas and Kato motors currently used.  The other (older) Life-Like is larger, and the corners are squared off.

Here is the older motor:

[mmagliaro]

Here's a photo of one of the motors I bought from China:
It's just a typical "scale speed" motor with the skew wound armature and the gray case.

[SkipGear]

Darn you @mmagliaro . Just spent $20 on an assortment of those motors.

[peteski]

We discussed these motors recently in another thread.
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=49423.0


I checked the dimensions of Life-Like, Kato, and Atlas (actually unbranded motor from eBay which appears to be identical to Atlas), and all 3 motors have all the dimensions withing few thousands of an inch. So those 3 motors are physically interchangeable.

[narrowminded]

I've had good luck with those Ebay motors.  It's worth reading through the Railwire link posted by Peteski in his post above.  There may be some issues with some of them where they need some coaxing of the brushes, probably caused by some oxidation from sitting.  I got all of mine (20?) running fine and have two in service in Atlas locos that @davefoxx sent me where he had stolen the motors for use in other locos.  They are fine and speed match perfectly on DC to other Atlas locos I have.  Good luck.

[mmagliaro]

Yes, definitely, cleaning the commutators with a little alcohol was needed on a few of the ones I got.
The main symptom of the "bad" ones (other than the obvious really bad ones that mad noise even after oiling or would not run)... was a random hiccup in the speed.  The motor might run on the bench just fine, but every once in a while, it would instantaneously speed up or sputter, and then continue on.  This would happen 2 or 3 times every minute.  You might not even notice it running in an engine.  But it was impossible to miss when not looking at it and just listening to the sound.  I would let it run, and then, "... what was that???"     I suspected a cracked brush, a loose or weak brush spring, etc.  But I could never find anything wrong with them.  The current draw was the same as the others.

Oh one more tidbit... the "A" motors (as I call them), would free run at 7 volts at about 45 ma.  Other motors that started a little higher in voltage, but are still good motors, would draw more like 60.  I think there are just some that have everything more perfectly made, balanced, and aligned, that they run with less friction and start easier.