WE BD36 Broken Magnet

[R2R2]

My WE BD36 quit working. I opened up the hub and found that 1 of the 10 magnets in the hub slipped out of place and was touching another magnet. I pulled the slipped magnet out of the hub. As I was putting the magnet back into place, it was sucked out of my hands by another magnet, hit that other magnet, and then shattered into pieces. It seems impossible to try to put the shattered magnet back together.... the magetic forces will not allow it to go back together.
I haven't had a chance to put the hub back together to see if it will work with one magnet missing. Does anyone know if the hub will work with one missing magnet? If not, where could I find a replacement magnet other then from Wilderness Energy? Could I use any 'ol magnet of similar shape and size as a replacement? Or, could I even use a magnet of unsimilar size and shape as long as it will fit without touching anything else?>

 

[steveo]

if you ask me;

buy a new motor;

but if you can find a magnet for that motor replace the magnet or look for someone with a burnt out motor.

-steveo

 

[dogman dan]

Bummer, I had a similar experience, and trying to glue back the magnets, I flip flopped polarity and got a motor that ran even hotter. My junk magnets are now too cooked to work right and the motor runs permanently too hot. Getting a new brushed motor is going to be tough, since WE no longer sells em, but a few folks still show em on the website. Try Berenson EV, and Itselectric-ca. Also the chrystalite brushed motor from ebikes-ca will work fine once you change the connectors. Ebay sometimes has a used aotema brushed for sale, but you have to search, and then win the auction. Pain in the rear to save a buck or two. I was also amazed at how easy the magnets could break, and how hard it was to reglue one without chipping it. Your best bet, short of starting over with a brushless motor of some kind, may be to get a replacement WE, which then leaves you with a supply of replacement motor parts, spokes, rim, covers, magnets, that all fit. If you find something wierd on ebay, like an aotema brushed motor in a 16" rim, the hub will be very likey to fit right into your existing wheel instead of having to relace the odd size wheel.

No way can you use any old magnet, even one from a clyte motor may not work right, and run too hot. If you do come up with a replacement, you have to get it installed the same polarity as the old one. The magnets are installed in pairs, so you have to use another magnet to determine the polarity of the existing ones and pair up the new one like the rest of the motor. When you run a magnet by the motor ones, it will alternately push and then pull, showing you the polarity pairs.

 

[R2R2]

Will it run without replacing the magnet?

 

[dogman dan]

It might, but pretty soon the magic smoke will be coming out, it will run very hot, like mine did when I had a magnet backwards. If your ride is extremely short, and I assume northern hemisphere, you might get away with it for awhile, at the expense of trashing the rest of the motor. Once hot enough the magnets get ruined and then the motor runs hotter and hotter and hotter. When I finally gave up, I had smoke pouring out of the motor in less than 5 minuites. Each test got shorter since I was cooking the magnets each time.

 

[R2R2]

Ok, I have been riding the BD-36 with one magnet missing. So far, it is not heating up hotter then normal, but, I haven't really taken it more then a few miles. Knock on metal. What is happening though is that there is a rapid clicking noise now when I am throttling. When I am not throttling, there is no clicking noise. I am assuming this clicking noise is having to do with the incomplete circuit that is being formed between the missing magnet and the magnet on the opposite side of the missing magnet. Do you think that if I removed this magnet that this clicking noise would be eliminated? If I don't remove it, is this clicking noise ruining the brushes or anything else?

Meanwhile, I'm working on getting a replacement magnet...

Also, my top speed has been reduced by a few mph because of the missing magnet.

 

[Ypedal]

the empty space created by the missing magnet must be playing a role here, the magnets wedged against each other provide support to the hub in a way.. during throttle and force applied the edge of the magnets in the open space may be the problem... interesting test none the less !!

 

[dogman dan]

If its winter where you are, the heat may be a non issue. And I was speculating anyway, but putting the magnet in with the polarity wrong sure runs hot.