Lubrication for fractional HP electric motors (HVAC, bushing not bearing)

[SumGuy]

I don't know if there's a better sub-forum to ask this question.

I'm not having much luck in keeping the squeek out of a probably 1 HP two or maybe 3 phase HVAC blower motor. Like a lot of electric motors, there really isin't a good way to access what I'm thinking is a sleeve bearing. This one has a pulley that drives a belt so there is some side-load on the front bearing.

I've tried to spray various things at the shaft and they work for a while. Lately I've dripped a few drops of differential gear oil (90 wt) while the motor is on and it's interesting to hear the motor speed up (but the smell of that oil is horrible).

There's something called WD-40 3-IN-ONE Electric Motor Oil, and I've also read in the past about "Turbine oil" made by Maytag?

What is the best way to lubricate electric motors with sleave bearings? Grease or oil?

 

[TCL]

Try disc brake high temperature wheel bearing packing grease. Works for me on bathroom exhaust fans.

 

[Rand]

I'd use a light oil
sometimes you have to disassemble the motor to lube it.

 

[jhellwig]

If it is driving a belt it most likely has a roller or ball bearing.

Something thin like 3 in 1 will work good. Sleeve bearings sometimes have felt somewhere that holds oil to keep them lubed.

 

[nthach]

The HVAC shops for the trade(Johnstone and others) and Ace carry this stuff:

Dial Zoom Spout White Evaporative Cooler Oil - Ace Hardware

Lubricate shaft bearings at the start of every season and every 60 days during season. Turbine oil for lubricating cooler bearings and some cooler motors with oilable bearings.Find the OIL EVAP COOLR 4 OZ at Ace.

www.acehardware.com

That’s what the guys who are working on HVAC carry on their trucks and toolboxes.

 

[Asterix]

My go-to for electric motor lube is ATF. Don't forget about the bearing at the other end, which often is impossible to get to without disassembling the motor. It's worth a look.

 

[mk378]

The nameplate will usually indicate ball bearing if it has ball bearings. If the bearings are sleeve, there should be capped oil holes at the outside edge of the end housings.

It's simple to take these motors apart and work on the bearings from the inside. Ball bearings are replaceable they are almost always a standard size.

 

[repairman54]

Maytag turbine oil is a non-detergent oil. Most fractional hp motors have oilite bearings in them. Same stuff in the Zoom spout oilers.
I've used them both for decades in my previous life as an appl. tech.
Lube is only a short-term fix. Time for a new motor. Some larger blower motors have oiling ports, a small plastic cap / plug at the ends.