Can the cold weather Freeze the Rear Motor?

[Ajax]

I live in a block of flats and my bike is stored outside in a cyle area for residents..

This morning i got up to find the rear wheel frozen solid, it would not budge. I thought the breaks might have been caught up on the disc so i slacken that, but it remind rigid.

Now i have the bike indoors and it seems to have thawed and is spining now. This is the first time this has happended and am wondering, with the near artic weather we are having in the UK, has the same happened to anyone else?

Assuming i can get at the motor's insides, is it worth applying anti-freeze to the inside, or even anti-freeze grease? I believe you can buy grease with anti-freeze properties.

Anyone?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The only way it can freeze is if it gets water in it. If it's a hub-motor, make sure that the cable exits downwards. what motor is it?

 

[mike killay]

It was -5 last night here and this morning my car gearbox was very stiff to move the lever.
It soon came back to normal after a couple of miles, so I guess the gear oil had gone very thick.

 

[Ajax]

The only way it can freeze is if it gets water in it. If it's a hub-motor, make sure that the cable exits downwards. what motor is it?

The motor seems to be styled after the bafang - its the smaller black 250w 36v.
Now i have it spinning i am wonder if the baring inside is damaged. There is resistance when turning and an unsettling noise heard only when the wheel is spun in the forward direction.

I don't think there water inside, as i can't see how water could get in. If the grease inside froze, it might have lead to damage when i tried to force the wheel to turn.

I think it will continue to turn over for now, but i'll have to start looking for a replacement.

BTW - While looking for replacment motors, i noticed on one website, the gearless motors were all black, while the geared motors were silver, is this a thing?

 

[Ajax]

It was -5 last night here and this morning my car gearbox was very stiff to move the lever.
It soon came back to normal after a couple of miles, so I guess the gear oil had gone very thick.

Here in wales we finally had snow today, first time in donkey's years.
Which says something for the conditions I have had my bike in till now.

Does anyone know the freezing point of normal grease?

 

[wheeliepete]

I'm no chemist, but I think the freezing point of grease is a lot lower than we ever experience. It dosn't take much water to seep past the axle seal and then freeze inside the bearing, which sounds like what may have happened. If it is only a failed bearing, it is not normally that hard or expensive to replace and after a good clean up inside the motor should be good for a while.worth having a look inside before you write it off.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

It's dead easy for water to get in the motor. The most common way is down the motor cable when the wheel is put in upside-down. Another common way is through the disc mounting holes whether you have a disc or not. Finally it can get in through the bearings, which aren't sealed very well. If it's a cassette motor, it can also get in down the back of the cassette spline.

 

[Danidl]

The motor seems to be styled after the bafang - its the smaller 250w 36v.
Now i have it spinning i am wonder if the baring inside is damaged. There is resistance when turning and an unsettling noise heard only when the wheel is spun in the forward direction.

I don't think there water inside, as i can't see how water could get in. If the grease inside froze, it might have lead to damage when i tried to force the wheel to turn.

I think it will continue to turn over for now, but i'll have to start looking for a replacement.

Water can get in as humidity and then get trapped adsorbed in air pockets, so where there is air exchange. Think domestic oil tanks where the water eventually gets in and drops to the bottom of the tank, rusting from the bottom....