Chain jumping off

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
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If you look closely at the (admittedly blurry) photo, it's just the controller metal that's being eroded. The motor casing paint is made of sterner stuff. It's a replacement controller from greenbikekit, which is otherwise lasting well. I accidentally killed the first controller.


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AGS

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 12, 2023
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Do you ride on gravel much? It does look very stone chipped.
 

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
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Do you ride on gravel much? It does look very stone chipped.
Hardly ever. I reckon it's just road grit/small stone erosion, with perhaps road salt being a factor - I'm not going to lick it to find out for sure, but I may give it a lick of Hammerite. If it gets eroded through and falls off, I've got a spare controller. For the time being, I might ziptie some black nylon webbing with a black gaffa tape layer (or ziptie several layers of black gaffa tape alone), over just that part of the controller, or something.
 
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AGS

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 12, 2023
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I have started using this stuff. It’s water based and doesn’t leave brush marks. I even brush painted the front wheel on my Puch Maxi with it and it looks like a spray job.

 

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
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Thanks for the link.

This "heat resistant" stuff looks interesting. Cheaper. Doubt the 30ml £3.89 tester will be enough.

HEAT RESISTANT PAINT BRAKE CALIPER ENGINE BODY METAL STEEL CAR BIKE MULTI USE
 
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saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
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Telford
Yes they are and I was concerned about this when I first fitted mine. But I haven’t had any problems with overheating so far even in really hot weather.

I did consider drilling some holes in it for airflow, but I cycle a lot in mud and they would soon get blocked up.
It depends on how you ride - what sort of hills you have, how fast you pedal, how heavy you are and how much power you use. That's all personal to you. Other people might use the power differently. The design of the motor is to lose heat through the cooling fins when they get a nice flow of air.
 

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
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I've just ordered this cheapo thermally conductive heatsink adhesive plaster:


I've always found this type of solid setting gunge difficult to remove, so I'm going use it to cover over the road debris eroded parts of the motor controller, and sand it smooth. Might last for a time by itself, or slightly longer painted over.

Or I could use it to stick on small cut pieces of aluminium sheet. I might then apply some black paint, see how long it all stays stuck on. If it falls off, I'll reapply and secure with zipties, possibly glued on with Araldite, or superglue + bicarbonate of soda.
 
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guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
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Patched the worrying bit with a bit cut off an old aluminium door bolt. It's stuck on with superglue and bicarbonate of soda - don't think it's going anywhere, solidly stuck on. I'll give give it and the other bits eroded a touch of black paint. The small overlapping superglue and baking soda section joining the motor to the controller at hat point, can be broken off and filed down when I need to replace the controller, or dissolved with acetone if necessary (could also dissolve the motor's paint).

A drop of superglue went into the bolt hole, but I unscrewed and unseized it before the superglue set.

I look forward to seeing how long it takes for this hat to be eroded away.

If this does fall off, I'll secure it with the stronger (and more heat conductive) superglue + graphite potion next time.


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guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
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Currently at least, it's just the controller that's being eroded, so I might superglue + graphite bond a small piece of either aluminium sheet or galvanised steel sheet on (I have both), with a slight overlap over the mating surfaces of the controller and motor, while being careful not to stick controller and motor together. Superglue + graphite looks tough to remove. Haven't decided yet. I might simply paint the underside, because the aluminium controller shell isn't thin. Such erosion will take years to wear through.


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