Cyclo questions

T

TortoiseAWD

New member
Cyclo owners,



I managed to pick up a used Cyclo off of eBay about a week ago, and it finally arrived last night. Unfortunately, the seller's definition of "good, used condition" doesn't match mine. I don't mind the machine being beat up a little (it is used, after all), but the outer layer of insulation on the cord has cracked up near where the cord joins the machine, and the previous owner also clipped the ground prong from the plug. The wires contained within the outer insulation are covered, and their insulation appears intact, though, so I don't believe electrocution is an imminent danger (he said bravely). The machine seems to run OK, although I can see blue sparks as the motor spins when I peer through the top of the ventilated housing.



The sparks are my biggest concern . . . is it normal to be able to see the brushes on the motor sparking a bit like that? As far as the cord goes, I would imagine that replacing it shouldn't require too much electrical skill (of which I have little), but it's something I've never done to any appliance. Any tips on where to find a suitable replacement cord and the correct procedures to install would be greatly appreciated. In particular, there are only two obvious screws that hold the top and bottom of the housing together, but I doubt that's all there is to taking seperating the top and bottom of the housing. If you've done any amateur maintenance on your Cyclo in the past, please share any tips or tricks you might have.



Thanks in advance for any help you can provide,

Tort
 
tortoise,

remove the cord from the machine, go to the electrical department at home depot, or someplace like that and tell them you need a new "whip". Make sure its the same gauge with the same amount of conductors, ie, green, black and white, The will probally have to cut a new one of a roll of wire so get a long cut for convience. Then, just buy a new cap so you can plug it in.



Depending on the wire size, they sometimes have something already premade.



Hope this helps
 
The brushes or commutator may be worn or out of alignment. Some sparking can be normal, depending on the style of the motor, but I'd keep an eye on it just to be safe. I became really familiar with electric motors while racing 1:10 scale RC cars... even tried winding my own motors, but didn't have a lot of luck at it. :)



You *should* be able to pick up a brush set for it if you do some digging. Brushes aren't that expensive, and depending on how easily the machine comes apart (I can't remember - sold my Cyclo years ago (too heavy & clumsy for my tastes)), the replacement should be straightforward.



While you're in there, take some fine emery paper and try to polish up the commutator, and maybe put a drop or two of fine oil on the bearings. :)



Keep us updated.
 
Tort- Glad to hear an Autopian picked up one of the Cyclos on e-bay. Hope you got a good price on it.



Both of mine do the "blue light special" thing, even my relatively new one, so I don't think it's anything to worry about. These things last forever, even with *no* maintenance and when seriously abused.



I generally have no trouble replacing power cords, but looking at the Cyclo manual, I dunno...I think I'd send it back to CycloToolmakers and have them do it. They are *very* reasonable, so it shouldn't cost too much. Call their head tech Steve and see what he thinks. The number is (888) 485-1990.



Welcome to the Cyclo Owners Club :D



Oh, and my scanner isn't working, or I'd send you a copy of the manual. It's nothing too impressive, but it's handy to have..if you want one badly enough, PM me and I'll do something to get a copy to you.
 
I just spliced my cord on one of my cyclos and reattached it because it had a short in it so that's all you may need to do.



As already noted Home Depot has a large selection of cords pre-cut. My other Cyclo has a replaced cord in it so doing so is not that difficult.



there are two flat head screws on the tall portion of the housing, this is where the brushes are and it may be that they are worn and if you continue to run the Cyclo on worn brushes it may overheat.



Contact Irene at Top of the Line and let them know you need motor brushes for the Cyclo, not sure of their cost but it can't be that much.



Anthony
 
You may want to try on of the power tools companies in your city. They do this all day and it will probably cost you 5 bucks plus the cord.
 
Thanks for the replies, everyone . . . I think I'll start by trying to DIY the cord, then use the polisher a couple of times and keep an eye on the sparking, and watch for overheating. If the machine appears to be getting overly warm during use, I'll look into replacing the brushes.



Since I'll have the housing on the Cyclo open, is there anything that I should lubricate while I'm in there?



Thanks,

Tort
 
Tort- Heh heh, sounds like I'm being a real chicken about DIYing the cord :D



There's some info in the manual that you'll find useful. Stuff about when to replace the brushes, what to lubricate, what you can/can't DIY, and *how to keep the heads in synch*. PM me if you'd like me to FAX this stuff to you. IM (overly cautious?)O, you really oughta have a copy of this stuff, especially the diagram of the machine's innards and the list of parts (and their numbers).



Short version:



Brushes- Unscrew black brush caps found on each side of motor housing. Pull out carbon brush and spring. Replace if assembly has weak spring or if worn down to first printed letter. Note how contour of carbon block matches contour of motor commutator, reinsert in same pattern to maximize electrical contact.



Lubing-



-Every eight hours, put 3 drops of 3-in-1 oil in the center of the copper bushing at top of motor housing.



-While apart, the gears are relubed (when necessary) with Texaco Multifax #2 or equivalent :confused: ; pack recessed well in back of idler gear with lube [lube type not specified]; lubricate metal shafts in the center of each gear [lube type not specified].



Bearings- "should not be considered defective until they become objectionably noisy". R&R is not a DIY job, you must send it in.



Keeping heads in synch while apart- "Turn the tool's main case upside down, with the motor case, cover plate, and idler gear removed. Move the two heads together as close as possible. Then, put a heavy rubber band around the side of the two heads to keep them together." Remove the rubber band when you're finished working on it and have it back together.
 
Accumulator,



Thanks for the extra info. I finally found Cyclo's homepage, and while they have a link to the instruction manual on one of the pages, the link appears to be broken. It looks like they have the manual in electronic format, though, so I'll e-mail the company using the addy on the contact page, and see if they can send me the .pdf.



As for the cord, I think I'm going to chicken out (in the short term) on a complete replacement. Although the outer sheath of the cord has cracked and broken near the connection to the machine, the inner wiring and insulation appears to be fine. It's the lack of a grounding plug that I really want to rectify, so I'll just pick up some heat shrink and a replacement plug. I'll use the heat shrink to patch up the outer sheath, and replace the end plug so I have a good ground. That's less daunting than trying to pull the housing apart, and overall, a good short term solution (I hope).



My velcro backing plates and pads arrived just a few minutes ago. BTW, a quick plug for Winner's Circle Detailing; I placed my order Thursday afternoon at about 3:30 pm central time, and got it Sat. at 12:30 pm. More impressive is the phone call I got at 3:40 on Thursday from Robert, the proprietor, thanking me for my business. :up :up :up



Tort
 
TortoiseAWD- OK, yeah, that sounds like a plan :xyxthumbs



Note that both of mine have a reinforced sheathing around the cord where it goes into the handle of the machine, presumably to preven the sort of damage you're dealing with. You might try something like "liquid electrical tape" to build up your cord in this area as a short-term fix.



Oh, and both of mine also have a plastic covering on the handle (that looks like it might be a pain to pull off/reinstall)- does yours have that? I'm curious about what sort of hard life it might've led before you got it.
 
Accumulator,



The outer sheath of the cord appears to be at its worst just past the reinforced portion; that's where I used heat shrink tubing to patch things up. The lesser areas of damage further down the cord just got a redneck repair for the time being (applied electrical tape while drinking beer :D).



I have no plastic covering on either handle on mine. I'm pretty sure this Cyclo has seen some hard days; it's a testament to their ruggedness that it seems to work in spite of that. I still haven't had a chance to use it on a car, though, and that's starting to make me a little nuts. I'd fire it up and use it on mine, but I just finished a full monty detail on the WRX a coupla weeks ago, and it has two layers of FMJ and one of WG . . . it's looking good, and I have no desire to undo what I've done. Yet.



Tort
 
TortoiseAWD- Heh heh, I think I'm almost as excited about your Cyclo as you are :D



It *does* sound like the one you got has been through a bit. I think your repairs [chuckle chuckle] will work fine, though I'd sure like to see you get a grounded plug on the thing.



The black plastic handle over the head is just that, a piece of black plastic. But the handle part of the metal case, at least on both of mine, has a clear plastic covering. If you send it in for repair (which sounds better and better to me, the more we discuss it), you could have them put one on. IMO it's a good feature and helps you maintain a secure grip.



I sure understand your not wanting to experiment on the just-done WRX!
 
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