Run hours on tiny bearings? I think T-motor say 40 hours, but I give them a spin and feel and listen to them every flight day. If there is any noise or looseness its time to consider a change.
At some point I will
- open the motor and check the bell and magnets for foreign magnetic matter,
- clean out any rubbish (dirt/bugs) in the stator windings and check for damage to wires
- change the bearings,
- lube the new bearings (with Tri-Flow)
- check the shaft grub screws are still tight.
- re-assemble and check bell is running true and thrust washer is snug.
- rebalance the motor, and run it up and check smoothness.
I can definitely say that as a motor ages the bearings get more vibes, its measurable if you have the equipment..
I have several T-motor 3110 motors of different ages, and their vibe readings directly reflect their age.
This can be reset by doing the above.
I dont dispute that Ian, but at the same time there are just so many differences between the Solo "T-motors" and externally bought T-motors.
The T-motor 2216 V1 motors had thinner imperial (1/8") shafts and imperial sized bearings as the Solo motors currently do. In the 2216 V2 motors T-motor went metric with 4mm shafts and bigger bearings, and it makes a difference. The V2s are a sweet motor with tight smooth bearings.
Solo motor frames look very similar to Sunnysky motors, but i have also read that the T-Motor and SunnySky motors come out of the same factory, so there may be some crossover on supply as well.