I know to do it, but what's it for?

[mwr2452]

What does commutator oil and bearing oil really do for the motor?

What does variable timing do for me?

If my ESC is for a 19T motor, will it run a 17 at all, or will it not even work?

MIke :confused:

[yeeehaw]

the oil will let the bearing roll freely and not build up heat due to friction.
dont know variable timing
the draw of a 17 t motor is too much for the esc. it may work for a while but will burn it up
I think I am right, been a while since I was in electrics
matt

[TBone77]

What does commutator oil and bearing oil really do for the motor?

Both reduce friction. The bearing oil is necessary to help prolong the life of the bearing. Comm oil reduces friction between the comm and brushes. Both take about 0.4 seconds to apply and are dirt cheap, so there's no reason not to do it.

What does variable timing do for me?

This means you can advance or retard the timing of your motor. Basically, advancing the timing = higher RPM. You could write a book about timing, so if you want to know all about it, I recommend a forum search.

If my ESC is for a 19T motor, will it run a 17 at all, or will it not even work?

Yes, it will "work", but you will likely fry your ESC. An ESC rated for 19+ turns means you should only run 19+ turns. Running fewer turns than the recommended will place a load on the ESC that it's not designed to handle.

[curmudgeon]

Be very careful with comm drops. I have seen cases where the comm drops softened the brushes too much, causing them to wear very fast and the brush material got into the grooves of the comm and caused the motor to short out and fry.

[mwr2452]

Now it all makes sense. The motor bearings are not sealed, and need to lubed. I have Trinity bearing and comm drops, but wasn't sure when I needed to lube the motor ( before or after running it).
The ESC I have will run 19 or higher and will change to a Novak GT7 very very soon, I just have to open the box!

Thanks again

Mike