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Pancake Motor Installation and Use

Armature Handling:

Handle your armature carefully.
Always use a quality armature installation tool to remove and install armatures.
Never apply any force to the commutator plate.  Any excessive force can cause the commutator plate to move out of alignment causing decreased performance.
Nicks or dents in the wire windings can decrease performance and render an armature non-functional.  Just be careful with them ok.
Building Chassis's:

The performance of your car depends on how well you build it.  When installing a new armature always insure there is ample vertical play between the gearplate and the chassis tub.  Be very careful if you are using shims to reduce this vertical play.
High performance armatures can run warm.  Sufficient vertical play will allow for heat expansion of the armature. If this play is not sufficient, armature binding can happen causing friction and possible destruction of the armature and chassis.
Install high performance armatures in well built chassis's only.  Do not use old brushes.  Always use a new set of brushes when ever you install a new armature and make sure you adjust the brush spring tension properly.  Too much tension can cause an armature to overheat.  To little tension can cause decreased performance and arcing which in itself can cause overheating.  DO NOT USE BEVELED BRUSHES!  I have seen brushes melted right into chassis's because of the use of crappy parts.  New brushes are cheap, use them.

NOTE: DO NOT RUN THESE MOTORS IN AUTOWORLD CHASSIS.
Some Words On Magnets:

All of the Road Race Motors can run with most moderate strength magnets. The more powerful the magnet, the more power the motor will put out.

IMPORTANT - WATCH OUT!!!  A MAGNET THAT IS TOO STRONG MAY ACTUALLY REDUCE A MOTORS PERFORMANCE, AND DAMAGE THE MOTOR.  WHEN YOU RECEIVE YOUR MOTOR, START WITH A WEAK MAGNET AND STEP UP STRONGER TO ACHIEVE THE PERFORMANCE YOU DESIRE, BUT ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION TO THE HEAT THAT IS GENERATED.  STRONGER MAGNETS WILL CAUSE A MOTOR TO HEAT UP FASTER AND FAIL.

BEWARE - OVERLY STRONG MOTOR MAGNETS, AND ADDING TRACTION MAGNETS TO YOUR CHASSIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO OVERHEAT YOUR MOTOR AND CAUSE HARM TO THE MOTOR AND CHASSIS.

Drag Race Motors need more powerful magnets. Poly or Neo Magnets are recommended. The more powerful the magnet, the more speed and torque the motor will put out. You may need to experiment with different types of magnets to achieve the results you want from these motors.

TRACTION MAGNETS - ALTHOUGH THESE MAGNETS ARE GREAT AT PROVIDING THE STICTION YOU NEED FOR DRAG RACING, THEY DO PUT A STRAIN ON THE ARMATURE.  WHEN USING TRACTION MAGNETS PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE HEAT THAT IS GENERATED BY THE MOTOR.  YOU DON'T WANT A MELTDOWN.
Armature Oiling:

Please don't over oil the armature!
Use a good quality oil, there are many out there.  I am not going to recommend any one oil to use, but for the lower bearing hole use an oil that is going to stay in place and not migrate to the commutator plate and brushes.  Seems as of late I'm seeing armatures and chassis's ruined because of over-oiling using thin oils or the use of "Comm Drops".  Strive to keep the commutator plate clean and free of oils or other contaminants.  A little bit of oil goes a long way.
...and some final words:

Each motor is electrically tested and spin tested in both standard unmodified Aurora TJet and AFX chassis.  I have no control over how you build your cars and what you do with them.  If you have an issue it's most likely your build or what you are trying to do.  Contact me if you are having an issue.
The Difference between Vintage Aurora and AW Armature Shafts

All pancake armatures, and the chassis's that run them are not created equal.  The armature cavity height in an AW chassis is slightly different than a vintage Aurora chassis.  The usable height in an AW chassis is shorter than in a vintage Aurora chassis.  If you try to install an Aurora armature in an AW chassis the gear plate may distort (bow up) once the gear plate is installed and secured with the gear plate clip.  This is because the motor shaft is too tall for the chassis.  When the chassis is energized, this binding will cause friction and heat, which will cause damage to the chassis.  Don't modify the hole in the gearplate to compensate for this because the wire wraps may rub on the underside of the gearplate and may damage the wires.

You can see this in my armature shaft illustration at the right.  The dimension in RED is the one of concern.
Website updated: 2025