Issue with Tear Down + Silicone on Connectors?

[WILSONEUC]

Sherman V2

 

Question/Solutions :

Yesterday did my first teardown, tire change. Took a long time because i was making a lot of mistakes, and learning as I was going. As I was putting motor back in, Didnt realize that the motor wires were not threaded fully straight through the shell, causing a wire jam at the pedal hanger . Was tighten up the motor screws before discovering the issue, . I guess the wires were too bunched up due not not being pulled straight fully all the way, and that it raised the plastic area a little bit where you screw in the motor screws.

One of the screws started cracking the shell. So ONE screw is not reinforced to the shell like the others. Will this cause instability in my ride or serious safety issues ?

 

I have since rethreaded the wires and pulled down straight so that they do not get bunched up, had to patch some wires with electrical tape because some of the plastic on the wire shredded from me screwing. Thoughts, suggestions, possible outcomes? Thanks

Also I applied Silicone on the connectors because the plastic covering on them i tore off initially when disconnecting from mother board. Not sure now if I should have done that.

Just worried my patch job on the motor wires with electric tape will be enough and if my wheel will be safe lol
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[supercurio]

2 hours ago, CyberV0LT said:

 

(upside-down picture if anybody is wondering)

Ah yes you can see the inner shell crack in this picture.
It is certainly compromised, and near the top, where a lot of the weight is transferred from the shell to the hanger resting on the hanger. Screws are mostly here to hold the shell against the pedal hanger.

It might last a little while riding on flat ground, but bumps, potholes or jumps will crack if further and this inner shell will need to be replaced. Look out for any low speed vibration as indicator. If that was my own wheel, I would not wait and replace the shell already.
I did on my 16X, and the behavior with the inner shell broken in the same area was not exactly pleasant.

 

Regarding the wires, agree on Sherman when working alone it's easy to compromise them. The first time I swapped a tire I scraped off the heat shrink tubing around the wire harness (but not the wires themselves) so I added a thick heat shrink tubing on top for extra protection.
I can't tell if electrical tape is sufficient in that case, especially since their adhesive can easily slide. I would also add heat shrink tubing around each wire, as much as space allows.

[WILSONEUC]

Thanks, i do have heatsink wrapping, think that will be a nice project for today. Any suggestions for replacement, I need a new shell period?

[supercurio]

Yeah the Sherman is a heavy wheel, plus it's also often ridden seated. That's a lot of stress around the area which is cracked, which seem to include the top left screw (bottom right in the pic)

I wouldn't risk it. 1 side of inner shell is not that expensive fortunately.

[Tawpie]

3 hours ago, supercurio said:

I can't tell if electrical tape is sufficient in that case, especially since their adhesive can easily slide.

I would counsel not using electrical tape because it's not intended for wires that get "hot". As you noted, the adhesive 'cold flows' easily, this tendency gets worse as the wire gets warmer. And actually, the cheap black electrical tape is a bad idea pretty much everywhere because it'll slip and/or fall off and leaves a gooey mess.

Definitely use high quality heat shrink, high temperature if there is such a thing. The presence of fiberglas sleeving is a hint about how hot the wires can get—you'll note in places that existing heat shrink starts to melt...

Edited June 7, 2022 by Tawpie

[WILSONEUC]

10 hours ago, Tawpie said:

I would counsel not using electrical tape because it's not intended for wires that get "hot". As you noted, the adhesive 'cold flows' easily, this tendency gets worse as the wire gets warmer. And actually, the cheap black electrical tape is a bad idea pretty much everywhere because it'll slip and/or fall off and leaves a gooey mess.

Definitely use high quality heat shrink, high temperature if there is such a thing. The presence of fiberglas sleeving is a hint about how hot the wires can get—you'll note in places that existing heat shrink starts to melt...

Do you have recommendation what kind  of fiberglass sleeving to get and where to buy them from ? If the wires already have been compromised , do i need to get a new motor to replace? Also , looking for better quality screws for connecting the motor cables to the motherboard (not sure what type they are). Thanks  Tawpie

[Tawpie]

I’d look at this kind of stuff, but smaller diameter. This seems a bit larger than you need.

Heat Hose Fiberglass Wrap Shield Sleeve Wire Fuel Line Heat Shield Roll High Temp Black Colour Adjustable 10FT-13MM(1/2") for Car Wire Loom Protection https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RLS2G77/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NQKT2MDV77HFF2JRR3ZN?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

You’ll want to perform a close inspection of the wires looking for insulation nicks and cuts. If you find damaged insulation look closer to see if the internal wire strands are broken—if you can see broken strands I’d get a pro involved. You could try splicing in a new section of wire but remember these wires carry a ton of current so solder splices (or high current crimps with a proper crimping tool) are in order. If you can’t see any damage to the wire, heat shrink the damaged area, then sleeve and you’ll most likely be just fine.

Adding heat shrink to protect chafing points is always a good idea, as is securing the wires so they don’t rub on things. Here’s some expensive high temp stuff… Design Engineering 010839 Hi-Temp Heat Shrink Tubing Kit for Wires and Cables, 3/ 6/ 9mm x 4' each - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PPEX66/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KM3F5WFMSTXABE8BD4XE

Edited June 8, 2022 by Tawpie

[techyiam]

If the Sherman was mine, I would repair the crack. You just need to reinforce it. I would use a piece of sheet metal of suitable strength, the size of the flat area that the bolt head press against. Then epoxy the piece of metal to the plastic. Of course you need to drill a hole in the piece of metal for the bolt to go through. And roughen up the surface of the plastic before epoxying.

If you are skilled, you can shape the piece of metal to go up and down the vertical surfaces too, and epoxy to those surfaces too.

I would replace the inner shell as a last resort. 

The load on the said area is primarily coming from the weight of the battery packs, that is until you sit on it. Even then, it could be strong enough, depending on how well you did the repair, and how heavy you are.

Edited June 8, 2022 by techyiam