Prop stuck

kai_bcn · Jul 21, 2017

Hi,
after 2 flights today , 1 of the motors was extremely hot and I couldn´t even hold it between my fingers in order to take the prop off. Now it has cooled off and I cannot push the white button in to release and turn the prop.
Any ideas?
What would make the motor run this hot? Friction?

There are actually marks on the motor cover

Steve Carr · Jul 21, 2017

The score marks appear to be made from rubbing against something. Did you see anything that might be wedged between the motor and the outer housing? How much side play is there with the motor?

kai_bcn · Jul 21, 2017

cannot see anything wedged, the motor seems to have more play then the other ones. Not sure if those scratches are from a crash or if they from the housing?
Is there a way of getting the motor out without taking the whole arm off?

BobW55 · Jul 21, 2017

"IF" you had a crash and hit that motor, you could have slightly bent the shaft. Put some tape on the arm so you know which one it is, try a hover flight of about 5 minutes, land and see if it still feels hot. If it is still hot, or hotter than the other 5 I would replace it.

PatR · Jul 21, 2017

During the hover test also watch that arm to note a level of vibration not present at the other arms.

Steve Carr · Jul 21, 2017

kai_bcn said:
cannot see anything wedged, the motor seems to have more play then the other ones. Not sure if those scratches are from a crash or if they from the housing?
Is there a way of getting the motor out without taking the whole arm off?

This should help remove the motor enough to check it. You could also hook the H up to the GUI and do a motor test. Look for any wobble in the motor or unusual noise. You need to determine if the play is from the motor or the mount.

Go to 8:13 min

kai_bcn · Jul 22, 2017

It is definitely hotter than the other motors. Can I run it on the GUI even though I cannot take the prop off? I guess that I just need to be extra careful.Will give that a try. Time to replace the motor or whole arm + motor?
Maybe this is the right moment to send the H to Yuneec like they suggested and let them take care of it just to maintain the warranty for the remaining 6 months...

Maybe time to look into buying another drone, something smaller that can fit into carry on luggage and therefor easily be taken on vacation trips, I would´t be missing the H as much whilst in repair...

kai_bcn · Jul 22, 2017

For the difference in price it is better to replace the whole arm + motor

Yuneecrashking · Jul 22, 2017

kai_bcn said:
It is definitely hotter than the other motors. Can I run it on the GUI even though I cannot take the prop off? I guess that I just need to be extra careful.Will give that a try. Time to replace the motor or whole arm + motor?
Maybe this is the right moment to send the H to Yuneec like they suggested and let them take care of it just to maintain the warranty for the remaining 6 months...

Maybe time to look into buying another drone, something smaller that can fit into carry on luggage and therefor easily be taken on vacation trips, I would´t be missing the H as much whilst in repair...

My guess is that all the heat distorted the plastic locking mechanism and prop release. Being that the motor is probably shot, you have 2 choices. 1; being that you can firmly hold the prop mount with pliers and "Force" the prop off. (Prop is probably shot too) or 2; sacrifice the prop and break the blades off. Then you should be able safely to run the motor on GUI without worrying about drone movement. At any rate, you will have to replace the motor/arm assy. It's easier to replace the arm assy, which involves ALOT of screws at that.

kai_bcn · Jul 22, 2017

I have tried it on the GUI running with the prop and it seems to be running smooth, does not explain why it gets hotter than the other motors. I will need to replace 2 motors and arms, there is another scratched and hotter than the rest. Not quite as hot as the one with the stuck prop.

kai_bcn · Jul 22, 2017

Ok, the drop has damaged the motor mount base, it is cracked and therefore I assume the motor does´t sit correctly anymore. Definitely needs 2 arms replaced

You can see the broken plastic in the picture on the right and also on the bottom picture on the left. A intact motor mount can be seen in the picture on the left at the top.

PatR · Jul 22, 2017

Why did it take until post #11 for it to come out the H had been dropped or crashed? Knowing that sooner would have provided info that would generate different responses. Until that post there was an appearance you had been given a defective product, which was not the case at all.

FlushVision · Jul 23, 2017

PatR said:
Why did it take until post #11 for it to come out the H had been dropped or crashed? Knowing that sooner would have provided info that would generate different responses. Until that post there was an appearance you had been given a defective product, which was not the case at all.

The OP did make a vague reference to a crash in post #3 but didn't say that he had actually crashed it. I agree, if the OP had made it clear that he'd previously dropped it then this thread could have gone a different and probably more productive way.

kai_bcn · Jul 23, 2017

Sorry, you are absolutely right. My posts here on the forum about the drop and fly away don´t mean readers are aware of this. I have been flying the H for weeks since I had a drop with this H and a flyaway (non-GPS flight). So I understand now the drop has probably broken the plates on 2 motors.
Had the fly away on June 2nd and the drop on the 14th of May. Been flying quite a bit since and thought everything was running smooth. I noticed 2 motors always warmer than the others.
Sorry again for the lack of important info. Am learning

At first I didn't think it was related to the crashes, now I understand it is.

AH-1G · Jul 23, 2017

Sometimes folks are reluctant to give precise info of their mishaps in hopes of not being embarrassed, ego, pilot error, and being down right not knowing how to fly and not first reading instructions.

FlushVision · Jul 24, 2017

AH-1G said:
Sometimes folks are reluctant to give precise info of their mishaps in hopes of not being embarrassed, ego, pilot error, and being down right not knowing how to fly and not first reading instructions.

I think the OP posted about his drop in another thread. However, I agree that some folks do try to avoid admitting to a crash or some other mishap to avoid embarrassment. While I understand why folks do this I don't really see the logic. Admitting to a crash or other mishap when asking for advice will result in better and more precise advice from the community. Those giving advice will do so having the full facts. This can only be a good thing.