# NEW VENT MOTOR (with link to where you can get the motor) how to



## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

*New vent motor*

The old vent motor we all used on a number of props from the breathing grave to the haunted Ouija board, FCG, and peeper prop is becoming hard to get and the price is now at $9 + shipping ($7). We have a forum member that has 100s of the new vent motor that I'm doing a how to on.


Here is a video showing the motors and later tonight I will write up the HOW TO...took me 8 minutes to get the motor ready for a prop. The motor also has pins on it so you can use it like a servo with a controller. This how to will only be on getting the motor ready for contentious running with a crank.

I don't do servos so someone else will have to buy the motor and do that how to.

BTW I got the motors Friday afternoon, built a Breathing Grave Prop turned it on for testing and I meant to turn it off later Friday night. I forgot about it and went out of town to a football game on Sat and when I went out back Sunday afternoon it was still running....and we had a very heavy rain Sat night.
[email protected]

Great little motor at a decent price and just as good if not better than the other vent motor.


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Great find, Max! And a really nice tutorial video.
I've got several of the old style vent motors, but this motor you found has a lot of potential.
Especially since you could put dual cranks on it (one on each side of the motor) and have two cranks turning from a single motor.
Excellent!


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## Crunch (Oct 23, 2008)

Favorited. I donno what I'll need a vent motor for next.. but I might try to get a few for that price. Maybe use one to build a marble run I've been wanting to do for a year.


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## kimcfadd (Oct 6, 2010)

MadMax,

I didn't get any audio when playing the video. Should there be?


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## kimcfadd (Oct 6, 2010)

MadMax,

Can you tell me if this might be the same motor?


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

I didn't have any sound to the video either. I don't think it has any sound to it.


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

kimcfadd that's the motor and the video doesn't have any sound for one reason, I hate the way my voice sounds on tape. Should get my wife to do a voice over...everyone that talks to her on the phone falls in love with her voice. A true southern bell voice 


I will get to a written and picture how to later today or tonight ...well before anyone gets their motors (if they buy any)and that will give the video a little more meaning.


(EDITED)
There's only a few steps after you take the cover off....basically the only thing you need to do to the motor is either cut, grind, or file (30 seconds) off the little piece on the gear that stops the motor from turning 360 degrees. 



















The wires to the motor snap off the circuit board (NO MORE SOLDIERING WIRES) and they are already connected to the motor. I drill a small hole in the case to run the wires out.






























Put the two gears back after you cut off the little notch on the one gear and put the cover back on...then you basically put a long bolt or threaded rod through the opening and a lock nut on one side and a washer and nut on the other and tighten it till you can't get it to tighten any more.



















Connect your power supply


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## kimcfadd (Oct 6, 2010)

Mad Max,

Thanks for the update!!!


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## billman (May 1, 2006)

Thanks madmax!! It looks like variation of a rotisserie motor. What's the rpm of that motor? I assume it's quite?


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

billman said:


> Thanks madmax!! It looks like variation of a rotisserie motor. What's the rpm of that motor? I assume it's quite?


I think the rpm on this motor is a hair slower (4-5 rpm with 12vdc) than the old vent motor (4-7 rpm depending on voltage used) but not noticeable and this motor will work with 24vdc I haven't tried it with that but I think it would speed it up to 6-7 rpms

It also makes a tad bit more noise than the "vent motor" but nothing compared to what most rotisserie motor make. Overall the benefits of not having to tap threads or worrying about stripping them out and the wires already connected to the motor and screws instead of clips holding the case together out weighs any negatives


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## -ND4SPD- (Oct 16, 2009)

How does this compare for torque? What about longevity outdoors? 

I've gone through about 4 of those old vent motors on my tombstone peerer & I only fire them up a few hours a night. I seal the case with silicone & bring them inside if it's going to rain. Still they just stop working all the time it seems.


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## Jaybo (Oct 18, 2008)

Hmm...I've never had any problems with the motors. I've had the same peeper running with the same vent motor for three years now. Well, not three years continuous. 

Since they've just discovered this new motor, I think we will have to take a wait and see approach on the longevity. Although, I am also interested in how the torque on this motor compares to the old one.


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## box1031 (Sep 17, 2011)

Longevity shouldn't be an issue. I've got a crank ghost rig built in '98 with one of these. It probably has 1000+ hours on it, indoors. Spare motors with worm gears and brackets (but no wires soldered) are available for $.50 each for these gearboxes. Also, they have a control board that allows you to control direction and stopping position.


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## thekillabeejc (Aug 17, 2010)

Hey everyone, I'm new to this type of prop making. I'm pretty handy, so I think I will be able to handle the minimal hard wiring, but I was wondering where I could get a power source that would work for the motor?


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## box1031 (Sep 17, 2011)

Just about any 12vdc wall wart (AC adapter)will work. Any power above 9 vdc 200mA should work. Check out yard sales for old power adapters.


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

The only problem I ever had with the vent motor (old one not this new one) was went I powered it with 30vdc and burnt it out. I even ran one under water for 2 hours during one test.

Today made 7 days since I first got the new vent motors and started testing and in those 7 days I did a 72 hour contentious test (with a heavy rain during the test period) and every day after the 72 hour test I turn the prop on and let it run for at least 14 hours a day...loaded down with water soaked dirt. This weekend I will be doing another 72 hour contentious test.

As far as torque I think it has more because you can use a more powerful power supply with it...the power of the wall wart used will effect the torque of both the new and old vent motor.

So far I haven't found any problem with the new vent motor...one slight one but a easy fix. Since the shaft is hollow the nut on the backside prevents you from a flush mount (backside nut turns). The easy fix is to drill a hole for the nut to rest in.


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## Jerm357 (Oct 10, 2009)

madmax said:


> As far as torque I think it has more because you can use a more powerful power supply with it...the power of the wall wart used will effect the torque of both the new and old vent motor.


What was the most voltage you put to the old vent motor without any problems?


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## Nebulosity (Jul 6, 2010)

If anyone is wondering about buying these, I paid for them on Tuesday and they came in today (Friday). They were well packed and even came with bonus paper mache material  I haven't tested them yet, I'm waiting for a pin diagram so I don't try to power an output or have to remove the wires, but with the motor in hand it's very obvious what needs to be done to prepare them for 360.


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

Nebulosity said:


> If anyone is wondering about buying these, I paid for them on Tuesday and they came in today (Friday). They were well packed and even came with bonus paper mache material  I haven't tested them yet, I'm waiting for a pin diagram so I don't try to power an output or have to remove the wires, but with the motor in hand it's very obvious what needs to be done to prepare them for 360.


If you just want contentious motion it's very simple to bypass the pins. When you open the case to file or grind or cut off the little notch that keeps the motor from going 360...just pull up on the white and red wires. They snap on the circuit board and comes off with a little tug then drill a small hole in the case and run the wires out the hole.

One other thing that I do is to hot glue the pin area to keep any moisture out...that is if you don't plan on using the pins.



Jerm357 it's hard to say because most wall warts aren't regulated but now that I test them I would say at least 20vdc (actually the wall wart said 15vdc). Today I ran one of the new motors for 4 hours with a 30vdc wall wart.


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## Screaming Demons (Sep 15, 2008)

What's the standard range of motion?


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## Nebulosity (Jul 6, 2010)

Screaming Demons - looks like about 150 degrees, without the modification shown on the first page.

After an evening with my mutimeter, alligator clips, a pinout diagram of the IC on the circuit board and a 9V wall wart, I now know that pin 5 is positive input and 7 is ground. Flip the wires and it won't run, but I suspect applying a voltage to another pin will tell it to reverse. When I get another period of boredom (and want to procrastinate doing homework) I'll play around with it a bit more and see if I can figure out the other pins. Unfortunately I don't think the circuit board comes out or it'd be a lot faster.

Of course, this only applies if you're considering using the motor as a servo. If you just want continuous motion what Madmax has already posted is just fine.


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## box1031 (Sep 17, 2011)

To run these motors as servos or be able to reverse direction of the motor (in continuous rotation mode) this is how you need to hook up the motor:
pin (5) is +12vdc input. pin (6) is the motor direction (and stop) pin - give this pin (6) 0v (-) it runs one direction , give this pin (6) control voltage (5vdc or 12vdc) and the motor runs the opposite direction, give this pin (6) a voltage 1/2 between 0V and control voltage 2.5vdc or 6vdc and the motor stops(coasts). pin (7) is 12vdc return, or ground or (-). no pin in (8) position. pin (9) is the wiper of the internal position feedback potentiometer - it outputs a voltage that is between ground (0v) and control voltage (5vdc or 12vdc). pin(10) is control voltage (5vdc or 12vdc) maybe even 3.3v. Use 5vdc on control pin (10) if using a microcontroller to servo these motors. It only takes 2 microcontroller pins drive these. one pin is an analog input (AtoD) from pin (9) of the motor. the other pin needed should be tri-state output connected to Pin (6) of the motor. I use a picaxe 08M. 

To control these motors with a potentiometer (5K>) and a single 12vdc supply: Pin (5) gets +12 volts dc. Pin (6) connected to wiper (center lead) of potentiometer. Pin (7) gets (-), ground. Pin (9) is no connect. Pin (10) gets +12vdc. Of the two ends (outer leads) of the potentiometer one gets connected to (-) ground and the other gets connected to whatever Pin (10) is connected to , in this case +12vdc. When you sweep the potentiometer from one end to the other the motor will reverse. The middle 40% of the potentiometer sweep is a deadband and stops motor.

Oh yeah, the motor runs slower when being controlled by the internal board. Voltage is regulated with a zener to protect driver IC.


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

box1031...VIDEO VIDEO VIDEO..

To many commands for a simple mind, like myself...I need to see. Not really because I will only be using them for continuous motion.

I know someone asked about voltage on the motors...today I tested the motor with a 30vdc power supply and ran it for 6 hours with no problems and I would say 7 to 8 rpm


Box1031 I'm out of motors...check your PM


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## Deadview (Aug 9, 2011)

I've received the motors in the mail and have begun to set them up. How were you able to get down to the lower connection on the barrel to connect the power? I'm having a difficult time figuring this out without tearing anything up. Thanks for the info.


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

If you plan on using the motor for contentious movement and not as a servo then...













the wires just snap on and off of the circuit board so grab the wires by the end and pull up 










I drill a small hole in the case to run the wires out


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## Deadview (Aug 9, 2011)

Thanks Madmax for the info, the pic was a little blurry with the wires, I just wanted to make sure I did it right when hooking up the power, a great help.


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## thekillabeejc (Aug 17, 2010)

If you want to make the connection directly to the barrel, you can pry the barrel completely out of the casing. I just used a screwdriver and placed it in the top screw (on the opposite side of the connections) and pried it out. Be careful though, because it is held in by 2 plastic legs which seems like they can break off easy.


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## box1031 (Sep 17, 2011)

*How to drive a 16163982 vent motor with a pot*

Here is the connection to drive these motors with a pot. Yellow is +12vdc (Pin 5), Black is ground (Pin 7), and Red is +5vdc (Pin10). White is control (Pin 6) and wiper on pot. Blue is wiper on internal position pot (Pin 9). The LED dims or brightens according to motor direction (just an extra feature I thought was cool). I have more pictures in my album of a pan-tilt mechanism made with these.


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## ryanlamprecht (Oct 8, 2009)

I bought 3 of them on Friday, and they already arrived today. That was fast! Can't wait to see what I can do with them. I do have one questions though. Does anyone know a good place to get a 24v power adapter (wall wart) and what should I be looking for? Should I be looking for DC or AC, and how much mA?


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## ryanlamprecht (Oct 8, 2009)

I know, probably a stupid question, but I'm new to electronics. What is a pot? I mean, I'm sure it doesn't mean the same thing it meant when I was a teenager : ) The most I've ever done is hook up a motor to my FCG and my tombstone peaker. On and off is all I know.


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

ryanlamprecht said:


> I bought 3 of them on Friday, and they already arrived today. That was fast! Can't wait to see what I can do with them. I do have one questions though. Does anyone know a good place to get a 24v power adapter (wall wart) and what should I be looking for? Should I be looking for DC or AC, and how much mA?


First off the pot is the little round thing in the picture with the 3 wires going to it (out by it's self)

This motor works find on 12vdc 200mA (4 RPM) so any wall wart 12-32 vdc works with the motor. The higher the MA-amp the more torque the motor has so if you find one with 200mA that will work but 700mA or 1amp or... will work better. Thrift stores will more than likely have a few wall warts and look on the out put for DC-VDC or some will only have the voltage and a line with a dash line under ______ ------- and that's DC. Look around your home, if you have a older printer or scanner it probably has a DC wall wart on it.

http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/products.asp?dept=1007

this one 12vdc 200mA is only $1.49 but shipping is kinda high
http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G14801


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## Nebulosity (Jul 6, 2010)

Pot = Potentiometer. It's used to reduce the voltage - aka potential - similar to a dimmer switch. They come in different forms, the one you'd use in this application has a knob on it to turn by hand.

Edit: oops, madmax posted while I was typing


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## ryanlamprecht (Oct 8, 2009)

Thanks to both of you for the reply. I'm slowly learning a little at a time. So I have a good idea what a pot is. Been playing guitar my whole life, so the volume knobs on a guitar, being the same type of pot; correct? How is the motor controlled with the pots? I'm asking about the human aspect of controlling the motor. I'm guessing your using the motor as a servo and in essence creating a remote control with the knobs, and controlling each movement by hand; is that correct?

As for the power supply, I understand that by increasing the amperage of the wall wart, or whatever supply being used, it will increase the motor's torque, but does that also increase the speed, or will using 24v apposed to 12v increase the speed? Also, in searching for a 24vdc power supply, I'm looking for something at about 1amp. Will that work and give me a good amount of torque? Also, I'm finding power supplies online listing the watts, like one is 40 watts, another is 20, is this a concern? 

I'm asking all these questions because I have a FCG I built last year using one older type vent motor. It didn't have enough muscle and kept struggling and freezing up. My FCG is no heavier than most. I added a 2nd vent motor via a little belt and pulley to assist each other, both having its own 12vdc 500mA wall-wart, and it helped, but still really struggles when lifting the ghost. Would a different power supply solve my problem without changing the motor(s), and could I then do away with one of the motors? Would say going from a 12vdc 500mA to a 12vdc 800mA make that much difference to where my motors wouldn't struggle; or should I be looking for a 12vdc 1amp power supply, and would that even do what I need? 

Here is what I did to add the 2nd motor, but would love to do away with it and have enough power to just use one. Waiting for you guys to lend your knowledge and experience to help me accomplish that. The aluminum arm that spins attaches to the motor post on the right. The other post is the other motor I added, with a rubber O-ring connecting the to motors acting as a belt drive.


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## Nebulosity (Jul 6, 2010)

Controlling with the pot: when the pot is turned to one end, the motor turns one way. When the pot is in the middle, the motor stops. At the other end, the motor turns the other way. The basic idea is you need some way to control the voltage going to the pin. And yes, your guitar knobs probably use pots.

For the fcg, nice fix! To help the motor out you can counterweight the ghost, getting a higher amp power source could work if it's maxing out the one you have now but you could be maxing out the motor. Going from 500mA to 800mA is 60% increase which should have an impact if it is the power supply.

Watts = Volts x Amps, so every power supply has a wattage even if it isn't listed. So no, it's not a concern. Increasing amps increases torque, increasing voltage increases speed (although higher torque could increase speed as well if the lower torque wasn't enough). Motors draw more amps with heavier weights but 1 amp should be enough for most motors. If you have thrift stores in your area check them out, I've picked up several 12VDC 1A+ power supplies for $1-$2 (on half of Saturdays). I even found a 12V 4A supply this weekend, and a few weeks ago I found a 36VDC supply.


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## Deadview (Aug 9, 2011)

About the vent motor go with 12v and 400ma or 500ma. That is enough because they spin at a good speed and look good on the breathing grave.


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## ryanlamprecht (Oct 8, 2009)

Thanks Nebulosity for answering all my questions. Before switching out my motors then, I think I'll try to see if I can find a 12v 1 amp power supply. Also, the use of the pots makes total sense now. I'm learning tons lately.

I'm looking on line now at 12v power supplies, and have more questions. I have found a power supply, just like the one used for a laptop computer, at:
http://www.12vadapters.com/adapter/power-supply/12v/3-amp-3a.html

As you can see on the web site, I have the choice of ordering it in anywhere from a 1 to 7 amp version. One thing I noticed when I added the second motor to my FCG is that I could not use one 12v 500mA power supply to run both motors because it wasn't supplying enough power. I had to add a second 500mA wall wart, one for each motor in order to get enough power just to lift my FCG. Is that because it was splitting the voltage in half between the two motors, or the amps in half? In other words, if I get a single 12vdc 2 or 3 amp power supply, will I run into the same problem, or will that be able to run both motors from that one power source, or will each motor still need it's own power source? Lastly, if I wanted to run both motors from a single power supply, since they are 12v motors, would I need a 24v power supply, or a 12v with double the required amps of a single motor? 

It would be handy to know if I see the need to keep using both motors, or in future projects where I need to use two motors, but would like to use only one power source. Looking forward to your response.


Thanks, Ryan


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## untillater (Oct 3, 2011)

Ryan, it depends on how you are wiring it, if the motors are in series, IE neg on one motor linked to red on the other, then you would need more voltage. If on the other hand you are hooking the black from the power supply to the neg on both, and red to both reds, then you are wiring them in parrallel and would need higher amps. The concept is similar to batteries, you stack them, you get higher voltage, you connect them side by side, you get higher amps... I hope thats clear as mud 

Short answer, yes you can power both with 1 power supply as long as it has enough amps, IE a 12v 1 amp supply would power them the same as the 2 500ma supplies.... so a 1.5 amp or 2 amp would be great for what you need.


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

Just to update this thread. I am doing a longevity test on this motor and so far this motor has ran for 300 nonstop hours as of 1pm April 9th

I just checked on the power supply and motor and neither is hot to the touch after 299 hours of nonstop running and the RPMs is still the same. This motor is outside and in those 299 hours it's went through up to 80 degrees heat during the day and 36 degrees coldness/dampness on some night. Plus in that time it went through 2 heavy rain storms and 1 other whole day of steady rain.


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## im the goddess (Mar 10, 2012)

Thanks for the tip MadMax. He even has already modified ones for $6. So worth the extra dollar for me, I also bought his power supplies for $2 something each. I ordered 3 motors. Now I'll be ready when the creative bug bites.




madmax said:


> The old vent motor we all used on a number of props from the breathing grave to the haunted Ouija board, FCG, and peeper prop is becoming hard to get and the price is now at $9 + shipping ($7). We have a forum member that has 100s of the new vent motor that I'm doing a how to on.
> 
> 3 for $15 plus shipping (I believe it's $5 for 3) the person that has the motors for sale is box1031 you can PM him http://www.halloweenforum.com/private.php?do=newpm&u=41417
> 
> ...


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

I'm sorry to report, there's been a death. When I went outside this morning I noticed my vent motor wasn't moving..this is the motor that I plugged up and let run nonstop to see how long it would run.

I know it was running at 3pm yesterday when I left to go out of town and watch my college team play their Spring football game. So sometime between then and this morning the motor passed away after 440 hours of nonstop running. I guess 18 days of 24 hr running was just too much. 

But all ends well, I was getting ready to put it where everything that dies go...junk pile. Instead I started searching everywhere and I found a transplant motor, so I was off to do transplant surgery. I cracked the patient's case open and quickly pulled out the hea...motor that had stopped working and replaced it with the transplant, which was a perfect match. So I quickly closed up the case and now came the moment that would tell me if this 3 minutes of grueling surgery would actually work....

I put the electric paddles to it and it came to life, and I was surprised...no blood to clean up. I gently unplugged it, picked it up, with care, took to the corner of my garage so it could continue to do the test work I was planning before this awful morning when I walked outside to find it dead.

I dropped it in a bucket of water, plugged it up to do the next test....see how long it will run under water.


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## box1031 (Sep 17, 2011)

Max,
I have new spare motors with the worm gear and the bracket already in position. The cost is $.75 each. The only difference is that the new motors have no wires attached. The 2 leads on the back of the motor have a hole in them that wires can be pushed through and soldered or twisted (use heat shrink or tape to insulate). The motors are Mabuchi RF 370 CN. These are well worth the price to keep the gearbox going. I have at least one motor that has 1000+ hours on it, but it has only been used indoors. Hope the new testing goes well.


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

box1031 said:


> Max,
> I have new spare motors with the worm gear and the bracket already in position. The cost is $.75 each. The only difference is that the new motors have no wires attached. The 2 leads on the back of the motor have a hole in them that wires can be pushed through and soldered or twisted (use heat shrink or tape to insulate). The motors are Mabuchi RF 370 CN. These are well worth the price to keep the gearbox going. I have at least one motor that has 1000+ hours on it, but it has only been used indoors. Hope the new testing goes well.


Box1031 I still have a few you sent me in my very first order...just took awhile to find them.

1000, that's nothing! My first test breathing grave prop runs 8 hours each day (outside set on a timer) and it's been that way since July...over 2160 hours.

Hard to beat these motors...if you used the prop for 6 hours each day through out the month of Oct it should last at least 11.6 years.

31*6=186*11.612=2160 hours

So are you giving everyone a 11 year guarantee 

The test I'm doing is a stress test and I don't really think anyone will use the motor like I am in the test...going into the test I was hoping for 6 days and it tripled my expectations.


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## RichmondEFXLab (Feb 3, 2010)

can i get a manufacturer name, model number or type for these vent motors? i would love to build one of these dudes for my annual yard haunt. and have either of you guys tested these motors against an occasional burst from a fogger. i think some green light and a bit of fog bleeding out would be a cool addition to the breathing grave.


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## thepartypros (Aug 5, 2011)

If I cannot get the motor from the guy on the forum could you direct me to something as close to what you show on here? When it comes to motors I have no clue on where and what to buy! This will be my first project that has moving parts so I hope your on here often... I will probably have many stupid questions to ask...


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## Screaming Demons (Sep 15, 2008)

Richmond and partypros: I think it's pretty much this motor from box1031 (or the other one that's sometimes available) or nothing. One of the main reasons is price. I've heard that these are in the $40 range from a dealer or parts supply place. They're great little motors but not worth that price.


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## thepartypros (Aug 5, 2011)

Well I was able to find quite a few motors when searching the model number mentioned earlier... The problem is I can only find the motor itself and not the housing with the gears section. They are just stand alone motors.
IS THERE ANY ONE THAT CAN HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM OF FINDING A COMPLETE MOTOR AND GEARS?


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## thepartypros (Aug 5, 2011)

still have the motors?


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## FS3 (Jun 19, 2012)

Box 1031 Do you still have motors available?


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## im the goddess (Mar 10, 2012)

I think you need to sent a PM to Box 1031. That's how I got mine.


FS3 said:


> Box 1031 Do you still have motors available?


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## Old Man Bakke (Oct 18, 2011)

Yeah I too am looking for a vent motor OR 2...


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## ryanlamprecht (Oct 8, 2009)

I've been trying to buy a couple of them as well. I've even sent a private message to Box 1031, but with no reply.


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## Screaming Demons (Sep 15, 2008)

Does anyone have one of these that they HAVEN'T started to modify yet? I need to put one back together in its original configuration and I'm trying to figure out where the red and white wires went.


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## kermat13 (Jul 13, 2008)

I'd be interested if someone has a source


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## bfrd22 (Oct 4, 2011)

I purchased a dozen early last year, knowing they would not be around forever, If I can find the box full I will open one up and get a pic for you.

And please don't ask if I am willing to sell em, I'm not

Andy


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## Schlebb (Sep 19, 2009)

kermat13 said:


> I'd be interested if someone has a source


Count me in. please


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## anubiscrypt (Apr 22, 2013)

Does anyone know if this vent motor is still available somewhere? I did not see a link to its location in this thread.


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## Screaming Demons (Sep 15, 2008)

http://www.halloweenforum.com/sale-merchants/129832-12vdc-new-vent-motor-sale.html


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