Looks like the problem was the armature windings contacting the exterior of the motor. I'm not sure what caused this, but my guess is that I did not anchor the motor completely, causing it to sit too high while the armature was pulled down by the gears. I reassembled the unit and it no longer shorts out. It also looks like the gear issue resolved itself, as the unit runs well in both directions. I'm glad I didn't bring it back to the service station!
|