C.W.
Thanks for popping up. The brushes are new and I did clean the commutator with green Scotch Brite and contact cleaner (followed by alcohol). The brush wells were cleaned with contact cleaner on Q-tips. I suppose I could open it back up later and clean that stuff with wet/dry sandpaper to see if it makes a difference.
Yes, I was/am a bit reluctant to swap out the bearings. Doing it mainly because it's something I've never done before and wanted to learn how to do it. But it will be a last resort if nothing else pans out. Doesn't seem to be a lot of possibles as the motor does this even separated from the chassis.
Roger
