My brother sent me his TM M1A1. It stopped working. I checked the battery and fuse, is it easy to swap out the motor?

What are you doing with a gun in space?

I haven't taken a look at my Thompson's gearbox in a long time (the airsoft portion of my pulse rifle has been non-functional for a while - solid SD Studios barrel) but I believe you can get at the anti-reversal latch through the motor port.

If the motor checks out the way I posted to check it, that means the motor, battery and wiring are good (or at least functional), so look in through the bottom of the gearbox. You will see the bevel gear directly at the bottom.

You will see this latch:



engaged in one of the notches on the bevel gear:

[img]http://dna-airsoft.com/images/ClassicArmy/13419-031mo.jpg[/img]

Use a small screwdriver or similar tool to release the latch from the gear, it will let the piston forward and reset the gearbox. I had this problem with my AUG for a while before I realized the battery I was using was toast.

The safest way would be to remove and disassemble the gearbox, inspect for any damage, then reassemble it, but unless you have experience with this, I wouldn't recommend it. But now would be the time to learn
Exo2

My Props WebsiteEdited by: [url=http://p220.ezboard.com/bthealienslegacy.showUserPublicProfile?gid=exoframe2>Exoframe2[/url] at: 4/16/06 11:54 am

Most likely it's not the motor. What did it do when it stopped working?

Easy way to test the motor is to remove it from the cradle (remove the pistol grip, you'll see the motor and cradle) let it hang free and connect the power wires, then pull the trigger and see if it spins. If it does, then there is damage inside the gearbox, like a stripped gear.

If it doesn't spin, the wiring is most likely damaged, or the battery is bad.
Exo2

My Props Website

Does it make any noise at all when the trigger is pressed? If it makes a very slight whine, but doesn't actually fire, the piston/spring could be locked back and the gun is stuck.

If that's the case the mechbox will need to be disassembled and reset.

Do you know what he was doing when it quit working? If he was running with a weak battery, that's the most common cause of seizure I've seen.

Russ



"Time has little to do with infinity and jelly doughnuts."

The PSG-1 was cool from a tech standpoint only because it had an external lever one could push to release spring tension. I loved that aspect. Sadly, the Marui MP5 does NOT have that feature. Bloody Type 2 mech boxes anyway...

Russ



"Time has little to do with infinity and jelly doughnuts."

The FA-MAS and ICS M4's can also trip the anti-reversal latch externally. When I've needed to do this I just use a small loop of mechanic's wire to pull the latch free. I always do this before I open up a gearbox to be sure nothing will go flying.
Exo2

My Props Website

If it turns out that the motor is fried then I happen to have a spare that needs a new home.

If you have a multimeter then Id trace where power is going as it could be a wiring problem too although thats not likely.
[img]http://www.spartandesign.co.uk/pictures/jedibanner.jpg[/img]

heh, I use a 2 gallon zip lock bag to make sure nothing goes flying when I open a mechbox.

I forgot about the FA-MAS as it's been forever since I've been around one of those, but you're correct of course.

The ICS M4 huh? Interesting. I didn't know about that one.

Russ



"Time has little to do with infinity and jelly doughnuts."

no noise with the trigger pull. I will play around with it tonight. Thanks for the responses.

What are you doing with a gun in space?