# how do I wire a South Bend drum switch and a Leeson 1/2 HP motor



## Brett Zahler (Jan 14, 2012)

Hi I don't post very often but I really enjoy this forum. Okay I have a South Bend 9A Furnas drum switch with 6 terminals and my Leeson motor has 3 terminals. They are labeled 1,2,and 3. The motor tag says that for CW rotation that the hot wire goes to #1 and the neutral goes to #3 with a blue wire and the yellow wire goes to #2. For CCW rotation you swap the yellow and blue wires. Can sombody give me a simple diagram how wire it? All I can get it to do is CW rotation and it just hums in CCW rotation. I have serched everywere and everything I find shows motors with at least 4 terminals? thanks in advance


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## Tony Wells (Jan 14, 2012)

What you need to do is map out your switch and determine which pairs of terminals show continuity in each position. Obviously, those that are the same regardless of position will be the leads that do not change with choice of direction, such as the hot lead....it should make regardless of direction choice. The changes will be in the neutral, yellow, and blue pairing. If I can't find a drawing, I'll sketch up something unless someone beats me to it. I know of one of our members here having substantial motor experience, so maybe he'll chime in.


Is this drum switch a 3 pole or a 4 pole?


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## irishwoodsman (Jan 14, 2012)

if it hums that means your capacitor is not hooked up on the reverse side, sometimes on some of these switches you may need to run a jumper, it took me a week to fig mine out but i'm no electrician . the way i did mine i looked at the points when in the forward position which ones made contact for forward motion, then i did the same on the reverse side, now that i know which points will make contact for direction its just a matter of hooking your wires to correct points, one wire is forward, 1 wire is reverse, 1 wire is capacitor, now when you hook your hot wire and ground up, they will work the oposite depending on which way the switch is throwed, this worked for me and three other friends that i have hooked their switch up for them:thinking:


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## Brett Zahler (Jan 14, 2012)

I checked out the switch and got the terminals mapped I think. But when I connect it up the 4 terminals that I use for swpping all have contnuity. Am I correct in thinking that I need 4 wires plus a ground? I have been working on this since last sunday It's taking longer to wire it up than to stripp it down to bare castings and paint. BTW it was not wired for reverse when I bought it Thanks again


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## pjf134 (Jan 14, 2012)

This is the way mine is wired, but your motor might be different. I had to use a jumper for reverse on mine to work. I hope this helps.
Paul


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## Brett Zahler (Jan 14, 2012)

OK thanks for the help guys. I was just out messing with it put it in reverse and it was just humming so I gave it a spin by hand and it ran in reverse! So my next question is is my motor bad in reverse ? or am I not seeing somthing?


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## irishwoodsman (Jan 14, 2012)

your capacitor is not hooked right:thinking:


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## irishwoodsman (Jan 14, 2012)

your capacitor is like a starter:biggrin:


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