Well, spark spark poof more like it. It seems that I've found the reason my motor hasn't been running smoothly. Tonight whilst cutting, I noticed a bit of blue twinkling light reflecting off the top bell. The mill has some use on it, so I figured the brushes were just sparking a bit. Not long after, rpm's plummeted and I smelled the burn.
I opened it up and the plastic housing for the brushes is a bit melted. The springs on the brushes are mangled. Also, the green ground wire had broken loose and was floating around inside....not sure if that was the cause of the problem or if I knocked it off while removing the top cover. Nonetheless, my mill is down.
I know some folks (Hoss) have rebuilt their motors with LMS parts. At this point, I'm torn. I don't know whether to attempt a repair, source a new AC motor, or convert to brushless. Money is an issue, but I don't want to spend minimally just for a temporary fix. Thoughts?