Give her a couple of drops of oil, and fire her up at full voltage.
If the bearings are a problem, they will make themselves known.
Bearings for these things are easily available from Grainger, etc.

The dynamotor should snap right up to full speed. If it doesn't
then there is a problem.

Do not try and run the dynamotor at less than full voltage. Doing this
will cause the current, which is what burns things out, to be too
high.

-Chuck, WA3UQV

Derek Cohn/WB0TUA wrote:
Dear Friends,

I just picked up a BC-314-G (MW version of BC-348). It came out of
the estate of a long deceased ham so I don't know how recently it was
used. I would like to begin the restoration process and will start
with the dynamotor. I have read TM11-850 N which covers this radio
and the only maintenance mentioned for the dynamotor is one drop of
oil in the bearings.

If I'm going to start up a dynamotor that hasn't been run in a long
time, does this one drop of oil in the bearings sound sufficient? Is
there any other recommended maintenance to get this thing lubed
properly so I don't burn up the bearings when applying power? Also,
it's a 12 - 14v dynamotor. Is it recommended to start it on very low
voltage and increase it slowly to the recommended operating voltage?

Thanks for any help you guys can give me!

73,

Derek
WB0TUA