How to Replace the Brush Holders on a Makita Finishing Sander

If raised grains and elbow strains are sanding away your patience, it's time to face the fix. Whether you are a sanding professional or a seasonal sander, eReplacementParts.com provides the parts, procedures and facts you need to fearlessly fix what fails you.

Brush holders position the motor brushes against the motor's spinning armature. With heavy use, it is possible to overheat the components, which can damage the metal structure of the holder, or melt its plastic frame. Fortunately, replacing brush holders is easy to do when you follow our step-by step instructions.

Let's get started.   REMOVING THE BRUSH HOLDERS [top] 1. Remove the top cap.

a. Remove the retaining screws from the top cap.

b. Remove the top cap from the sander.

    2. Disconnect the wires.

a. Use long-nosed pliers to disconnect the wires from the terminals on the brush holders.

    3. Remove the brush holders.

a. Use long-nosed pliers to remove the brush holders from the plastic housing.

    4. Remove the motor brushes from the holders.

a. Use a small screwdriver to gently lift the retaining clip on the sides of the motor brush.

b. Slide the motor brush out of the brush holder.

c. Repeat this step to remove the second motor brush.

  INSTALLING THE NEW BRUSH HOLDERS [top] 5. Install the motor brushes into the holders.

a. Install each motor brush into a new brush holder.

b. Compress the motor brushes into the holders until the clips engage.

  6. Reinstall the brush holders (and brushes).

a. Align the brush holder with the opening in the plastic housing.

b. Press the motor brush (and holder) against the side of the plastic housing to compress the internal spring.

c. Press the brush holder down into the housing until the motor brush engages the armature.

d. Repeat this step for the other side.

    REASSEMBLING THE UNIT [top] 7. Reconnect the wires.

a. Reconnect the wire leads to the terminals on the brush holders.

    8. Reinstall the top cap.

a. Install the top cap.

b. Secure the top cap with the screws.

Sanding can be a demanding task. But you don't have to rough-up your accountant to smooth-out your countertops. As you just learned, expanding sander functionality can be accomplished at a fraction of the cost of replacement. Good thing, too, because this repair just scratched the surface of what is possible when you follow our step-by-step repair guides. Find your next fix here.   [top]