How do you attach a motor to a Technic model?

A motor must be pinned tight, or it spins itself instead of your wheels. Every motor has little round holes for pins and an orange cross for the axle. Pin beams or a frame onto the round holes so the motor cannot twist, then push an axle into the cross. The holes sit exactly on the hole grid, so gears on the motor axle line up with holes in your beams. The M motor has 4 holes on its front, the L motor has holes on its sides, the XL has lugs level with its axle, and the pull-back motor has 2 holes at the top that go right through.

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Try it yourself

Hold a motor with only one pin and switch it on. Does the motor wobble? Now add a second pin on the other side — what changes?

Build it: 36 builds that teach mounting a motor

🛺 Pull-back Trike: A three-wheeler with a spring engine — twist the front wheel and it drives in circles! (level 2 of 5, about 20 minutes, 9 steps)
🔥 Big-Wheel Dragster: Giant back wheels, tiny front wheels — the same spring pushes this car much further! (level 2 of 5, about 22 minutes, 10 steps)
💨 Gear-Up Speeder: The spring engine sits up high and turns a BIG gear, which spins the wheels faster! (level 2 of 5, about 25 minutes, 11 steps)
🐢 Pull-back Tortoise: Slow but super-strong: a spring car that can climb up a book! (level 2 of 5, about 30 minutes, 12 steps)
🔋 Motor Buggy: Your first car that drives by itself — with a forwards/backwards switch and headlights! (level 3 of 5, about 30 minutes, 20 steps)
📡 Spinning Radar: A motor-driven radar dish that sweeps round and round on a turntable — with a blinking light. (level 3 of 5, about 25 minutes, 15 steps)
🎚️ Two-Speed Pull-back: Choose your gear before the race: CLIMB or SPRINT! Slide the back axle to swap gears. (level 3 of 5, about 35 minutes, 13 steps)
🚀 Launch-Lock Racer: Wind it up, and a little catch holds the spring tight until YOU press the launch button! (level 3 of 5, about 40 minutes, 21 steps)
🐾 Twin-Spring 4×4: Two spring engines — one for the front wheels, one for the back. All four wheels push! (level 3 of 5, about 35 minutes, 16 steps)
🌀 Pull-back Diff Racer: A spring racer with a real differential, so it zooms round curves without skidding. (level 3 of 5, about 40 minutes, 23 steps)
🪢 Belt-Drive Buggy: No gears touching: a loop carries the power from the motor down to the wheels. (level 3 of 5, about 35 minutes, 11 steps)
⚙️ Clutch-Gear 2-Speed Car: Push the gear lever and a driving ring grabs a different gear: 1st climbs, 2nd races! (level 3 of 5, about 45 minutes, 18 steps)
🎛️ One Motor, Knob Steering: The motor drives, YOU steer — turn the knob as you walk beside it. (level 3 of 5, about 40 minutes, 21 steps)
🔥 Twin-Piston Engine: See inside a car engine: two pistons race up and down in turns! (level 3 of 5, about 40 minutes, 22 steps)
🌬️ Oscillating Fan: A desk fan that turns its head left and right all by itself! (level 3 of 5, about 40 minutes, 18 steps)
🛢️ Nodding-Donkey Pump Jack: A slow crank rocks a long beam up and down — nod, nod, nod, all day long. (level 3 of 5, about 45 minutes, 30 steps)
🎡 Ferris Wheel: A big wheel turns slowly while its gondolas always hang the right way up. (level 3 of 5, about 45 minutes, 28 steps)
🦾 XL Power Crane: The strongest motor plus a worm gear: 24 times slower and super strong. (level 4 of 5, about 35 minutes, 27 steps)
🪖 RC Tank: Two motors, two tracks, one remote. Spin on the spot and climb over anything! (level 4 of 5, about 60 minutes, 27 steps)
📦 Conveyor Belt: A factory belt that carries your parts from one end to the other — and drops them in a box. (level 3 of 5, about 50 minutes, 22 steps)
🚂 Floor Express: A remote-control locomotive with headlights, a chimney and a log wagon. (level 4 of 5, about 40 minutes, 17 steps)
↩️ Reverse-Gear Truck: The motor only spins one way — the gear lever decides forwards or backwards! (level 4 of 5, about 55 minutes, 18 steps)
🔄 Reverse-to-Turn Car: Only one motor — but it can still turn! Drive backwards and the wheels swing round. (level 4 of 5, about 50 minutes, 24 steps)
🎮 First RC Car (Servo): Your first remote-control car: one dial drives, the other dial steers. (level 4 of 5, about 50 minutes, 27 steps)
🛵 Front-Drive Servo Trike: One front wheel does everything: its own motor drives it and the Servo swings it round. (level 4 of 5, about 50 minutes, 21 steps)
🏁 Three-Speed Car: Two little gearboxes in a row make a big one: crawl, cruise or fly! (level 4 of 5, about 60 minutes, 20 steps)
🚜 Skid-Steer Loader: No steering at all: left motor, right motor — spin it round on the spot! (level 4 of 5, about 65 minutes, 25 steps)
🧗 Worm-Drive Crawler: Super slow, super strong: worm gears drive both axles and it never rolls back. (level 4 of 5, about 50 minutes, 20 steps)
🔒 Diff-Lock Mud Truck: Stuck in the mud? Slide the diff lock and both wheels are forced to turn together! (level 4 of 5, about 60 minutes, 33 steps)
🚞 Cog Railway Climber: A mountain train that grips a toothed rail — it climbs super steep ramps and never slides back. (level 4 of 5, about 55 minutes, 20 steps)
🏆 RC Racer: A real remote-control car: motor drive, differential, servo steering and headlights. (level 5 of 5, about 75 minutes, 38 steps)
🤖 Robot Arm with Servo Claw: Swing, lift and grab! Three motors and a remote turn you into a factory robot operator. (level 4 of 5, about 60 minutes, 30 steps)
🏆 Independent Rally Car: Every wheel on its own springy arm, a differential, universal joints and Ackermann steering. (level 5 of 5, about 90 minutes, 47 steps)
🌐 AWD with Central Diff: All four wheels driven, with a differential in the MIDDLE of the car — like a rally car. (level 5 of 5, about 90 minutes, 28 steps)
🚧 Twin-Motor Dozer: Wide caterpillar tracks, one motor per track, and a blade that cranks up with a worm gear. (level 5 of 5, about 100 minutes, 33 steps)
🕷️ Klann Walking Spider: A robot that WALKS instead of rolling — beams and pins turn a spinning crank into steps. (level 4 of 5, about 60 minutes, 17 steps)

In the classroom

I8 Motors & Circuits (Inventors, Intermediate)

Common engineering questions

How can I try mounting a motor at home?