Patent ID: 8567042

Claim:
A method of assembling and operating a submersible well pump motor, comprising: (a) providing a stator with a central bore; (b) making up a rotor assembly with a shaft with an axis, first and second rotor sections spaced apart from each other, and a carrier bearing having an anti-rotation member and a central portion located between the first and second rotor sections, and mounting a deflectable thrust washer between a hub of the carrier bearing and an end of the second rotor section; (c) inserting the rotor assembly into the bore of the stator with the anti-rotation member in frictional engagement with the stator; (d) installing the motor in a well and operating the pump; (e) allowing the shaft and the rotor sections to thermally grow axially in response to an increase in temperature of the motor, causing the deflectable thrust washer to reduce in thickness in response to a thermal growth axial force imposed on the thrust washer due to the thermal growth; and wherein the magnitude of the thermal growth axial force that causes the reduction in thickness is less than a dislodging force required to move the anti-rotational member axially within the stator.