LUBRICANT RETENTION ASSEMBLY

A lubricant retention assembly is employed with an electric motor to prevent the loss of lubricant from a self contained lubricant reservoir of the motor. The lubricant retention assembly includes a thrust collar mounted on the motor shaft and a bearing cap surrounding the thrust collar, where the thrust collar has an annular flange that throws lubricant leaking along the shaft radially outwardly toward the bearing cap. The bearing cap has an angled interior surface that deflects the lubricant thrown from the annular flange of the thrust collar back into the motor interior and toward the lubricant reservoir. A thrust washer is also provided on the shaft adjacent the thrust collar and prevents lubricant leakage along the shaft between the interface of the shaft and the thrust collar. The thrust washer and thrust collar have complementary configurations that maintain the thrust washer in position on the shaft adjacent the thrust collar.