Aquabot won't start

by Mike
(Somerset,NJ)

I have an Aquabot Turbo. It stopped working recently. I opened it up. When I test the motor (outside), it runs. But, it seems to produce a grinding noise every few turns almost like there is some friction in the gears... In my test, the motor is not attached to anything. I dismantled it (belts etc) to make sure nothing else is causing the issue. The pump runs fine.
Any ideas ?
ADMIN REPLY: The brass bushings that support the gears.