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madmickmalone

which 540 motor for re-releases

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Hi everyone,

I have a few of these re-release tamiya cars now , im trying to work out which motor to purchase for them.

All the kits come with the standard Tamiya TEU-105BK ESC etc ...

I have a

Hotshot

Frog

Hornet

Fox

Wild One

Subaru Brat

any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

all the best

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I believe the Tamiya GT Tuned motor gives the best balance of power and run time while still being compatible with a 105 speed controller and standard pinion size. Don't forget to swap the pinion for a steel one while your at it though.

The Sport Tuned motor is another option.

If you choose anything more powerful than these, you would have to consider changing from the 105 esc up to a Hobbywing Quicrun 1060 or similar. Have fun with those !

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Thanks Thommo,

There is also a tamiya dirt tuned motor is this similar to the GT tuned?

Also any recommendations on steel pinions ,size and the pitch .

all the best

MMM

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I have a TEU105 and a Sport Tuned in my Frog. Works great...

But I would love to see some recommendations from more experienced drivers!

Terry

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I run a GT Tuned in my Hotshot and a Dirt Tuned in my JW Hornet, both on stock Tamiya ESCs. Both run well, with no thermalling issues. The GT Tuned has a slight edge in terms of performance, and the Dirt Tuned has a comparable slight edge in terms of runtime, but they are not far off each other overall. Both would be good choices for your fleet.

I run a Sport Tuned in my other Hornet, and find performance to be virtually identical to the Dirt Tuned. The advantage of the Dirt Tuned of course is that the brushes can be replaced, making it last longer.

As for the steel pinions, just match the size and pitch to the stock alloy ones.

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I also run the GT tuned in my Super Hotshot, and it runs great. Nice speed for that type of car, and definately faster than a silvercan.

Regarding pinions, I have had the best experience with the ones from Robinson Racing.

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Nice collection you have there

I'm pretty sure all my steel pinions are Robinson Racing 32 pitch (except Madcap and Kingcab which run 48 pitch pinions)

Sport tuned, Dirt tuned and GT tuned are the recommended motors for your Tamiya ESC but plenty of people, myself included have had no problems running the much more powerful Superstock motors on this ESC whereas others have fried it apparently, so it's definitely a gamble.

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RRP you need the mod .6 metrics not the pitch ones, the torque tuned is also a nice cheap option for a runner.

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Personally I would use a duratrax photon speed two 20 turn motor there only like $11.99 and are much faster than the stock 540 motors I use them and I use the smallest pinion gears you can with your kit with them and they work with the stock kit esc's.

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I'm really impressed with the torque tuned motor I'm using in my re-re sand scorcher, I think it was designed to run in buggies...slight edge in top end speed over a silver can, but night and day difference in torque (which means doing some great donuts) and the battery times are pretty much identical....It makes the buggy an absolute joy to run in the dirt. Your ESC shouldn't even break a sweat with it...It's also pretty cheap....around $15 USD

I wouldn't go with a much 'hotter' motor for any of the re-release's...they really weren't designed to handle crazy speed.

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Im still a little confused on the right pinion gear size and how to choose,there seems to thousands of them.

Any feedback would be great.

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The gearing needs of the motors under consideration are close enough to those of a stock 540 to use the same ratios, and some of your models only have limited gearing options anyway.

I'd therefore recommend matching the pitch and tooth count to the stock alloy pinion for each model. For example, the Hornet is supplied with a 18 tooth 0.8 module alloy pinion, so you would replace it with a 18 tooth 0.8 module steel one, and so forth.

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RRP you need the mod .6 metrics not the pitch ones, the torque tuned is also a nice cheap option for a runner.

I think that you will find that ALL of the buggies that madmick listed use 0.8 module gears, NOT 0.6 mod..

If you cannot find 0.8 module gears, then you can use 32dp gears, as the difference in the gears pitch is negligible..

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I thought waterbok told about 0.6 mod not being interchangeable with 48 do (as opposed to 0.8 mod with 32 do).

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Hello, my first post so be kind.

Recently I tried a Superstock BZ and a Dirt Tuned to my new re-re Hotshot (my original 3 bumper holed Hotshot need a full refurb before I consider making it a runner with any motor after near 30 years in a box in Grans attic).
Both ran fine with the ESC (TBLE-02S) that came with the kit, no cut-outs. This is for bashing around the garden and park.
Overall on the loose stuff the Dirt Tuned was just about right. I ran it with the standard pinion.
With the BZ it was a bit too mental and I can imagine the gears stripping in no time, too many rpm for the car imho so the dirt-tuned back in and the car is enjoying itself and is certainly a fair bit quicker and more torque than the silver-can that came with it.
Hope that's of use!
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In the Hotshot, the BZ would be perfect. Combine it with the smallest pinion (13T 0.8mod I think included with the kit). Put lots of anti-wear grease on the diff bevel gears to act as a limited slip, and you will be so happy. After that, mods to the steering will really take it to the next level.

To the OP: I would take it one car at a time. Don't waste money buying in bulk. Find what sort of motor works for you. Wasting time & money on 25T motors sounds silly to me. 23T super stocks are great for these old cars.

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In the Hotshot, the BZ would be perfect. Combine it with the smallest pinion (13T 0.8mod I think included with the kit). Put lots of anti-wear grease on the diff bevel gears to act as a limited slip, and you will be so happy. After that, mods to the steering will really take it to the next level.

To the OP: I would take it one car at a time. Don't waste money buying in bulk. Find what sort of motor works for you. Wasting time & money on 25T motors sounds silly to me. 23T super stocks are great for these old cars.

It would really depend on what it's being used for and I'd take an educated guess that for most the BZ is a bit too much if let free with the 13. May be wrong but I couldn't see much strengthening between the '80 and the re-re and I tested some parts on the works machines (I work in F1). Dont get me wrong, the BZ was mental fun too but can't see the HS lasting on it if used in earnest. As mynameisdannyowens put it, chasing RPM can be a bit misleading in the fun stakes. On balance, for me, the HS belongs on the Dirt Tuned out of the two but that's just me and I might have a play with the pinion and deeper gearing. May get the poly-mills running on overtime time and engineer up some things at work for a play!

One thing is for sure, the BZ would kill off an aged original ... I'm considering casting mine in epoxy and making it a locked down shelf queen of queens!

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I've had an RZ (more power than BZ) in my original 1985 Hotshot with 13T pinion and 101BK ESC for almost a decade. I've even raced it on Tarmac (where it thermaled before the 5 minutes was up). My hotshot only needed the upgraded/modern alloy prop shaft from the 2005 version. Don't sell the car short.....The modern Hotshot is plenty strong. The only time I would even consider anything weaker than a 23T for ANY model would be if....

a = it's a grasshopper or hornet (suspension cannot put down more power than a sport tuned)

b = if it was a car for a beginner who is incapable of exercising throttle discretion (throttles like an on/off switch)

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Fair enough but I think point b. about throttle discretion should'nt just be associated with beginners. The luxury of not having to exercise much throttle discretion can be more enjoyable for us old timers too !

For example, I used to run a brushless 4000kv Astute at our track days and some recreational tracks in my hood. Clearing the big doubles was fun but when our track days changed to 540, I found that being able to spend more time at full throttle and less time off it or braking was much more fun. I ran much more fluent laps too.

I still run some brushless cars but my vintage runners are all converted back to GT Tuned, Technigold or 540 these days and I'm having a lot more fun running them around our local rec tracks at full throttle for longer !

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I told a lie...... my Super Astute still has an LRP 17x2 in it but that thing is an animal and it's staying that way !

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The only time I would even consider anything weaker than a 23T for ANY model would be if....

a = it's a grasshopper or hornet (suspension cannot put down more power than a sport tuned)

b = if it was a car for a beginner who is incapable of exercising throttle discretion (throttles like an on/off switch)

So basically, you're saying that the only reasons for running anything higher than 23t are basic suspension or inferior skill? My wife and I run a variety of motors in our cars, some as high as 60t, and quite frankly we find that insulting. There are many valid reasons for skilled and experienced drivers to run higher-turn motors. For example:

Budget - a lack of funds doesn't imply a lack of skill, and a 540 silver can is sometimes all a hobbyist can afford. Case in point: my nephew doesn't get a great deal of pocket money, so still runs a silver can in his buggy, but his skill and quick reflexes result in close racing when he goes up against his dad and his 15 double.

Model age - people who wish to gently run their vintage cars may not wish to run them on fast motors at half throttle, especially when using MSCs. A slower motor at full throttle is far more efficient.

Model type - some models are not intended to go fast, and instead benefit from the torque of higher turn motors. Crawlers and scale trucks are two types of model that spring to mind. There are no doubt others too.

Rules - you'd be guilty of cheating if you ran your 23t motors in racing classes that specify higher turn motors. And slower classes are not only for less-skilled drivers. Case in point: for the first few years of its existence, the club I used to race with only had one class, for silver cans. This was to keep racing fair and accessible, but some of our members also raced at the club in the next town that had a Modified class, and were regulars on the A-Main podium.

LiPos - lowering the turn count is not the only way to increase performance. I haven't tried it myself, but many modellers report outstanding performance on 3S LiPo and silver cans.

...And I am sure others can think of more scenarios where higher turn motors would be the appropriate choice for a skilled driver. >23T motors are not just for lead-fingered newbs! :P

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So basically, you're saying that the only reasons for running anything higher than 23t are basic suspension or inferior skill?...

Yes.

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