btsai
-
Posts
18 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by btsai
-
-
MMBIB -- I should have known you'd be the first one to post this info. I need it for my MB!
I have a friend at work whose parents own an LHS. I've asked him to see if they can even order the parts separately, how long it will take to get them, and the magic question -- how much will it all cost. (2 drive shafts, 2 wheel axels and the two gear box joints)
If you want, I'll post the info when I hear back from them.
-
One more question -- what kind of lube should I have inside my diff?
-
Had another thought -- wouldn't the pieces from a Super Blackfoot just drop right in? I know the King Blackfoot had wider suspension arms, so the dogbones for that were probably longer, but the Super Blackfoot pieces should fit, right? I can a find all the parts on the web -- unfortunately with shipping it would cost something like $50 or $60 to get them all. But IF Tower or someone starts carrying the new Frog pieces, then I think I'd be able to get all the parts from ONE source and get it all (including shipping) for closer to $25-$35...
-
As long as they make them a little more "robust". I keep putting money into my 20 year old Monster Beetle. Sure wish the diff/dogbones/axle set up was stronger/wore better...
-
That custom RC system is nice but $99! I could almost buy an RTR Stampede for that much... (well -- at least get closer...)...
Thanks for the info! I'll check out ModelBuild too...
-
Hunter Zero -- yes, I'm sure. While the corners of the hex ends are a bit worn, I can tell the cups are wearing because if I just assemble them by hand (not on the car), the half shafts spin freely when pushed all the way into the cup. If I back them out a bit they are actually farily tight. I could put a little something inside the cup area of the shafts to keep the half shafts from bottoming out in the cup area, but then I'd be afraid that I would be stressing some of the arm/chassis mounts for the suspension. (Because I would be forcing the trailing arms to push out a little bit.) Hope you follow what I mean...
Ben
-
Hi MMBIB. Figured you'd chime in.
So is "modelbuild" a web site or a user here on the forum, or??? -
Are the parts available separately anywhere on line yet? I see the Frog being sold. How about the parts as you describe?
Thanks.
-
Well, I'm back. Haven't had much time to check the forums or play around with the Monster Beetle. Finally had a chance to run a couple battery packs worth through it.
Differential seems to be working as best I can telll, but the new problem is that the half shafts (dog bones) are spinning inside the cup area of the wheel shafts. Tried turning one of the dog bones around and that helped -- but only for a minute. I think the inside of the cups are wearing away. I know these things weren't this fragile when new...
So, any solutions out there? Any ever get brave enough and cut slots in the cups on both sides (diff side and wheel side) so that you could run more modern half shafts with the pins?
Thanks again...
-
NYDriver -- sent you an e-mail...
Hunter -- I think I must have gotten one of the "fast attack" gears. I measured the old and the new with a caliper and they were NOT the same width...
-
jsourbeck -- I just re-read your note. My new gear does indeed say "blackfoot" on it. No wonder I had to grind it down. Guess I got lucky figuring that part out on my own, eh!
-
One last thing -- thought you guys would enjoy. Since the monster beetle is running now I've been trying to get the cob webs out of my driving skills.
I had it on some smooth concrete this afternoon and started pulling some drifting type moves (on accident at first -- then did some more for fun).
Cool!
-
Hunterzero -- good info! Glad to hear that my shim idea may work -- if needed, too...
MMBIB -- [
]jsourbeck -- also good info. If I need to replace those gears, I'll keep that in mind.
It was fun to drive again. I have to admit my driving skills are rusty. Of course, running a Monster Beetle around the back yard will never qualify as "precision" driving... LOL!
-
DJTheo -- I checked the gears -- they looked okay.
Basically re-did everything I had done before but tweaked the metal plate to adjust as MMBIB suggested. And -- it WORKS!!! Woohoo! Thanks for your help! The diff is definitely sensitive to the amount of space/play that it has. I think if I had to use the thinner gear I could make it work with some shimming...
I'm still a bit tentative about driving it -- I'm not quite convinced it is as tough as it once was. (And I'm still worried about the chassis mounting points that I mentioned before...)
At any rate, I'm a happy camper. Fun to make it work again. I had all three of my kids try it out - they haven't seen it work for a couple of years or so. (I take them to the local tracks once in a while to see the races -- both on-road and off -- they like off-road better (no surprise), and I've always loved on-road. (I used to race a long time ago...).
-
I guess I'll try bending the plates just a bit so that they don't squeeze the diff gears so much, but still keep it tight enough to maintain diff "action".
I never changed the bearings (they're the same ones that have been in there), so I'd be surprised if there is a problem in that area.
Thanks again -- I'll try to get back to it tomorrow or Tuesday. I'll let you know if I have success.
One last thought -- use the old gear that I made thinner so that it would spin freely, and put a spacer (thin washer) on each side of the diff to keep that part of it together tighter. Think that'll work?
-
MMBIB -- thanks for your reply!
So tell me about the "bad" gears. Were they too wide???
Anyway, here's where I am so far:
The diffs 2 plastic bearing carriers are located correctly in the gearbox sides (with the little key in the slot).
The gearbox sides seem flat and not out of shape. But I suspect this may be the area I have to mess with... (see below).
The little metal rod that goes through the middle of the diff has been in place.
The splines on the drive cups that insert into the diff are not worn. (I tried them separately, by hand to double check.) I don't believe the drive cups are popping out of the diff. But I did hear the motor and gear sound as you described...
I actully replaced only the one nylon gear that has the teeth around the outside and then the smaller teeth that mesh with the other gear that holds the three litttle bevel gears.
The (original, old) gear that holds the three smaller bevel gears is the one I made a little narrower. Reason being is that when I put the new one in and then tighten down the entire thing (with the two metal sides), it entirely freezes up the gears -- they won't move at all. So, it's sounding more and more like the metal (especially the right side) is not as flat as I think?
With the ground down gear, it was too loose and was acting way too run in. With the new "full width" (stock size/unmodified width) gear, it is too tight and won't move at all. Also, with that new gear, before I tighten it all the way, the diff DOES work correctly when I turn the half shafts by hand.
Of course, Murphy's law hit this morning on something else. You know the area on the "frame" (red plastic) where you screw in the three screws that hold the cover of the leading part of the rear trailing arm? Both sides broke a piece off so now there will only be two screws holding those pieces on. Grrr. I guess maybe it's just too brittle from being 20 years old. I wonder if the frame from the new Frog will fit -- and be available separately...
Have any further thoughts before I put the whole thing on E-bay and buy a Stampede or RC10BT instead???
-
Well, I decided to dust off the old Monster Beetle (bought it new more than 20 years ago...). Had to buy new differential gears but was happy to find them at Tower Hobbies -- I guess Tamiya still produces them.
Took me a while to figure out how to put the diff back together (had to look up the manual here on the site -- thanks!). I thought I had it figured out but I was wrong.
Here's the deal:
I had to grind/sand down the new diff gears just a bit, otherwise when I tightened down the two metal sides, they wouldn't move at all. A little Dremel and sandpaper action and voila, things spin freely.
So I put it all back together and I try it out in the back yard (sure hope those dog bones are hanging in there...). Motor and battery are good -- but the rear end doesn't "engage" fully. I get it going a bit -- it goes a little -- but mostly I hear some sort of spinning/plastic gear sound. I stop messing with it for fear that I have re-stripped the diff gear I just replaced. I disassemble it enough to check it out -- phew -- it's okay.
So....... what am I doing wrong? The motor spins the internal diff gear it is connected to, but the half-shafts don't turn. I just hear the spinning of gears in the diff.
Oh -- one more thing -- when I spin the half-shafts by hand, they feel smooth. But with the wheels on and when I turn one wheel, the other wheel doesn't spin the opposite direction...
Help!
]
Using Re-Re-Frog Rear dog bones etc for Monster Beetle
in Vintage Tamiya Discussion
Posted
Haven't checked in with you guys for a while. Anyone have any luck sourcing replacement parts from the new re-release of the Frog to use for replacing the dog bone set up on a Monster Beetle. My Monster Beetle Is STILL Broken...
:-(