steelo

My theory is that you can throw any motor into any car and run it safely as long as you have an ESC that can handle it and keep in mind what the tranny and chassis can handle. There is no set rule that you HAVE to give it 100% throttle from a stop in order to have fun. You CAN run a 10T motor in a Sand Scorcher if you want, but expect something to break when you try to turn going 40mph. I sometimes let my 10 year old neighbor run my neo scorcher and I cringe when he drives it like the throttle is an on/off switch and doesn’t seem to realize you can let off the throttle when you get into a hairy situation. I agree though, having a ‘sane’ motor in a car that really wasn’t meant to speed along at 50mph is a much more fun experience.

Nice! I'm jealous

Ah, I forgot about the GF-01...I do like the FJ Cruiser version! What's the difference between that and the CC-01 series?

Thanks – I’ve noticed that on the other forums, folks often mock Tamiya’s as ‘toys’...Well, they’re ALL toys…LOL I think I’m going to pick up either a cc-01 or a midnight pumpkin for my next kit. You are absolutely correct about the end product being what you make of it. It’s just kind of sad that the ‘build it yourself and take pride’ spirit of this hobby seems to be quickly dying.

Thanks! I’ve been looking at the cc-01 and it looks awesome and like it would be a lot of fun, but I’ve been told by people “by time you upgrade it, you might as well have bought a RTR Axial” ugh! Don’t get me wrong, I love my collection but am always looking to add to it. I do think I need a truck to add to my fleet =)

Currently my (rather pitiful) fleet includes a Neo Scorcher, a Sand Scorcher and a M-05, I’m very happy with what I have and love running them but always have an eye on something else…I’m wondering if I should ‘invest’ in another toy or just upgrade what I have. Another ‘problem’ I have is that I really hate what this hobby has become (outside of Tamiya) everything looks so generic and it’s now all about how ridiculously fast you can make it rather than enjoying building and fixing it yourself. Walking to the back of a hobby store is a sorry sight when you see 40 year old men pay the shop $20 an hour to replace a broken shock. I would really like a truck to build and I do like the Tamiya’s, but was told they are overpriced for their capabilities (according to the LHS). Every time I walk in there, the sales people try to convince me my life will forever be changed if I were to buy a $400 traxxas. Anyways, that’s my rant…I’ll list the upgrades I have for each vehicle and see what you guys think =) Neo Scorcher – Full ball bearings, 15T brushed motor, aluminum steering mount, aluminum drive shaft, metal bevel gear, aluminum motor mount, Lipo battery Sand Scorcher – Full ball bearings, Torque tuned motor, Hornet rear tires, direct servo steering M-05 – Full ball bearings, brushless 13.5T motor, 3Racing oil shocks, Sweep racing tires, aluminum steering mount

Ah, thank you... I forgot about those FTX Vantage wheels, cheap and good looking...are they a direct fit on the hex fitting?

Hi, No, my TT-02b didn't come with an ESC, this kit was shipped from ToyShopJapan and was missing several parts that were promised as being part of the kit...I have considered a brushless setup but couldn't justify it with the fairly weak drivetrain in the car. I did 'upgrade' to a steel bevel gear in the rear gearbox but still hear clicking from it once in awhile when I take a jump or thrash on the throttle. I think once I burn this motor out, I may 'invest' in a mild brushless setup like you mentioned. The car is also in dire need of a new shell and tires, I'll probably try to find some 'Dark Impact' wheels and tires to give it a bit more ground clearance...and my Sand Scorcher needs new gears and a motor after a good 5 year stretch of bashing....ugh, this hobby is becoming quite the money pit...LOL

Looks nice! What would work for the rear shocks though?

I’m using an Arrma brushed ESC that’s rated down to a 12T 550 motor. Gear mesh seems to be okay and all of the bushings have been replaced with bb’s. I run it in a 1 acre dirt/sand pit that used to be a baseball field…I wish you could see the car after I’m finished running it to get an idea of how dirty it gets ;-)

Hi, I don’t know what it is with the Neo Scorcher…I’ve gone through 3 motors because of dirt tearing them up. The motor isn’t well protected with the open motor set up and after each run, I’m dumping out about a cup of dirt/sand/gravel from the tub. I know covering up the vents generally is a bad idea, but I’m leaving the bottom vent open…the motor didn’t seem to get overly hot so I’ll have to keep an eye on it.

Hi guys, I recently purchased a Horizon Hobbies - Dynamite 15T brushed motor after burning out my Tamiya superstock motor. I’m curious if anybody has experience using this motor. I did a dry break-in by running it with no load at about 25% throttle with an almost dead battery. I noticed the motor is considerably faster and smoother than my old one, probably because it wasn’t chock full of dirt. It was a ‘cheapie’ $15 motor but I figured since I beat the snot out of my cars by running them in loose dirt and gravel, there was no point in getting an expensive brushed. I placed a piece of masking tape over one of the 2 'fin' vents with hopes that it will prevent most of the dirt from entering the motor and destroying it. I know long term a brushless would probably be a better investment but I’m concerned with dirt inevitably killing it. Does anybody have experience with the durability of this motor? So far, it seems to be pretty decent. Also, how do you guys clean out a closed end motor that can’t be disassembled? I’ve tried the water method, but it always seems to worsen the condition of the motor. Can I take an air compressor and blow out the can?

Thanks, unfortunately the torque tuned motor is essentially a modified Tamiya silver can motor that cannot be taken apart…or I’m just not smart enough to figure out how. Right now I do not have another model to run the battery in, but I’m leaning towards the motor being bad. Right when the car began acting up, I noticed the motor CASE on the car was extremely warm, I can’t imagine how hot the motor must have been. The battery has maybe 5 runs on it and is a 2s 5000mah lipo, I’ve tested the voltage and it appears to be within spec without a load….I measured the voltage coming from the ESC to the motor and it is around 7.8volts, but the lipo had been pretty depleted so I’m thinking that is okay. Update: I just noticed that the spur/pinion gears are pretty torn up and the drive train doesn’t exactly move fluidly. I’m now thinking I’m going to ask Santa for a new motor and gear set for the sand scorcher… I believe the pinion gear is a 0.6 mod, is that correct? Thanks for your help!

Hi guys, I attempted to run my Sand Scorcher with a new Lipo battery over the weekend and noticed it’s running VERY slow. I have ran it a few times with a 8.4v nimh and it usually goes about 25mph or so, with this new 2s lipo it MAY reach 10-15mph. Right now I’m using the standard Tamiya 101BK ESC and torque tuned motor. I checked the battery and it reads 8.4v (with no load) so I think it is okay. I pulled the motor out and ran it in soapy water, let it dry and put it back in. There was a slight improvement but the top speed is nowhere near what it used to be…this is a new motor (been ran maybe 10 times) Any suggestions?

I do like the WT-01 and really don't want to go the RTR route if I don't have to...Thanks!

Hi All, I am looking for my next kit to be a truck, but I’m needing recommendations on a decent, sturdy chassis to start with...also, I’m looking to spend no more than around $150USD. The truck doesn’t have to be Tamiya, Arrma seems to have some nice RTR’s (but that takes out some of the fun of building it) I’d like to use a lipo and probably a mildly modified brushed motor (around 17-23T) I’m not looking for something that is race ready, but I’d like a truck that provides respectable handling, has decent ground clearance and is durable. Right now, I seem to be gravitating towards the Arrma Granite (tires poor for offroad, weak servo and annoying battery compartment for Lipo), Tamiya Midnight Pumpkin (friction shocks, handling, ESC not lipo ready, bushings) ,Tamiya stadium Blitzer (low ground clearance, bushings, ESC not lipo ready) or the Bush devil (only friction shocks, bushings, ESC not lipo ready) but each one seems to have some limitations based on what I've read... Any suggestions?

Hi, Im running a 5000mah lipo...I probably get at least 45 minutes with it, depending on the terrain and how hard I run it

Thanks, unfortunately I do not have access to all of that equipment...I did have problems with the motor ingesting all kinds of dirt - even with the dust filter...I think I'm going to throw in a cheap, closed bell motor (firebolt), use a 18T pinion, buy a heatsink and be done with it. I will take this as a lesson learned

Hi all, I have a Neo Scorcher with a 19T pinion and a superstock bz motor running a 2s lipo. I ran it last weekend and it seemed to run a little slow (especially for a lipo) but I really didn't think anything of it. Well, I went to run it the other night and the motor kept stopping. After fiddling with wires, turning the ESC on and off to reset, it still would not turn. The steering works fine and when you give it throttle, the red LED on the ESC would turn on but for some reason the motor wouldn't move. After being thoroughly frustrated, I pulled the motor out and turned the pinion by hand...the motor felt like crap. It literally felt like metal on metal or like a rock was stuck in there, however it seemed to be clean as a whistle. I'm quite certain that it's now scrap metal. I had a spare silver can sitting around, so I decided to try it out just to make sure my ESC wasn't the cultprit - It worked like a charm. I'm now considering buying a cheapo 15T firebolt, a photon speed or even an arrma 15T My question is, 1) does it sound like my motor got too hot and fried due to my gearing? The motor usually gets quite hot (too hot to touch for more than a second) but the ESC only luke warm. The buggy runs almost for an hour now and I tend to really thrash it in the dirt. 2) Should I maybe try an 18T pinion once I get another motor? 3) Would a motor heat sink help?

Mini Z?

Thanks

Throw on an O.S. .15 or a .18, and a tuned exhaust. You will probably have to change the mount though

Thanks!

Hey guys, First off, I apologize if I'm burning up this forum with lipo questions. Last night I went out and bought a Venom 5000mah 2s pack. I wanted to thoroughly read the instructions before using it, but it says not to discharge greater than 7c for the first 12 cycles. I assume that means not to draw more than 5amps x 7=35 amps. Unfortunately, my charger is too basic to include a discharge feature to cycle the battery...Is it safe running it in with a tamiya superstock motor for the break-in period or will that draw too much current? Thanks!

I know you should always monitor the charging, but doesn't a smart charger prevent overcharging?