rajw78

Thanks for for the advice, especially Greg M for his detailed effort. Ill definitely get something which charges >2A and probably one of the two suggested above, Cheers. Rob

Morning all. Thanks for the great advice. Ill suggest one of these chargers and see what he says. Out of interest, will the ansmann delta charge the 5000 mah or just consistently undercharge?

Hi all, Just been asked to post something by my brother in law who has bought an refurbed Monster Beetle upgraded with ESC and brushless motor (thanks all I know until he send me pics or I see it) and wants to get some more NiMH batteries so it lasts longer. (He is not interested in LiPo and just wants to buy something which lasts longer. He has seen some 5000mah batteries but I am struggling to find a low cost charger to go with it. I have an ansmann racing powerjack 6 delta (https://www.tantronics.co.uk/ansmann-racing-powerjack-6-delta-pro-pack-charger.html) but it says that the max this can deal with is 3300-4700 mah depending on which website you look at. My main question is, will this charger work with a battery of this size or not? is it purely because of the 6 hour shutoff timer, or are there other reasons for the max warning? From a battery perspective, if I cant persuade him to run LiPo's, it seems he could get 2 x 3800 for the same price as a 5000..............if it is just a basher, do you think he is better off going for 2 x smaller ones? Any opinions would be much appreciated, Rob

Thanks TwinSet that is perfect. Having taken apart a few things I should be able to work most of it out, especially if I do it piece by piece. My main concern was the screw sizes which the manual does list. I think Ill plan to take the main body apart which I should be able to put back together then see what the gear boxes are like. If they are bad then I might strip them down CAREFULLY!! Thanks again and if I need any spares then I know where to come :-)

I know this is a Tamiya only website but you have all been so helpful helping rebuild my original FireDragon that I thought I would ask about something else. My brother-in-law has just given me an RC Systems 701GR (http://www.1001modelkits.co.uk/rc-buggy/127996-car-buggy-1-10-brushless-rtr-4x4-vario-engine-radio-2-4-aq-char--1318300618207.html) which from memory of seeing it in action and some youtube videos should be lightening fast so worth keeping. But it needs a good strip down, clean and try to work out what needs replacing/fixing. However, before stripping down, I like to read the manual and ensure I know what I am in for but cant find it anywhere online. Does anyone know if these types of cars have manuals or do they just come pre-built so that you can use, abuse then dispose. If no manual, do anyone have any tips for stripping down without one? Any help/advice would be great

Nice idea. I think I would still have to put a piece of something in there but at least it would be stuck fast. Does the heat from the NiMH battery affect the chassis or not as long as you have a Delta charger? My FD is only a basher (personal use) so 30 mins is more than enough. Really enjoyed the rebuild though so maybe I can get something a little more refined next time. Thanks for your help

Thanks racer1. Like the idea and I am sure I can get something to fit. Maybe like someone else suggested so wood or stiff plastic which I can cable tie to the chassis? Fingers crossed!

If you could post some pics that would be great. Hopefully you can see the issue from my pic above.

Thanks for the ideas Terry. Racer had some pics so hopefully I can get some tips from him

Apologies for not replying sooner but been away for a long weekend and haven't been able to take pictures of the issue. As you can see there is at least a finger's width between the battery and holder (you can also see the damage on the battery when it was flung from the car!) The battery is an Overlander 3300 NiMH while in a previous incarnation it had been using NiCd which were obviously a lot bigger. Hope this answers any of the questions above but if not, Ill answer above

I used superglue recently on an off-road 4WD (because I was desperate more than anything) and looks like it is okay so far. I haven't put it under too much stress mind you! I have another chassis so if it did break, I wasn't that bothered.

Thanks for the comments. Just checking that I understand the principal you have both suggested.....................but are you suggesting making the battery wider so it is a more snug fit into the recess? Will this work and wont I have the same problem over time? Is there a way to make the recess shorter? Apologies if I have misunderstood what you have both suggested.

Thanks for the help MadInventor. Your tip worked perfectly and actually showed that in the original build, the gears weren't as aligned as they should have been!!

Hi all, I haven't seen this issue raised before (in fact most of the time it is the opposite!) but the new NiMH battery I have just bought for the rebuild of my 1990's Fire Dragon is too short by ~2-3 cm for the holding space and bounces about all over the place. In fact after one too aggressive turn, the battery came flying out and scraped all down the side. Does anyone have any tips on how I can stop this happening and make it fit the new battery shape? Any help much appreciated Rob

Perfect thanks Madinventor. A bit annoying because I have just put it all back together again but at least it gets me the right result.

Just trying to rebuild my Fire Dragon and noticed that I don't have the spacer (must have been lost during the original build or maybe in my parents loft). Is there a way to set the pinion gear without the spacer or do I need it to ensure it is the right distance? I really want to finish the build this weekend so any help much appreciated.

Morning all, While rebuilding my Fire Dragon (~1990's) last night, I was about to connect the pinion gear to the motor and noticed that I didn't have the "spacer" (B9 for those who know the build or the manual) which sets the distance between the gear is from the motor housing. My question is: Do I need this part to ensure the distance is correct or can it be measured or even estimated (gulp!)? Is it the same for all Tamiya sets (or at least those that use that chassis?) Any help from more experienced members would be much appreciated, Thanks Rob

Hi all, I am hoping that some of the more experienced re-builders can help me out................. I am in the process of rebuilding a 1990's Fire Dragon found in my parents loft (and obviously in an unloved state!!). Following advice on this site, I have stripped it down, cleaned and degreased and have just done an inventory check ensuring that nothing is broken, missing, or stripped (again a consequence of youth!). While stripping down, I have found a few screws that I want to replace (3x36mm) but don't really need to buy a whole new Parts Bag. Do any re-builders know of any sites that sell individual screws or ways around this? Can non-Tamiya screws be used from other RC manufacturers or even DIY stores? If I have to buy a bag, then so be it but I could end up buying two bags for 2-3 screws which seems wasteful. Any help much appreciated, Rob

Thanks GooneyBird. All stripped down this weekend and cleaned with mixture of fairy liquid, toothbrush and swarfega for the really bad bits! Electrics appear to be okay but only tested with the 4AA battery pack. Need a new battery to test the motor. Just going through all the gears to make sure there is no damage before putting my grease and spares order in.

Thanks for the advice Gooneybird. Is there a grease that you would recommend if I wanted to use some, or for this "scouting" rebuild just buy the Tamiya grease (£3-5 for 5g) and look at something else when I decide to modify it (ecs, new motor, etc)

Thanks for the feedback MadInventor. I stripped it all down last night, including all diffs and most parts seem to be in order. Needs some more screws as I must have stripped them when I was younger and less careful than now. Main 7.2V battery was dead but managed to use the 4xAA battery pack to test it and all seemed to respond well. The plastic connector from the servo to the mechanical sc was broken though and didnt move as cleanly as it should so it might be the main issue (and explain the forward/backward issue). Not tried the motor yet but will try your trick later and sanding the mechanical sc as advised. All needs a good clean (as you might imagine, it was not a priority when younger) so was planning to wash everything (but electrics) in hot water with washing up liquid to degrease, then dry naturally or using GT85 or similar. The gears all look okay too but will clean thoroughly as above, then reassemble. Last question, is do you have any recommendation about a generic grease to use for a beginner (similar to the one supplied........molybdenum I think)? Seems lots of comments above using different greases but more professional opinion and not a beginner. Thanks for your help so far

Hi all, I have recently started rebuilding an old Fire Dragon which I bought when I was younger but has since spent 20 years in my parent's loft. It was in pieces and from memory think that there was an issue moving forward and backwards (quite important as you all know and somewhat impairs enjoyment of the car!!). Anyway, I have spent time surfing the forums looking at all the excellent comments/posts on how to clean up an old RC car which has been really useful but there is one thing I haven't found and which I would like to bring up in this forum. As I said, I dont know if the car is going to work based on how I left it 20 years ago, so would like to do what I can to rebuild as it is before spending any significant money on it and try to work out where the issue was. Mostly it is in good nick but the old mechanical speed controller is a little rusty (please don't all groan at once!!) so does anyone have any tips for cleaning this up? Once it is running again (or at least moving), I plan to upgrade with new esc and motor to name but a few improvements but for now I want to see if I can get what I have to work. Also to revive the motor, I have seen a number of you tube videos putting it in water and running it, then drying and re-lubing. Does this work and if not, are there any alternatives? Any help would be much appreciated, Rob