WANTED: Kyosho Optima Drive Belt?

[wldnas]

OK I'm looking for a spare drive belt for a Kyosho Optima, not just any belt either but the Option House one that was used in the conversion of the original rear motor Chain Drive Optima to belt drive operation.

I did have one spare but foolishly sold it to someone else thinking I didn't need it but now that I want he back he's reluctant to give it up, so I have been forced to find one from elsewhere.

I will glady pay for the privalidge but I just want the BELT not the special diffs or Conversion kit.

if anyone can help me then please Email me wldnas@hotmail.com

THANKS []

[RichieRich]

wldnas - Do you happen to know the part number? One of my local hobby shops has a stash of old Kyosho parts. I've seen various belts in the bin but tossed them aside as I already have a belt drive conversion.

Needless to say, the shop owner is a bit of an ***. She was miffed at me for digging through the bin without supervision. [?] The parts just sit there and no one buys them. You'd think she'd be happy that someone is interested in her old stock. Anyways, let me know if you have the part number and I'll check it out.

By the way, my e-mail is on the fritz, hence the post here.

[night_owl]

The optima belt drive conversion uses the same belt as the short wheel base optima mid. So OT-89 would be the correct part number.

Or you can look at the numbers on the belt itself.

XLT240... belt for the SWB Mid and Optima belt drive conversion

XLT254... belt for the LWB Mid.

If someone knows what car uses XLT250.. please let me know.

[madbad jezza]

how much gets changed converting a chain driven optima, to a belt drive?. would it still use standard looking gearboxes?.

cheers,

james.

[night_owl]

The front gearbox is the same. The rear gearbox looks the same but has a additional guide pulley where the belt exits + screw holes for mounting of the guide pulley. There is also a lexan shield at the exit.

Both front and rear diffs are different with pulley that works with a belt rather than the sprockets for the chain. Come to think of it, they look alot like the Optima mid diffs.

The belt drive conversion kit from kyosho comes with the new diffs, new rear gear case, the above mention lexan guard and the additional pulley.

quote:Originally posted by madbad jezza

how much gets changed converting a chain driven optima, to a belt drive?. would it still use standard looking gearboxes?.

cheers,

james.

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[usapirap(2)]

Hey RichieRich, which hobby shop are you talking about? I thought I've been to every hobby shop in LA area. I didn't know there is one with the owner being a she, not to mention with a stash of Kyosho parts? Well, I did know one (Hobbies Unlimited), but they closed down a few months ago. [?]

[RichieRich]

usapirap - Normally I don't give out information when I find stashes for fear that someone will go buy everything and sell it on ebay. But, since they offer no discounts, there really is no room for profit.

Anyhoo, you need to go to Pegasus Hobbies in Montclair. Go back southeast corner of the store and ask to look in their Kyosho parts bin. If there is a problem, ask to speak to the owner. I think her name is Debbie or Diana or something with a "D". Just politely ask her if she enjoys making money on stock that is just taking up space. Good luck.

[usapirap(2)]

RichieRich - Thanks for the info. I'm a regular at Pegasus but didn't know they have a Kyosho stash. I usually just raid their Tamiya stuff. Debbie and Diana is the mother-daughter team. Yeah, they are a bit difficult to deal with. So I just by pass them and ask the manager directly. He is a cool guy and has full authority on prices and almost always give 10 to 30% discount on old stock items.

One hint for you: Regardless of new or old stock items, they will price match. So just tell them the item is cheaper at so and so hobby store and they will automatically give you a lower price. One time I chatted with the owner (husband) and he said their primary goal is customer satisfaction/retention. Profit is secondary but will come naturally with repeat business. []

[RichieRich]

Yeah, they have a Kyosho stash. What is the husband's name? I'd like to talk to him. Anyways, this was my last experience there at Pegasus:

One of the guys behind the counter helped me with some newer parts. He was very nice. I asked about their old Kyosho bin and he pulled it out for me. I dug through an found a bunch of old Optima parts. I gave them to him and he took them up front to the register like they do. It was about $80 worth of parts.

Then the lady comes up to me and says, "You can't be digging through there". At first I was taken aback because she was incredibly rude in tone. So, I responded, "I guess you don't want to make any money today." I told her that one employee had gotten the bin and that he had taken the parts up front for me. She responed that he was to supervise me (I'm 30 yrs old, not some track punk) because of their theft problem. She hovered over me and my wife for a minute then she left.

She usually is the one at the register. So, when I got up there I was going to continue to voice my displeasure. She then conveniently left and put someone else on the register when it was my turn. So, I told the cash register clerk how *******ed I was. Funny thing is, the guy in line next to me agreed that she was rude.

Anyways, how's that for treating loyal customers? I've been shopping there since I was 14 and watched them move builings several times.

[usapirap(2)]

Next time ask for Ron to help with your purchase. He is the manager at the RC side and you can bargain with him on prices of old stock items if he knows you are a repeat customer. He's a pretty busy person and not always behind the counter. So every time when I asked for him, he'll walk towards me and jokingly blurt out "ok, what kind of deal do you want now?". Try to chat with him a bit to develop rapport before asking for a discount.

One time that lady at the cash register can't believe I was getting a NIB Honda S800 RC kit (old shelf stock with price tag of $119) for only $80, she called Ron to the front to verify it and she was still mumbling I got too good of a deal as she handed me the receipt. Obviously, I walked out of there smiling. []

[wldnas]

OK Guys I've managed to get a belt now, change of heart from the guy I sold my Spare one to, and he's sent it back, and I've now managed to fit it to the "SUPER BAJA" and it's now a 4WD again and works a treat

so thanks for everyone who supplied information to me, it's all much appreciated

as for your question about what is needed to convert a Chaindrive Optima to belt? well you need the belt obviously and you also need to change the Diff casings to the flanged belt teeth type instead of the original Chain sprokets, as far as I'm aware this is all you need, I have never seen this Lexan guard or addition tentioner pulley? once you have the belt and reassembled diff units it just pops into the gearboxes and chain guids just the same as the Chain drive, no additional modifications required? weather the Optima mid is slightly different in this aspect I don't know as I have never seen one up close [xx(]

[night_owl]

Jason, see these pics. Just found a NIP belt drive conversion kit yesterday. []

Complete belt drive conversion kit:

You can see the belt tensioner or whatever you call that thing just around where the belt exist the top of the rear gear case. There is also the exploded view. The angular thing in the middle of the pic is the lexan guard. Instruction says to apply silicon around it:

Jason, BTW the supersprint pics are in my showroom.

[RichieRich]

night_owl - Very interesting pictures. The conversion that I recently installed on my Turbo Optima has a smooth belt tensioner jobber. Mine does not have teeth like the one in the picture.

[night_owl]

Huh?? That's really interesting. Did you get your conversion kit new?? I have came across 3 belt drive kits (including this nip one) and all uses the same toothed tensioner thingy.

But I wouldn't be surprise if Kyosho made some little know running changes. I recently came across a "new" gear protection mechanism for the turbo optima that uses a couple of wave washers instead of the coil spring to provide tension.

[RichieRich]

night_owl - Here's one for you. I have two versions of the gear protection thingy. Interestingly, both use wave washers instead of a spring. But, get this: One set is put together using a reverse threaded screw while the other uses a reverse threaded shaft and locknut. I have no idea which came first. [?]

As for the belt kit, a buddy of mine sent me the kit. It was mint but out of the original packaging. He opened it up but never installed it. I have no reason to think there were parts missing.

[madbad jezza]

hey night owl, cracking picture mate []. i was curious to know what that conversion looked because i bought (yet another) optima off ebay the other week, and the seller described the car as a belt driven optima. the pictures were clear enough - but not detailed - and it just looked like a standard turbo. the cars coming from somewhere deep in the USA, and hasn,t arrived yet [V]. (touch wood [xx(]) it should arrive in the next few days or so......

i might have a nice suprise coming...........

james.

[night_owl]

quote:Originally posted by RichieRich

Interestingly, both use wave washers instead of a spring. But, get this: One set is put together using a reverse threaded screw while the other uses a reverse threaded shaft and locknut. I have no idea which came first. [?]

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[?] I have the one with the screw.... but all my manuals shows the coil spring version ......[8)]

James, if you need the full instructions for the belt conversion kit, LMK.