TR-15T, the TR-18T conversion.

[Collin 1786]

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|               HARD FACTS            |
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I am going to edit this first posting to write some tec details, part lists and various information about the TR-15T in the nex time. It should help other owners to find parts and possible technical modifications. Your help is absolute welcome! If you see some wrong information please let me know. If you have any additional information, please pm! 

• Spareparts compartibel with Dyna Blaster & Dyna Storm
• Engines
• Bearings
• Dampers
• Tyres and Rims
• Hop-Ups
• Print Media & Data Sheets

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|             SPARE PARTS            |
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The TR-15T is in one family with Dyna Storm & Dyna Blaster. Some parts are used in all this models.

Differential:
#9404307 Diff Bag
#9805442 Diff Joint A/B
...

Gearbox:
#9335123 Gear Bag
...

Multi-Disc Clutch:
#5005066 Clutch Spring
#5405028 Clutch Housing
#9805444 Pressure Disk
...

D1+2     Rear Suspension Blocks
D5+7     Front Bulkhead
D4         Gearbox Bridge
C1+2     Rear Uprights
H1+2     Front C-Hubs
 

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|                 ENGINE                   |
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TR-15T comes original with TOKI FS-15 with 2,5ccm. Engine mount hole spacing is 12x31mm.
Factory carb setting:
LSN: 2 turns out
HSN: 3,5 turns out

Possible other nitro engines should fit such as:

Tamyia OPS VR-15s
Tamiya FS-15LT/RS
O.S. MAX 15CV-X
Novarossi CX-12

(Conversions not veryfied as I do not have one of those engines!)

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|                 BEARINGS              |
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This is a full list of used bearings on the TR-15T, there are two types 2RS (rubber seal) and ZZ (metal seal). Depending on the position of the bearing, you should order either 2RS or ZZ.

2x6x2,5mm Thrust Bearing / Tamiya 620 / 49300 / AO-5016 (diff/1pcs)
3x8x3mm MR83 / Tamiya 830 (gearbox/1pcs)
5x8x2,5mm MR85 W2.5 / Tamiya 850 (diff/gearbox/steering/pinion/8pcs)
5x11x4mm MR115 / Tamiya 1150 (tyres/uprights/8pcs)
6x10x3mm MF106 Flange Bearing / Tamiya 1060 (gearbox/1pcs)
6x12x4mm MR126 / Tamiya 1260 (multi-disc clutch/1pcs)
8x12x3,5mm MR128 / Tamiya 1280 (diff/clutchbell/multi-disc clutch/4pcs)
9x17x4mm SKF 618/9 / FS-15 (engine/1pcs)
9x17x5mm SKF 628/9-2Z / FS-15 (engine/1pcs)
3mm balls ceramic/steel (diff/10pcs)

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|                 DAMPERS               |
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Tamiya uses original CVA oil dampers on the TR-15T.

Front/Rear:
eye2eye: 82/92mm

Spring (Front/Rear):
in: 14,3
out: 16,7mm
lenght: 58,3/67mm

Possible Hop-Up are sleeved or Hi-Cap dampers such as:
#47350 Hi-Cap Dampers Top Force
#53037 Hi-Cap Dampers (short)
#53125 Sleeved Dampers (short)

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|              TIRES & RIMS            |
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#9804577 Stock Tires
#9804559 Stock Front Rim
#9804560 Stock Rear Rim

Alternativ tires and rims from Stadium Blitzer & Stadium Thunder:

#50449 Front Tire
#50450 Rear Tire
#53182 Stadium Racer Slick
#9335110: Front & Rear Rim (white)
#9335134: Front & Rear Rim (pink)
#9335228: Front & Rear Rim (neon-yellow)

#4450 Truck V-Profil Pro Compound 2.2 - HPI Racing

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|                 HOP-UPS                |
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#41009 FS-15 Oversize Heat Sink Head
#41010 Engine Electric Starter Unit
#41013 Fuel Indicator
#41021 Starter Rope holder
#41029 FS-15 Aluminum Air Cleaner Mount
#47350 Hi-Cap Dampers Top Force
#53037 Hi-Cap Dampers (short)
#53125 Sleeved Dampers (short)
#53171 Up-graded Break Disk
#53179 Anodized Chassis Plate (blue)
#53180 Anodized Chassis Plate (red)
#53181 Turn Buckle Shaft Set
#53379 HCCA Differential Ball Set
#53208 Lightweight Flywheel (16g instead of 42g)
#54159 Aluminum Hi-torque Servo Horn

Aftermarket Hop-Ups:
Phoenix RG-710 TR-15T Rear Guard
Team GPM TG10 Alloy Light Fly Wheel #TG100T
TOYO Planning Tuned Muffler (Sidepipe) C-0026

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|  PRINT MEDIA & DATA SHEETS  |
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Tamiya Guide Book 1997 (page 58/59) (from http://www.blackholesun.fr)

Tamiya Catalogue 1994, German (page 73)


Schweighofer Catalogue 1994 (Price in Austrian Schillings)

Schweighofer Catalogue 1995 (Price in Austrian Schillings)

Radio Control Car Action, 07/1994

Partlist and explosion view of FS-15:

 

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|            DECALS & SHELL            |
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Here is my .psd file from the boxart design. Feel free to play around changing colours on different layers as front, back, stripes & stickers (not all of them yet)... Its rough made but great fun to play around with.

https://a-tom.org/tr15t/colour_tr15t.psd

 

Remade shell and reprinted decals can be still ordered.
Decals: https://mciracing.ca/
Shell: https://mciracing.ca/p/rc-bodies

 

 

[Collin 1786]

Hi there, I feel like sharing my lucky and good moments here with you, because i know there are some wo like the TR-15T very, very much. As i know the thread from @wildwillydriver (we have been mailing a time ago, great that you put all images back online) and @kontemax who is doing the electro conversion, which is a cool thing, even if I prefere Nitro specialy on this model. As you all know, it was the first Nitro Truck from Tamiya ever and also my fist real RC-modelkit beside the one with cabel remote, which i never liked  

So, it happened that i got the TR-15T when i was around 12 years old, thought i can never do the assembling but i did well! And so it was running for two summer long and then first problems startet to show up. The clutch was used up and after a long journey to the next very big city, i bought replacement there in a shop. How easy it is, to buy spare parts on internet nowadays. But who thought about that over 20 years ago?!

So, after clutch replacement the whole thing doesnt run well and i did not had any more patient to make it back running. As a very usual thing, it moved down to the basement for a long winter sleep. Many years later (2012) my nephew got his first electric RC for christmas and it started moving in my mind. There is something sleeping down in the basement 

In the same winter holidays i striped the model down and put it back together as it should be, knowing that there are still some things to fix. But now some pix of my TR-15T (we all love watching them, hehe).

80

8

 

 

As you can see, it has a great patina which gives it a great dirty look. Some people try to do that on purpose, i have to admit that i had no idear about the paintjob when i was 12 so it comes that i started to spray the clear plastic body from outside but only the pickup side, then i figured out that it might be better the other way around. learning by doing. But definitly i love it this way much better now. The few cracks are glued with epoxy and fiber from inside, so its stabilized now. The base plate is pretty scratched because i did not realized, that there are front and rear shockers with different lenght. The truck looked pretty much overloaded and some of the screws where pretty much down, soon i figured out something was wrong. Some time i will change some screws for hexagon ones or any other... Anyway, i have to say, for my opinion the Tr-15T is onyl a flat track racer and not a offroad one, as i thought when i was young. So i treated it offroad a lot.

Okay, now it was reassembled from every tiny bit. Diff. gearbox and all this nicely cleaned and new greased, engine striped, cleanded and new gasket. Compression is pretty good for this tiny engine. Well, only things i put new was gaskests for the muffler, some screws, petrol-tube and the nitro tank. the old one was little out of shape over the years and the cap was not closing well anymore. Oh yea, and the clutch for shure!

"Gentleman, start your engines!"

Well,... but mine did not start. It fired, run totaly nervous for a few seconds but does not sound like a healthy engine should. I do very much on vintage 2 strokes, so i played a little with both needles from the carburettor, which was completely striped as well. But it was no success and also, as i live in the city, its not so easy to run the engine without disturbing anyone, ah, you know...

Again, i put it back in the box, but well covered with WD40 and beside some Nitro and everything together to continue any time. This happened the day befor yesterday and i think, i found the bug as i thought. Can you see?!

I would say there is a propper airleak, as the symptoms seems to be. Yesterday night i found a NOS part on ebay for 12€ incl. shipping which is a good price, i think. Maybe, little by little, i´ll put some parts back on stock for the future. Its pretty hard to do a photo but the inner bush looks pretty good, so i think only the shaft is woren out. But i should know more in a week or so...

So far, a step closer to the second life of my TR.-15T. Hope you enjoy to read this few lines and the pix for shure. Also i do need your help and knowledge as well. So here comes my questions, by the way, i decided to edit new questions and facts in here, so its all together in one poste:

1) How about the basic setup for the carb? The main needle is +/- 3 1/2 turns out, as i remember but how about the small inner needle, which is inside the slider? Anyone can give me a hint about this?

2) Well, another weak spot is the pull-starter. The flat spring often broke on the inner fixing-point, so i heated it up and bent it again back in shape. Than it broke again after a few pulls. What do you think, is it a bad idear to heat it up? Its easy to shape than but maybe it loos ith strengh? Anyway, i think i will replace the whole spring, once i find a good quality. For now the old one seems to work. The string is replaced just with a simple nylon one and it seems to be okay with the nitro.

3) Gear ratio, just to put facts together, there are 64 and 66T and small 16 and 18T on crankshaft, right? On mine its 64/18 right now, what seems to be for more topspeed. What is the common ration you guys use?

4) The alternativ engine. After bringing life back to the Toki, i´d like to transplant a new .15 engine to keep the original beside. What are the alternativs (plug & play), which are pricey and reliable?

 

[Tamiyabigstuff 781]

You can download the TR-15T manual from the TamiyaUSA website and on page 26 are the instructions for setting the needle valve.

Heating up the pull starter spring & bending it probably weakens it.

You can replace the complete pull starter or maybe fit just a new spring from another pull starter - I've had to do a couple, just take your time over it.

Or you can fit a geared starter or electric starter. 

[Collin 1786]

Hi and thanks for the first answer. Yea, i do have the manual and i just read it, while you wrote this lines. Unfortunitly there is nothing written about the small needle inside the slider. Or did i misread it? For some good reasons i will keep the pull starter, as it worked pretty fine for long time. If the spring will break again i´ll try to form it without heat, still have the patience for another try befor replacing it.

[Tamiyabigstuff 781]

Not exactly sure what you mean by 'Small needle inside the slider' ?

Got a pic ?

 

[Collin 1786]

Got some, shure! As i think, this needle should regulate the idel mixture. When the slider is closed, the needle shuts the valve, i want to know how much it need to be open when slider is closed. Only as a basic setup.

 

[Tamiyabigstuff 781]

When the throttle rotor is in the closed - idle - position, there should be 1mm opening visible - set with the idle adjustment screw.

This is at the bottom of page 26 in the build manual.

[Collin 1786]

Shure! But all i am talking about is the small needle inside the slider, NOT the open gap of the slider. 

[kontemax 1614]

On 17/11/2016 at 7:24 PM, Collin said:

... and @kontemax who is doing the electro conversion, which is a cool thing...

As you can see, it has a great patina which gives it a great dirty look.

Ahahahah, the patina is one of the reasons because I convert it to electric.

I have enough patina to clean on the motorbike to have it also on the Tamiya models .

 

Max

[Collin 1786]

  with nitro there is a lot of possible patina, right! I do ride motorbike a lot and there is definitly less dirt after a good day on the road.

I am really looking forward about your conversion, honestly, i´d love to run my modelcar in my flat

[kontemax 1614]

My conversion is a little bit slowed by my laziness. I must build the aluminum motor mount and I'm annoyed, actually, to use the saw and the file... dohh!!!

I already designed the new chassis but without the motor mount I can't go on.

 

Max

[Collin 1786]

Working on metal is such a nice thing, no need to be annoyed. 

Right here in my flat i dont have any machines, only some basics in my toolbox. For example, I had a problem with the clutchbell ot the Toki engine, it was not running free. The reason was the brass-spacer between the spring-discs and the small ballbearing of the sprocket was completely woren out. Its really not that easy to find a 7x5x1 spacer just in the shop around the corner. But with my little helper, the cordless-screwdriver, a file and a long screw and two mothers, I built something like a lathe. So i filed a 8x4x1mm disc from my sparepart-box to the right measure, beside watching a episode of the X-Files I love improvisation!

Well, i think i will not do a electric-conversion on my TR-15T but when the original engine is back to life, i want to put it beside and run a modern engine. I have no idear about whats on the market right now, what is good and what is cheap quality? Any advices for a plug&play solution? I would prefere to use the original muffler, but i would not have a problem with a nice side pipe, if there is no need for modifications on the chassis.

 

[Collin 1786]

No one who can tell me about my questions?!

On 17.11.2016 at 7:50 PM, Collin said:

1) How about the basic setup for the carb? The main needle is +/- 3 1/2 turns out, as i remember but how about the small inner needle, which is inside the slider? Anyone can give me a hint about this?

2) Well, another weak spot is the pull-starter. The flat spring often broke on the inner fixing-point, so i heated it up and bent it again back in shape. Than it broke again after a few pulls. What do you think, is it a bad idear to heat it up? Its easy to shape than but maybe it loos ith strengh? Anyway, i think i will replace the whole spring, once i find a good quality. For now the old one seems to work. The string is replaced just with a simple nylon one and it seems to be okay with the nitro.

3) Gear ratio, just to put facts together, there are 64 and 66T and small 16 and 18T on crankshaft, right? On mine its 64/18 right now, what seems to be for more topspeed. What is the common ration you guys use?

4) The alternativ engine. After bringing life back to the Toki, i´d like to transplant a new .15 engine to keep the original beside. What are the alternativs (plug & play), which are pricey and reliable?

 

To 1) it´s all about the idle-needle. Aren´t  there simple factory settings for the carbs?

 

[kontemax 1614]

As I said I don't like the gas engined models, I suggest the Novarossi's motors or the Rossi's motor, if they are still on the business.

Max

[Collin 1786]

Ok, doesn´t look like there are so many TR´s still used as a Nitro runner, more into the shelfs, huh? 

But i do understand why! Look at this. Today i got the starter shaft and it does not have the drain for the oil to the brass-bush. I do hate this things, its pretty hard to drill a hole there.

[kontemax 1614]

Go for Novarossi.

 

Max

[Collin 1786]

Cool, never heard about.

 

 

[kontemax 1614]

Novarossi and Rossi (they are brothers) make motors since the 70ies and they wim many championships.

They are Italians and the motors are sold worldwide. When I worked in the model shop in the early 2000s, Novarossi were the best motors in the world I believe.

I don't know now, as I said, I'm not interested in nitro models so I'm not updated on the news.

Max

[kontemax 1614]

Anyway, I believe that nitro motors are in big crisis due the Li-Po cells and brushless motors.

 

Max

[Collin 1786]

Yes, for shure! But beside i still drive every day my 74' Serverta, also Velosolex and old Vespa. I simply can't change it.

My nephew and his dad got a Carson 4x4 with Li-Po and brushless and it runs so incredible good, fast and lot of torque,... incredible.

 

[chickenman242tk 266]

You should be able to get a force or sh engine to fit , nova would be the way to go but very expensive. 

Either a .12 or .15 engine should fit

[Collin 1786]

I didn't read so much good about the force and yes you got it right, I don't want to spend more than 150bucks for a new engine. So i think the Rossi brothers are out of my range. Anyway, Its incredible what I saw on their website, e.g. crankshafts with heavy-metal inserts, thats the high end, love it!

So i think i will make my old .15 Toki run again, then replace with something new and reliable, then I change my mind and convert to brushless/LiPo and then I start to miss the smell of Nitro and castor oil and put all back to the Toki. A totaly normal cycle of life

Just half an hour ago a ebay auction ends with 4pcs of hi-cap dampers for something like 70€, a pitty that I don't have the resources right now, I think i will keep my eyes open for them to put on my TR-15T in some time. Think they fit better then the blue sleeved ones. 

 

 

[chickenman242tk 266]

Force us a good budget engine , i have used several and never had a problem, you may be able to get others to fit , may take a bit if engineering to get something bigger to fit.

[kontemax 1614]

Rossi brothers are in competition one against the other one, so their products are always the top end.

They are expensive, I know, but you will have the best you can have on the market.

 

Max

[Collin 1786]

Okay Max, i did some little research and there are some really nice Rossi engines for around 150€ on the marked from privat sellers. I am in love with them now .

One thing about the engines for general, are the mounting holes standardized on the small blocks like .12 - .18? How about the mainshaft, how does it work with mounting clutch, sprocket and flywheel? 

In case of my TR-15T, it would mean that i have to mount a clutch/sprocket/flywheel fitting to the engine or is it just a normal thing to mount the Tamiya ones on the aftermarket-engine?