Midnight Pumpkin gears?

[Pumpkin2 2]

Anyone know if there's a metal gear kit available for the Midnight Pumpkin? I'm thinking in terms of durability/longevity.

Mine is pretty much stock except for bearings and Sport Tuned motor... and headlights : )

[berman 5315]

The pumpkin/lunchbox (hornet/grasshopper etc) gearbox is one of the most robust Tamiya gearboxes made. There is no need for anything else in that gearbox apart from the bearings (even with a high powered brushless setup), and maybe a replacement brass pinion in +/- 10 years time, depending on how much use it gets. 

[GregM 1109]

I agree. The only thing that will suffer is the bodyshell and the bodymounts.

[Static Age 65]

I also agree. That gearbox is super strong as long as bearings are fitted.

[Pumpkin2 2]

Thanks everyone! All my bearings are metal and sealed throughout. I've got a Sport-Tuned motor in it now and probably won't go much faster.

[NWarty 1325]

2 hours ago, Pumpkin2 said:

Thanks everyone! All my bearings are metal and sealed throughout. I've got a Sport-Tuned motor in it now and probably won't go much faster.

I run a Sport Tuned in my own pumpkin. You'd be hard-pressed to try and blow up that gearbox. My Pumpkin has been continuously run with that motor for over 13 years. You'll be just fine

[Munchbox 100]

Running a Lunchbox with 18t Hornet pinion and 2400kv brushless here. Loads of speed and torque. Plenty of wheelies and over the top speed for this chassis. 

Last thing I'm worried bout is the gearbox going out 

[jattig 1]

There is an aluminum gear on eBay from seller, liquid rc.  I am running one in my brushless grasshopper and brushless lunchbox.  

 

[Nitomor 2122]

Ran a 4300kv brushless setup on Lunchbox and Hornet, no problems, echo what everyone else has said!

[smirk-racing 253]

I had a lot of trouble getting brushless to work in this gearbox. Had to use the torque control to tame the power. Any sort of accidental on-power landing from a jump, or even a hop while running on the ground with the throttle held steady, had the potential to cause the gears to break teeth when using a full power (540) brushless system and high power lipos to feed it. 

I use 30% torque setting on a castle esc - much more fun to drive and still provides incredible top speed without constant flips and shattered gears. 

 

I don’t know what I am doing wrong compared to all the folks who say it “just works”. Took me a lot of tuning, but def worth it in the end. The chassis performs quite well for something so old and I enjoy it as much as any of my modern rigs.  

[Prescient 671]

@smirk-racing what ESC/Motor combo are you using?

There is a limit to the power these can functionally handle due to the chassis capabilities anyway. 

You definately have to dial down the punch as they will end up on their roof with NiMH and Silvercans which is effectively a 2000kv motor and 2s lipo talky heading towards its cut off point. 

I have run 5000kv motors on 2s with the MP/LB but too much (any) punch and you get a standing summersault. 

Somewhere between 3000-4000kv on NiMH or 2s with punch turned down or a TBLE-02S ESC is perfect. 

 

[Nitomor 2122]

^ That. I had to turn punch right down and drive at half throttle or invoke instant cartwheels. Less is definitey more with an LB imho.

[smirk-racing 253]

I think it was a 3800kv motor, rated at about 1000 Watts... and I was running 3s at the time. As many have pointed out there is a such thing as “too much”. 

 

It it really is more fun to drive with “plenty” of power vs “too much”. With the torque turned down (not just the punch but also the torque) the wheelies are not as much of a problem and the gears do last quite a while. 

 

[Prescient 671]

On 27/10/2017 at 5:48 PM, smirk-racing said:

I think it was a 3800kv motor, rated at about 1000 Watts... and I was running 3s at the time. As many have pointed out there is a such thing as “too much”. 

 

It it really is more fun to drive with “plenty” of power vs “too much”. With the torque turned down (not just the punch but also the torque) the wheelies are not as much of a problem and the gears do last quite a while. 

 

Nice & @44000 rpm wow...... 

That rpm set up is too much for most rc trucks outside the 1/8 - 1/5 scale MTs which are specifically built & designed to go fast not to be at scale.

It's easy to forget Tamiya are nearly all designed for scale speed @ 1/10th  especially the trucks. The MP/LB at 1/12 means 10mph really does feel like 120mph scaled speed.

Good times though, good times.......

[smirk-racing 253]

Scale, not scale... definitely fun!

 

 

[Prescient 671]

So you're the one......

#topgun

[smirk-racing 253]

That was a 36x40mm 2040kv motor on 6s... lots of RPMs. Amazing thing about such high voltage is that motor didn't overheat. Also amazing that the tires didn't explode off the rims. Not usable on any high-traction surface... but fun on sand.