Vintage Tamiya Hotshot Build Question

[kasparov 71]

Hi guys

 

Silly question but I'm in the middle of my first vintage hotshot build and I lost the switch spring. What role does this spring play and is it even important? I saw it in the manual. 

 

thanks

 

[AJB123 107]

From looking at a manual online, I'd say yes it is important. It looks like that spring is the thing which pulls the contacts on the moving part of the speed controller onto the pads on the circuit board with the right force. Without it there the contacts won't be pulled down and won't make a good circuit.

If you know roughly how long and stiff it is/was you might be able to use a spring from a pen or something else? But you wouldn't want it too soft (as it won't make good contact), or too stiff (as it will wear out the tracks/pads too fast).

Is it definitely lost? Magnets swept over a surprisingly large area can sometimes track down an escaped spring?

[kasparov 71]

5 hours ago, AJB123 said:

From looking at a manual online, I'd say yes it is important. It looks like that spring is the thing which pulls the contacts on the moving part of the speed controller onto the pads on the circuit board with the right force. Without it there the contacts won't be pulled down and won't make a good circuit.

If you know roughly how long and stiff it is/was you might be able to use a spring from a pen or something else? But you wouldn't want it too soft (as it won't make good contact), or too stiff (as it will wear out the tracks/pads too fast).

Is it definitely lost? Magnets swept over a surprisingly large area can sometimes track down an escaped spring?

I have been doing the build very slowly over many months, so I don't know when I lost it exactly.

 

Would you know does this spring come in the window net bag 100%

 

And thanks for your help.

[AJB123 107]

No, sorry, I don’t know 100%. I’ve never had a vintage Hotshot so I’m just going from a scanned manual online. That does say window net bag as yours does though.

When an MSC wears out it’ll be the contacts that go not the spring, so I’d have thought a spring from a used one would be just fine if you can find one. I’m afraid I’ve no idea what other kits might use the same spring in their MSCs, but someone more knowledgable will hopefully come along!