Bayer-Z28

I picked up a used Savage X 33 for a good price. This is my first Nitro RC vehicle. I replaced 3 bent axles, refilled and rebuilt the shocks and installed a new metal drive gear (47t) because the owner stripped out the last one. It came with the twin disc brakes. My first run out yesterday I was taking it easy and hot the brakes to slow it down from about 25 and it flipped a couple times. These don't have any drag to them, they just LOCK UP. 0_o Is there a break-in procedure for this to let the brakes slip a little??

2nd question:
The drive gear install went well. I followedqall of the instructions and adjusted the mesh with a piece of paper. I threaded the paper in and was able to pull it out with a bit of a weave in the paper after. I take it that's set up correctly.. NOW the stupid question. THe isntructions said to tighten the nut all the way and then back it off 1/4 turn. I did. Ran it and the nut backed off, so I reinstalled it with thread lock. How and when is this friction disc on here supposed to slip?

sharkattack99

well i can probably answer your first question about the brakes, on the throttle assembley the bottom rod, there should be a nob at the end of it, you need to loosen that nob up a bit your brakes sound like there to tight, loosen that nob till you get the brake strenght that you want (hope i explained that well enough for ya), about the other question im not sure.

Bayer-Z28

^ ok.. I think that rod has to be higher so the servo doesn't have so much of an effect on the system.  I don't really think that guy knew quite what he was doing. He told me that there was NO adjustment for the gear mesh either.. AND almost every axle on this truck was bent. I just have to replace the xfer case axles now.

Just had it out and this drive gear walked loose AGAIN.. even with the loctite.. Just reinstalled it.  if it's gonna keep doing that I'm gonna use some Automotive RED loctite to be ure that bugger doesn't come off again..  It's just marring up the engine gear AND the new one I just installed.

sharkattack99

you might need a new nut for that, there suppose to be lock nuts the lock part of the nut might be worn out.

llkoolskillet

I dont know how many times ive had that nut come loose! i bought a nre lock nut and it still comes loose so i put some red loctite on it and just cranked it down and i havent had a problem sense. You might ask what about the slipper clutch well it seems to be wearing normally even with the nut all the way tight.

Bayer-Z28

^ odd... That clutch seems clamped TIGHT... I threw it back together and loctite again and snugged it up.. (backed off a 1/4 turn per instructions).. Fine now... BUT the frickin engine gear rounded off..   bought a new one, about to work on it now..  Was kinda beating on it this afternoon.. there was some mud in the yard just ASKING for it!!

llkoolskillet

engine gear? you mean clutch bell. if thats the case then your gear spacing is to close or to far apart. Also if your running a steel center diff gear i would run a vented clutch bell, you could also run a vented cb with the plastic center gear too! Disapates the heat so your CB doesnt strip or vise versa. i take a piece of paper fold it in half and fit it between mine, never had an issue.

Bayer-Z28

I'm gonna set this gear up to what feels right to me... This paper method has it way too loose for my liking.  The gear was only sitting half way in.  I know it's not supposed to be sunk into the mesh 100%, that's too tight.. It's sitting about 80% of the way into complete mesh right now with a slight drag on it. 

Bayer-Z28

^ I'll take it out tomorrow.. Finished topping off the shock oil and some other maintenance..


Got a new body for it. The old one was a 79 Chevy body that I really wasn't crazy about..

Bayer-Z28

What are the stock carb needle settings for the 33?  (.33??  3.3??)  I'm going to start from scratch with the tuning.. It's not smoking very much, if at all, and it stalled a couple times today.. Even thoguh it was kind of cold out at about 38*.  Or should I just wait until it's in the 50's or 60's to tune it?

wolfie1

i am sure the x is the same as the xl (somebody point out if im wrong please) if so there is a washer with a hex in the centre before the spring which sits onto a hex on the shaft it and the shaft is worn as for ur brakes try replacing the adjusting spring with a soft piece of fuel tubing and that will help a lot

dapro

you could always switch to plastic spur gears, this will save you from ever having to buy another clutch bell, metal spur gears are not nessesary.

Nab some extra lock nuts for the spur gear, run two if possible, the friction and heat from the metal on metal gears are working the nut off, I switched back to plastic spurs after battling this from a robinson racing setup when they first started to produce the metal spurs.

I don't use the paper method for setting the mesh, simply snug up the motor mount screws, put your finger on the CB, and then move the spur gear back and forth til you can barely feel a gap in the mesh....works like a charm

Bayer-Z28

^yeah. That's basically what I did.. the mesh seems quite happy where it is now! The clutch gear was cheaper than the spur.. Clutch/bell gear was $20, spur gear that came with the truck was $60.

I ran about a tank and a half thru it this afternoon out bashin around in the snow.. Took a bit for it to get warmed up.. I had to retune it, so for me to get it happy enough to take a couple WOT runs up the street and back was a pitb! Finally got the tune right about where it needs to be.. half way thru the first tank the darn slipper clutch bolts backed off, and that spur gear nut backed off again, they really need to be left hand thread. Snugged it down and re-tightened the tiny tiny screws for the clutch/gear and I was able to run a tank thru it doing a LOT of WOT runs up the street, thru the snow and thru the field across the street. It was about 38* today, so I was told they are finiky. GOing to take it back appart when I can and use some Automotive grade RED loctite on those little screws for the clutch.. I'll pick up a new locknut when I'm there next weekend. About a 45 min ride to one of the best stores here in CT.. they have a LOT there!!! Excellent selection!!

The tune seems pretty happy where it is, until the weather warms up. Got it to pull wheelies off idle! fixed the bog and idle problems and now it's just got a SLIGHT bog at around the mid range, but that was going thru some snow.. It was fine on the street tho. Made it to 3 houses up in about a second! hit 45 easy!! 18t clutch gear now instead of 17, all they had at the shop was 18. Gonna mess with it tomorrow again.

I think a spring came loose in the trans somewhere for the brake lever.. gonna have to take that apart eventually to see.

jsflagstad

Dude! Drop those body mounts down!!!!

Bayer-Z28

^ They are.. It's sitting on the engine roll cage. The roll cage is all the way down. I gotta drop the spring spacers down, it was a little bouncy today.


Also, It has a piece of tubing for the brake rod. Going to see about fixing the brake spring first to see how the brakes respond after that.

CR500rider

you gotta cut the body to fit the engine roll cage since you are running a savage 25 body

Bayer-Z28

^ Ahhhhh... That makes sense now.. Didn't realize I got a different body.. Just whatever looked good.

Bayer-Z28

Is this a 4.1?  Was lookin through the HPI website and my truck looks identical to the Savage X 4.1..