jcjrogers

I'm new to RC cars (not new to RC), and have seen a lot on Youtube about waterproofing ESC, receiver, and servo. This seems like a great DIY idea, but has the potential ramifications of destroying the electronics. I'm not planning to try to run through water, though I do live on a lake and anything is possible, but do plan to run on an ice rink. More important than that is just not having to worry so much about the ground being wet or accidently running through a small puddle left by sprinklers, a hose, etc.

My questions are, does DIY waterproofing work, is it relatively safe, and if so, which is the preferred product to use or does it matter... do they all work pretty well? I like the idea of using CorrosionX as it seems less messy and not as thick as the "liquid rubber" type products. However, I also wonder if it is as effective and if not as effective, is it for all practical purposes, effective enough? Thoughts?

cumquat

shoo goo (silicone glue) is my go-to product for waterproofing. it's quick, easy, not too messy and 100% safe. silicone is non-conductive so no damage will result from contact with electrical components and it wont come off while running. just run a bead around the seams of the cases and into any unnecessary gaps. this also prevents dust from getting into cases and causing damage (if you run in a very dusty area, it can build on the boards and act as insulation, causing excessive heat).

EXT2Rob

My Feedback: (1)

It kind of depends on the thing you're trying to waterproof.  What cumquat suggests would work for sealing seams.
But an ESC like, say, a Castle Sidewinder, trying to seal that case with anything would be fruitless. Because the circuit board and heat sink are just sitting inside an OPEN-TOP BOX with the heat sink sticking out, it's impossible to seal it.  I had to take the circuit board out of the case, and I used Liquid Tape to seal the circuit board and around the gap between the board and the heat sink.  Turned out not to be a good idea, I guess, as not many weeks later, it crapped out.

I replaced the Castle system with a EZrun. The case on that system was already mostly sealed. Only the top outside edge of the circuit board was exposed. I used Liquid Tape on that ESC and it's still going, over two years later.

turok007

im not saying anybody do this. but over my many years in RC i have had some funny things happen one is if the ESC gets a drop of water on it. it will stop working but when fully submerged it has worked faultless. lol DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME lol or outside

SyCo_VeNoM

There is actually reasoning behind that
If its fully submerged the power is just going to go from + to - on the battery, and when you dry it off there should be no damage to the circuitry itself.
If it is partially wet the power will jump across the points its wet, and could fry it.
Kinda why when a cell phones dropped in puddle you can usually fix it if you throw it in a container with rice, as rice absorbs moisture, and once its out if the case flooded fast there more then likely is no damage, and it will work.

pcarluvr

I have done the Plati~Dip to all of my electronics (gas powered so no ESC) and it works very well. In fact, I had to re~bind my transmitter to the receiver due to an error in my setup with my kill switch and the Plasti~Dip is flexible allowing me to push the set switch and scratching out some of it to see the LED light. My on~off switch, I dipped the bottom part of the switch and put a Dynomite rubber boot on the top between the radio box where it installs. Also dipped all three servo's. I did this to be on the safe side when I'm near water or running in the snow. It's like when I golf, If there is water or beach anywhere on the course, I'm gonna be in it!

jcjrogers

I did some more checking around, and I think I'm going to try Corrosion X.  Though it leaves some residue, I think it will still be easier to use than the liquid tape/liquid rubber products.  I think the liquid tape/liquid rubber products are probably better waterproofers, but if you miss some spots you defeat the purpose, and it appears you have to be pretty careful in regards to what you cover and what you don't.  Corrosion X seems to be a legitimate electronics cleaner and rust proofer/remover.  Therefore, I'm less worried about damaging something, but am a bit skeptical as to how well it really waterproofs.  My goal is adding some level of water resistance, not necessarily fully-waterproofing.  I really just want to increase my comfort level, not having to worry that there might be a wet spot and feeling more comfortable with cleaning.  I believe I can quickly cover my ESC and servo with plastic to where I can carefully rinse the truck with the hose.  Some water drops will likely still get past the plastic, but hopefully this added protection will suffice.  One thing I didn't think about before buying an RC truck is that it gets very dirty.