jaihenwood

Heat issues with new ESC and Motor.

I got my new 60a Hobby King ESC and the 4000kv tacon installed and after about 2 min of run time i get the heat light on my ESC.  I'm running on 2s or 3s Turnigy nano-tech batteries and a 15T. Could this be a bad solder job? 

i see micah11 has a heat issue and he said it was battery connection issue? 

its crazy how fast it is for 2 mins....

PetRock

More likely gearing. I think the stock motor is 3500'ish KVand came with a 13t pinion (from memory) and you went up in motor KV and gearing at the same time. I would switch back to the 13t and see if it helps the temperature: since your KVis still higher your truck will still be faster than stock (it would still be faster even with a 12t pinion on 2s). As for 3s: I think you'll have to live with the heat and accept that you'll only be able to run 3s occasionally: that battery is designed more for a 2400-2600kv motor.

smorris65

I'm hoping someone can help me with this. I've got the Caldera 10e and can not get the screw loose to adjust the motor & gear mesh. 

xxturbowesxx

We need to see a 3s video with that big motor petrock!

PetRock

If you haven't done so already, you can take the motor out with the spur still attached by undoing the screws under the spur on the bottom (I think 7 screws?) and the screws holding on the top blue plates: leaving the rest of the car intact. Like what you see in the center of this pic (but imagine I hadn't taken it all apart



If nothing else that screw will be easier to get at: maybe throw the whole motor/mount/spur in the freezer (or for a short time: the oven) and try it again after the temperature change.

If you can get that screw out, the larger 1/8th and 1/6th models use BS903-081 (M3, 10mm cap hex screws) - you can get them from Redcat, but your local hobby shop (or Ebay) will have them for cheap too. And I know they fit fine in the Caldera, because I have a Shredder.

jdm913

I'm new here! I just bought the caldera sc10e and needless to say i love it! its plenty sturdy and powerfull. I bought all the upgrades i could find online ( metal spur, front knuckles, rear hubs, c hubs, shock mounts, servo saver, hex set, front and rear suspension mounts, hardened diffs). My question is have any of you gotten ahold of or made a cnc/aluminum chassis or suspension arms?

Dads like rc too

Don't rush into a aluminum chassis, or control arms. Yes the plastic chassis will break but only under extreme circumstances. Aluminum chassis's will bend and and twist. I've replaced two 3mm chassis on other trucks because of this. Same goes for control arms, yes the argument can be made that the aluminum will take more abuse before having to be replaced, but the plastic chassis is what gives the Caldera line its edge compared to other 10th scale models with metal chassis. It saved a lot of weight. The knuckles and other small parts are almost a must to swapped out with aluminum, but I'd make sure you put some thought into it before upgrading everything you can to metal.

PetRock

Iagree with all of this. The Caldera needs a new servo, and Iwould upgrade the knuckles to metal if only to get the thicker pivot screws (and the ability to threadlock them in so they don't fall out all the time like the stock screws into plastic). Other than that... buy a steel pinion for when the stock brass one inevitably wears out... and just drive it. An aluminum chassis won't add any durability, and metal A-arms will either bend anyways... or instead rip the pivot blocks out of the differential housings and you'll just end up with more troublesome parts to replace. Save your money for some nice tires, an extra lipo, or perhaps a set of cheap plastic Traxxas Ultra shocks from Ebay.

xxturbowesxx

2s,3s speed runs, wheelies some jumping and a mild bash.

BH 120a esc
Tacon 3660 540L 4000kv motor
No body because we all know its crap and I havent found a replacement worth buying.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6KpFHWZ9wY&feature=plcp[/youtube]

xxturbowesxx

As for the knuckles.

I have stuck with plastic and when I install a new one I put jb weld in the screw hole and on the screw.. has worked very well so far you just have to be careful since you are working with a moving part and jb weld will make it the opposite.

ThatsNotGood

Hello all,
Brand new here and more a casual participant than enthusiast (for now), and I had a couple of basic questions. I bought a gently used Caldera 10E a bout a month ago (seller said it had been run about 15 battery cycles, but who knows). So far, I am very pleased as it seems very tough and pretty quick. I'm just running the stock set-up right now (including the battery), but would like to upgrade in the future, though money is at a premium these days.

-What would be the better route from a value standpoint: LiPo or new motor? I hear good things about Tacon. Are there any good motors I could upgrade to without needing to also replace the ESC?

-The front wheels seem just a little on the wobbly side. Worn bearings, perhaps?

I'd appreciate any feedback you folks could provide. Thanks!

Dads like rc too

As far as the motor goes, if your just starting out , running a 2s Lipo pack compared to the stock nihm battery will be a huge difference in power. For the cost of a battery "about $20" this will be very noticeable. With a few changes you can go to a 3s pack which will add even more power, also more strain on everything else. For now I'd start with the 2s and go have fun with it.

smorris65

What's the part # for screw that falls out of steering knuckle? Thanks

Dads like rc too

The steering knuckle is a must for the aluminum upgrade. This will allow you to loctight the screw in. I replaced the knuckles on my sons Caldera 10e 18 months ago, they're still going strong.

smorris65

I lose control of car at 30 ft. It's only 1 month old. Is it more likely the transmitter or receiver? 

PetRock

If it has only been a month since you bought it, I'd contact Redcat support. They were very helpful when Ihad a servo problem and just mailed me a new one. Or if you bought it from a local shop they may be able to quickly swap the transmitter or receiver to see which is bad.

My guess is the receiver antenna pulled off the circuit board or something: luckily they're dirt cheap if you want to test a new one. And if it's not the receiver then that's not so bad, because the most common value TXupgrade is the FS-GT3B: which will work with your old one and the new one (the GT3B can control many different cars with one transmitter. And it's also cheap!

PetRock

Public Service Announcement

After reading that the Caldera (1/10th scale) had different metal diff parts than the 1/8th and 1/6th BSD's over in the Sandstorm thread... I paid special attention when I opened up my front diff for the second time to fix it. I had spare diffs from my Shredder on hand to compare to...

... and there is a visible difference in the gears. The 1/10th part number (Caldera) is on the left, and the 1/8th / 1/6th part is on the right:



The stock Caldera ring gears that I keep stripping are a plain silver-grey colour, like the dull side of tinfoil, and their surface isn't smooth. The hardened parts on the right have a golden hue and are smoother and look more precise? (difference between injection/pressed parts and a machined part?). The upgraded gear also looks different: it only has a small raised edge tight around each screw hole (so it looks like a "+" from the top) while the stock silver part has that small edge as a flat circle that goes all the way around:



Both the stock parts on the left are stripped and I'll be putting in the hardened versions from now on. If you have diff issues in your Caldera, these are the better parts you'll want to buy:

Just Gears: BS803-027 (upgrade to BS903-105)
Diff Only: BS803-026 (upgrade to BS903-104)
Diff-with-Case: BS803-025A (upgrade to BS903-020)

Good luck!

Dads like rc too

This is good advice for anyone with a Caldera. My son's Caldera 10e would strip diff gears in a heartbeat. The Caldera parts page does not show a upgraded diff set so I ordered the upgrade diff set for the Earthquake. Just like you said the difference in the gears are noticible. Besides the type of metal being used, the teeth are even machined differently, they almost look a little thicker. I was replacing diff gears in his truck about every 6 weeks " mainly because he is 9 years old and drives it like he stole it". Once I put the Earthquake gears in "about 4 months ago" it's been great ever since.

cuffs50

? If a screw is stripped out in a crash is it ok to just replace the screw or should I also replace the part it was stripped from. Also is it good to use thread lock on my rc screws or will it make them difficult to get out later. Also looking for info on waterproofing. And help is greatly appreciated.

PetRock

I'm also posting this to URC, but based on some info I saw on RCtech I tried Traxxas GTR springs and retainers on my Caldera, and they worked! Traxxas springs are very easy to find if you'd like to swap them on your Caldera (MT, SC and buggy all use the same shocks)

Stock Caldera shock on the left with stock white spring, and Caldera shock body on the right with red GTR spring (TRA5940) and GTR bottom spring retainer (TRA5465).



The rest of the pictures and part numbers are here. Good luck!

micah11

Im looking to put a new motor in my SC10e, I have stock everything, and am looking for an increase in speed. I would just be running it on the road, so heat shouldn't be an issue, right? I'd like the motor to be less than 35$, is it worth it, or should I just get a bigger pinion gear for speed?

Dads like rc too

what battery are you running in it right now? Running the Caldera with a 2s lipo and a 15 tooth pinion will make a noticeable difference in speed.

micah11

stock battery, im not looking to upgrade to lipo just yet, but I have seen the 8.4v nimh batteries, what if I got that and the 15t pinion?

Dads like rc too

yes an 8 cell will definitely give you more speed. I used to run that with a 15 tooth pinion on my son's Caldera 10e. You will be surprised at the difference it will give you. I was the same way at first, didn't want to get into lipo, was a lot of info at first. The nihm 8 cell costs a lot more compared to a lipo that will have more power and run longer. I understand though not wanting to invest in another charger if you don't already have a charger that will charge and balance lipo, unfortunately it's part of the game.

micah11

I can't seem to find any 8.4v batteries that fit, what did you use? Also, I'm looking to get a good body for it. Does Proline make any that fit the Caldera?