sledneck_51

Hey guys im new to rc in general and new to this thread so im hoping to find a few answers. I have a 1/10 scale redcat volcano epx all stock. I didnt like how slow and weak it was so i bought a few aftermarket parts. So question number one is did i ge compatable parts and two are there any advice or tips y'all can lay on me before i start tearing things apart? I bought a hobbywing 5.5t@6000 kv brushless motor with 60a esc and two lipo 2 cell batteries. Thanks for the help!

nitrosportsandrunner

that system with a 2s lipo will be WAY faster than the stock brushed system.

the volcano epx, and epx pro(brushless version) only really differ in the motor/esc and radio that they come with. in other words, the chassis is basically identical.

but there are a couple things you can do.

the dogbones have a fair amount of play, and this causes wear.

you can use tiny pieces of nitro fuel tubing inside the drive cups(what the dogbones go into) to cushion the dogbones while still allowing them to move alittle(as they need to move some as the suspension moves)

also, you hopefully bought the ezrun system with a program card. this will allow you to set the "punch control". this will lower the "shock" to the drivetrain. this is good since the volcano doesnt have a slipper clutch.

if you do those 2 things it should hold up pretty well. the most likely things to break are the stock steering servo and the wheel hubs(steering knuckle)

you can help those last longer by moving the camber links and steering rod to the inward most hole. the further out they are, the more stress is applied to the arm of the hub or knuckle.

my volcano help up pretty well on a 2s lipo. it was when i went upto a traxxas VXL burshless system and started running 3s that i had issues(spur gear stripped, hubs snapped, shocks bent ect)

but then, i beat on that poor truck

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0YeexXsaPQ[/youtube]

sledneck_51

Thanks for the quick response!! the motor i bought was the ezrn system with the program card.  ive got to be completely honest im literally BRAND NEW to this.  I can alrady tell i am going to get into it a lot, but as of right now none of that makes sense to me haha.  what are the dogbones? and the camber links? thanks for your help

nitrosportsandrunner

dogbones are the driveshafts that go from the diffs to the wheels. they are a lenght of metal, with a ball at each end and the ball has 2 pins coming out(thus they have a dogbone shape)

camber links connect the top of the wheel hub to the chassis. they are parallel to the suspsension arm, or a-arm.

the camber links also are between the 2 shocks.

camber links are adjustable, and thus can change the camber of the wheel(camber is the angle of the wheel, whether it tilts toward the chassis or away from it)

sledneck_51

sweet thank you. so by doing all these things i should get more wear and tear out of it? should all of my parts i bought be compatable?

sledneck_51

i have a new question lol.  i just recieved all my parts fri ups and the charger/balancer i have is a gens acg imars charger? i dont even have the first clue how to turn the damn thing on...lol

nitrosportsandrunner

ah, its a good thing i took a second look. the pinion gear from the original motor will be a bit large for the motor you got.

brushless motors are rated usually by KV. the # reps rpm's per volt. the higher the KV, the more HP the motor has....but it will also have less torque.

had you gotten a system with a 3000ish KV motor the stock pinion would have been fine. but with a higher KV motor you will want to "gear down" the truck.

you should get a pinion gear with less teeth, at least 2 or 3 less.

that, or you can run smaller tires(As this will also lower the gearing)

there is a chance that the stock pinion gear will be OK, but you should not attempt to use it unless you have a temp gun and can check the temps of the motor and ESC the 1st time you run it. the motor shouldnt get above 160, and the ESC 140-150 max.

but you wont have any issues bolting the motor into the truck, and the ESC you can use velco and zip ties to mount it on the upper center chassis plate.

you may be able to mount it where the stock ESC was, but i prefer onto of that center plate as it allows better ESC cooling and keeps it dryer and less likely to get dirty.

the stock pinion gear is a 48 metric pitch(angle of teeth) and has a 3mm hole(thickness of the motor's shaft) you will want a 48 metric pitch pinion that is at least a few teeth smaller. this kinda stuff is not exact, and thus a temp gun helps alot.
also, when looking for a pinion gear be aware that there are 48 "standard" pitch gears. You want metric. also called 0.8 module

sledneck_51

thanks again for your help. where is the easiest place to fid these pinion gears?

nitrosportsandrunner

ebay.
again, just make sure its metric pitch! a 48 standart pitch will actually be close enough to work, but the spur gear will get shredded really quick.

again, the stock "may" work.

when i ran the vxl system, which has a 3500kv motor i used the stock pinion. but your motor is high KV and thus may require a smaller pinion.

duratrax and some other companies make IR temp guns. they run around $20. they are great both for tuning nitro motor and testing out new electric motors and gearing setups. 160 degrees is not something you can test with your finger...lol

sledneck_51

okay. and the stock pinion is a 17 tooth right? so what should i look for in how many teeth? how will this change performance and what are the risks of not running the correct pinion?

nitrosportsandrunner

these things are tough for me to explain, but ill give it a shot.

the stock motor was geared for max performance without overheating. gearing needs to bear in mind the weight and the size of the model.

now, the motor you are getting will have much higher rpm's...but less torque. thus, you need to gear it down. gearing it down will turn the higher rpms into more torque.

doing it right will make a 3000kv brushless motor the same basic performance as a 6000kv brushless motor.

now, if it were a onroad car, the 6000kv motor will be a better fit, and the chassis is lighter....there is less shock to the drivetrain and the wheels are smaller.

you can both under gear, and over gear any electric motor.

either way will result in too much heat.

i would try a 14 tooth pinion with that motor. there is wiggle room with gearing, it doesnt have to be exact to prevent overheating.

also, where you plan to run the truck will have an effect. if you have med hight grass, then gear down more. for pavement only, the stock pinion may be safe.

again, there is no way for me to say for certain, as i have never run a 6000kv motor in my volcano. the only way you can be sure is if you get a temp gun to check the temps with any given pinion gear.

2 teeth either way can make a pretty big difference in the heat, as well as the performance.

so, id try the 15tooth, and grab a temp gun while you are at it.

sledneck_51

i will do that. thanks for all your help. ill get back on tomorrow after i have it all together and post the results!

nitrosportsandrunner

i have a used volcano epx PRO coming next monday.
Just bought it the other day off ebay. got it for a pretty good price with some lipos!

I will snow-proof it for winter driving. I may lock the rear diff as well....havent decided yet.

rsw007

My Feedback: (1)

14 tooth wont fit. smallest i could get was 16 tooth to fit. motor will start to hit center drive shaft. i would order different motor. my 8.5 turn ezrun kit goes through doogbone axles. i also had to swap to steel pinion and spur gears. im running 7.4 lipo batttery.

nitrosportsandrunner

my volcano epx pro just arrived today!

it has the novatech motor, with the ezrun 35amp esc. good combo for this truck IMO. the 540 novatech has plenty of torque, and the ezrun esc allows me to set the punch control soft. that saves on dogbones and spur gears.

the truck came with some spare hubs, 2 lipos, stock nimh pack, chargers and was RTR. just didnt have a body. not bad for $85!

xerxes

da volcano epx has 2 diff spur gear toof counts. 48 & i think 64t.. make shur u got da biggr spur geer size

its also not a 48p pitch so a metal volcano spur will shred any 48p pinion u put on it.

wen shoppn 4 pinions u need 2 get a .6 mod pitch.

sledneck_51

okay. so now im really stumped. ive got my volcano all put back together now, but its not running right. first off my remote control seems as though it has very little connection, but it does have connection. it will move the wheels left and right. in attempt to drive it, the thing will jult forward (or backwards) and then die out. what are some things that could be going on? also while pushing it forward or backward it makes a strange sound...clicking as if the gears arent turning right. so i pulled it apart and the gears are sitting just fine. any ideas? thanks

xerxes

r u runnin a 6cell nicad or 7cell nicad?



duz it make a strange clikn noise wen u tak da pinion off & roll it?

is wutevr battry ur runnin fully chargd?

sledneck_51

theyre 2 cell lipos.  yeah the batteries were fully charged i'll take it apart tonight and see if the clicking is still there after i remove the pinion