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Thunder Cat 31

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Thunder Cat 31

Old 04-18-2007, 08:49 PM
  #1276  
Toycollector
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

Could be cavitation, but keep in mind any boat set up for performance or high speed etc will normally be slow out of the hole, and some do dig a big hole too

It can also be a combo of more than one thing.

I know mine is a little slow to plane, but its only a slight delay.
Old 04-18-2007, 09:34 PM
  #1277  
Drmeff
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

My TC seems to be real squirley in corners... I have to slow WAY down to be sure it doesnt slide out or flip (I have flipped it 4 times now grrr). Sometimes it will just flip right over even when it isnt going all that fast. I dont even dare touch the steering at full blast! It seems real even in the water and not leaning at all.. not sure what it is.
Old 04-19-2007, 12:42 AM
  #1278  
dan.revo
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

cavitation??
and its not really a slight delay. it goes slow for 1 or 2 minutes. even in almost glass water.
i am using the stock prop
Old 04-19-2007, 12:47 AM
  #1279  
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

Kobus

I wil ask Anton if he took some other pic's of your boat aswell.
Old 04-19-2007, 12:58 AM
  #1280  
Arrie
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

I must say the TC31 for me is the best RTR boat for racing for the money you can get.
Old 04-19-2007, 01:06 AM
  #1281  
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

Dan.revo

It sounds like you have more of a tuning problem. Even with cavitation it should get up and go within a few seconds. Check your bottom end setting, sounds a bit rich.

Drmeff

Move that feul tank. I found the hull to have a slight hook which forces the nose down added with having the feul tank in front of the CG it mskes the boat prone to oversteer. I dont know what radio you have but you should also check your amount of steering through.
Old 04-19-2007, 09:33 AM
  #1282  
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

My TC seems to be real squirley in corners...
I have had similar experience too, and the only thing I did to calm it down some was to mess with raising and lowering the prop shaft angle a bit. It has not cured the problem, but did make a difference.

I found the hull to have a slight hook which forces the nose down added with having the feul tank in front of the CG it mskes the boat prone to oversteer.
I cant see the hook, but from what were seeing I guess it could be there. I was thinking that your idea of the nose being forced down for whatever reason is pretty much what appeared to happen with mine, but I was thinking it was from decelerating too quickly that was allowing the front area of the hull sponsons to "catch" and put the thing on its head.

I know my statement above only deals with making adjustments, but different settings have produced different results. When I had it way to low on the bow (prop and angle all down) it cornered like it was on rails, but dumped over real easy. The opposite setting (bow high) seemed to help at med speeds, but wasnt much better at higher speeds, and it also made it fall off plane sooner and be slower in the turns.

Basically I think hook or not a cat style hull reacts very different than a v bottom, and this one isnt going turn on a dime at speed like the SW36 I have used on occasion, and from what I can see its all about how much of the hull is "wet" and how much more grab the cats sponsons have in the turns. A v bottom will tend to slide out if pushed too far, but a cat seems to want to jump from the additional forces of the hull catching during a turn.

Does that make sense to everyone????
Old 04-19-2007, 09:43 AM
  #1283  
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31


ORIGINAL: dan.revo

cavitation??
and its not really a slight delay. it goes slow for 1 or 2 minutes. even in almost glass water.
i am using the stock prop

Dan it sounds like you have a carb problem. I didnt get mine in the water until after I had figured out the totally mis adjusted carb, but when first breaking it in on land it ran much like you describe.

I think what was happening is that the factory low speed needle setting will actually flood the carb and engine, and even though you can still get it too run it will not be able to throttle up until it clears most of the extra fuel. It can also do just the opposite and allow the engine to race up real fast with no throttle input too so be carefull.

One thing I found so valuable in this thread was the info on how messed up the stk carb settings were, and I cant begin to explain the extreme difference in how this thing runs from just starting from scratch and setting your needles RIGHT and fine tuning from that point. I guess night and day would be the closest.

If you didnt read the whole thread (I dont blame you, but I do recoment it) just keep in mind that even at 2-1/2 turns out the low speed can be so rich it will give you problems so dont be afraid to experiment with different settings until it runs. Just keep in mind that you really want to be on the rich side and should richen it up until it starts to run poorly, and then turn back just a hair.

There is plenty of info on this earlier in the thread that gets more technical than this if you like.
Old 04-19-2007, 01:02 PM
  #1284  
mike foster
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

my boat is nearly finished just got the top coet to apply
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Old 04-19-2007, 04:08 PM
  #1285  
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

Mike

Looks great. Freindly tip get some white somewhere on that thing or you aint gona see it at buoy 4 when it stops. Pitty we have to put a big number on the side.

Arrie might be next but I'm right after him.
Old 04-19-2007, 06:09 PM
  #1286  
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

That is one of the better TC31's Ive seen , Looks Great !!!!


Paul
Old 04-20-2007, 12:29 AM
  #1287  
dan.revo
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

yea it seems like there is alot of extra gas in the carb or engine for that matter. sometimes when we try to start it it automatically gets flooded and gas comes out of the pipe when we tip the boat over. what are the needle settings that you are running? right now i have them on stock.
Old 04-20-2007, 12:42 AM
  #1288  
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

The fith of next month there will be two TC31,s on the water that looks like Mikes, I cant wait.
Old 04-20-2007, 05:32 AM
  #1289  
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

I Finly got out and was able to run ther thundercat yesterday. It was like 55F outside and i decided to take her for a run. But When I got to the river there was ice coming down from lake erie. So I found A little place to run where there was little ice. I only have 2 pictures because I was by myself. I hope to go run today.
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Old 04-20-2007, 02:38 PM
  #1290  
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

dan.revo

Its amazing that a company can put a instruction manual together and get the info so wrong. Your sluggish boat is almost certianly bottomend to rich. I have found that the best way to set bottomend is to start the motor, and it should start easy as in one blip of the starter (otherwise it is way to rich), then adjust the bottomend leaner until the motor tends to not return to idle after blipping the throtle.
Once your their richen it a hair. Your motor should now start with one blip of the starter. Also one thing I did was put a line filter and kept it below the centre line of the carb.

We heard from our hobby shop that Pro Boat is out of stock of drive shafts. Iff their is anybody who knows a hobby shop that might have drive shafts please could you relay this info to us as we have a race on the 5th of May and at this points most guys will not be able to run.

Regards in boating

Old 04-20-2007, 05:42 PM
  #1291  
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

Only place I have seen with shafts available (not that I have been looking to hard as it would be a spare etc) is hughey and I have it tagged at [link]http://www.rocketcityracing.com/pilot.asp?pg=products&specific=jnnogrm8[/link]

Not sure if they still have them, but they did not long ago.

****update****

Looks like they are on back order too.
Old 04-20-2007, 05:56 PM
  #1292  
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31


ORIGINAL: dan.revo

yea it seems like there is alot of extra gas in the carb or engine for that matter. sometimes when we try to start it it automatically gets flooded and gas comes out of the pipe when we tip the boat over. what are the needle settings that you are running? right now i have them on stock.
I agree with what hesco posted above, and the only things I would add is that your experience isnt unusual, and that you may want to consider or keep in mind that you have to start from scratch when setting the LS needle as it was not even close to 2-1/2 turns on mine and I had to bring it to around 2 turns to get it to run well.

Since were on the subject can I include the first two tanks of fuel in counting break in even if the majority of it was just pumped thru the engine from the rediculously rich factory carb settings
Old 04-20-2007, 07:03 PM
  #1293  
dan.revo
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

thanks guys. im goint to the lake tomorrow and i will try it out
Old 04-21-2007, 12:45 AM
  #1294  
Arrie
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

Hi I am running 45% nitro and my low end nedle is only 1 1/2 turn out and the boat pick up nicely.
Old 04-21-2007, 04:25 AM
  #1295  
Drmeff
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

Is there any other radio box that fits this boat without too much cutting and stuff? This box sucks, all those screws are a pain and they are FAR from water tight in a rollover...
Old 04-21-2007, 05:15 AM
  #1296  
Hesco Racing
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

Drmeff

Hi man it is a pain but the water is cumming in through the rubber bellow around the throttle rod. Put a cable tie around that sucker and your water problems should be fine.

Old 04-21-2007, 11:29 AM
  #1297  
mike foster
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

Hello there my boat is finally finished. just put it back together going to the water tomorrow. [sm=biggrin.gif]
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Old 04-21-2007, 12:52 PM
  #1298  
Arrie
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

Hi Mike it looks very nice, we wil sort that motor of yours tomorow.
Old 04-21-2007, 12:57 PM
  #1299  
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

Arrie

Sorry man was a bit busy, will come see you with the new shafts on monday.
Old 04-21-2007, 01:09 PM
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Default RE: Thunder Cat 31

Kotse said he miad shafts but have to test them first will let yo know.

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