So I went to the track today and was going to spend a couple of hours running all by myself. Everything was fully charged. Popped the roto start in and something very strange happened. It felt as if there was no "engaging" of the gears inside. GULP?!?! I pulled the shaft out and tried again. It caught and started but seemed weird. Car stalled and I tried to start her again. This time it was nearly impossible to get the gearbox for the roto starter to engage. It feels like I may have stripped the gears inside the roto start somehow but how could that happen? Has anyone else had this happen. Most of you know I am using a somewhat tired NX-26 in a fairly modded Matrix RTR buggy. I have a new NX-26 coming in a couple of days for this buggy so I plan on taking the roto start off and investigating when I do the engine swap but what could have happened? ANY IDEAS? Thnx

Hey MattyB, you have worn out your fist One Way Bearing!!! But dont fear I have wrote instructions on how to replace it cheaply. You can find those instructions on [link=http://cenracing.com/downloads/TRonewaywriteup.doc]CEN's Official Download Section[/link]. Just follow those instructions and you will be fine!!!

DOGMAN,
THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE link. I will follow your instructions to the T. I am sure they are on point. I dont understand though how wearing out a one way bearing could cause the roto tech starters gear box to feel like it is not engaging hence not turning over the engine? Can you maybe explain this for me?

Sure, its very simple really, the one way(drawn cup roller clutch) functions(grabs) in one direction but not the other direction of rotation. So when your rototech spins in its intended direction it grabs the shaft that engages the crank and spins the crank. Now when your engine starts that same shaft is not engaging the one way allowing it to spin. So when your oneway has failed it no longer grabs the crank and seems as tho it spins freely, sometime it will even grab and seem to work intermittenly. Cleaning the oneway regularly will help prevent the failure.

I hope this helps!!

YUP... THATS EXACTLY what was happening... Grabbing intermittenly, very intermittenly! I knew you would know. Thanks. Gotta see if its worth fixing tonight or just waiting for the new motor to come in and then doing it?

If you've already paid for the motor and it shipped I would wait cause your gonna have to order the bearing too. but the bad part is I'm not sure what the part # is for the NX26. so you'll have to take it apart to get the part # and order three one way's, one to put back on the enginge and acouple for your box for later. they are cheap!!

Right, so the one way bearing fits inside the "hex?" Whats the "hex" exactly? Also, I am replacing the owb only? not the hex also? Sorry for the ?'s, I am sure it will make more sense once I have it taken apart. thnx again

It will, Matty. Just take your time. And no you wont have to replace the hex, but you can if you feel the method outlined in the instructions is too much to save a few $$