going brushless in my cpv3... how do i get the pinion gear off this stock motor??
or should i just buy a new one? where can i get one?

There should be a 1.5mm set screw and then it just slides off.

no, there is definitely no set screw.

I looked at my CPV3 again and you're right there isn't one. For some reason I thought I took mine off when I crashed and did a rebuild but I guess I didn't.

It's probably pressed on like the tail rotor. If your new BL motor has a flat spot on the shaft to accept a grub screw style pinion I wouldn't worry about getting the stock pinion off and re using it. I think the gears on the CPV3 are 48 pitch, so you'd need to find what the new motor shaft diameter is in mm's and then get a pinion that will fit.

The best way to remove it is to use a pinion puller. (see pic) You can get these at most hobby stores or look online. Some have heated the pinion and pulled it off. I braced the pinion and tapped the motor shaft out using a cut off nail that fit insind the pinion.

Like Carguy said, if you are buying a new motor, get a new pinion too if you can find one. Be careful as some of the information being passed around is not always correct. I understand the gears on the Axe are 0.4 Modulus gears. That translates close to 64 teeth per inch or pitch. I bought mine here:
http://www.allerc.com/product_info.p...oducts_id=1487

Tower has them here:
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...RCH=axe+pinion

Let us know where you find them.

Forgot to add, you will also need some Loctite 609 retaining compound to "glue" the pinion on the shaft.