Miss Bud Servo Problem
 

My Miss Bud took on alot of water and killed my throttle servo. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to remove it from the boat. I unscrewed the screws but it seems the servos are glued to the bottom of the boat. Also is there a easy way to keep the electonics area dry. Thanks

RE: Miss Bud Servo Problem
 

It is glued to the bottom! You can pry it off with the risk of taking a piece of hull with it. I use to just wait 3 day's and it would dry out. I did away with that hooky switch and used a sullivan switch. Also use good radio box tape.

RE: Miss Bud Servo Problem
 

Thanks DD- 1 more thing- where did yoo get your Sullivan switch from?

RE: Miss Bud Servo Problem
 

I am sorry it was a dubro kwik switch I got at the local hobby store. I searched dubro's site and only found this one. [link]http://www.shopatron.com/product/product_id=DUB207/101.0[/link] But the one I had didn't have the charging jack. It was just a rod that fit tight thru a plastic bolt. The charge jack would leak bad. Check your local hobby store to see if they have the differant type.

RE: Miss Bud Servo Problem
 

Hey tjc2274,
The servos are not glued down! They are designed to change. Just remove the four screws and pry slowly between rubbery stuff and servo if they are stuck. Use Vaseline around these screws to reduce water wear. The rubbery stuff sticks to the wood piece so when you screw it down the servo stays firm.

The water problem is something else. A cavitation plate helps because the boat is rarely going slow enough for the spray to get in the cowling. The cooling system leaks and water runs and is sucked in along the side of the cowling, can't be stopped. The air being sucked in the three holes in cowling also suck water spray. If I turn too sharp the spray can cause engine to stop because of water. The design of the electronics box is not good! But the boat is cool enough to over look this. I have been water proofing receiver with disposable gloves cut up and tied with rubber bands, am trying a balloon, I heard a prophylactic works good if you can look one in the face so to speak. Once you have the boat running with the plate and if you install the factory sponge I find it absorbs enough water as to keep servos dry.(Because there is alot less water.) Try using fingernail polish around the cracks on the servo to slow seepage and raise lowest point. If you flip understand that the antenna hole is open to the box (Vaseline can help.) so don't be deceived, open it completely and dry everything, hopefully no water got in receiver and continuing will not be costly. Take it from a guy who didn't, wet receivers can make you laugh out loud, and it ain't funny!!!

The only way I can justify the time, money and frustration is to beat my buddy, worth twice the effort. Even beating someone else has no merit for me. If you get it going and wreck it, let me know. I may be interested in the pieces as racing is unpredictable and because Murphy spends his life on my back my only solution is redundancy.

Good boating.

p.s. If you want an idea that will take some time and reduce most water try this. Put a silicone bead around the outside edge of box. Cover with clear plastic wrap and with a plastic cover a little larger set it down and press flat. After drying pull of wrap. I thought also of epoxying plastic or carbon fiber strip under the edges and then drill 2 screw holes on each side. Water proof on/off switches are available too. I find the way it is gives me 2 to 3 hours of actual race time before the water starts changing the boats mind mid-race. I have a spare boat! Ha Ha Murphy, didn't get me this time!!!!

RE: Miss Bud Servo Problem
 

I just got done installing new linkage boots in my radio box, putting an Ofna silicone switch cover on and changed to a thread in antenna with an o-ring on it to seal up the radio box. When I ran today, I still had water coming in so I took it home, pulled the elctronics, motor and fuel tank and filled the hull with water to see if it was coming from inside. Sure enough, the radio box was leaking in the bottom rear corners AND on the top edges where it is bonded to the deck. I just used thick CA to run beads around the seams and fill the pinholes in the corners. Got it done, put the lid on, filled my bathtub and sunk the boat. I left it there for 5 minutes- there was not ONE drop in the radio compartment when I opened it. FINALLY!!! :). After having the boat run wild the other day due to wet radio gear, I made it my mission to make sure it didn't happen again. oh yeah, my throttle servo died after getting wet too, so I just replaced that today also. It was disassembled and dried out after getting wet and worked for a day then quit completely. My local shop had the JR servos for like $25, so I just got a new JR instead of hacking a futaba plug to fit. Good luck.
Joe

RE: Miss Bud Servo Problem
 

Congrats Joe,
I will spend a little extra effort on my boots too, thanks. I will check my electronics boxes for holes too. I haven't been too worried because the auto bailers literally suck the water out when running which reduces the problem. But keeping all water out of control box seemed impossible but I will try again. The nylon ties on either side of the nylon exhaust coupling will save you anguish. Once the coupling warms up and used it gets soft and splits and flies off.

Happy boating.

RE: Miss Bud Servo Problem
 

Yeah, I figured with the auto bailers, it wasn't *as* big of an issue. My problem was the boat would get water in it, I would turn it over to dump it out and it would run into the radio box around the top edges. The little pinholes would not be a problem unless the boat was submerged, but I wanted to seal it off as a radio box should be the only 100% dry place on a boat :).. If you pull the motor and such and fill it up, I'll bet yours is doing the same thing too. Like I said, the autobailers save you from problems during normal use, but if something happens and you flip, sink, etc. it is nice knowing the electronics will be safe. The Antenna I got has a threaded base with a nut on the inside, I had to grind one side of the nut down since it was tight against the radio box. I used that with a small grommet around the base to seal it agains the hull then the top of the antenna has a rubber cap on it, so even if the boat sinks, it will not let water in through the antenna mast either. This is the same setup I used to run in my nitro boats back in the day too.

I have the zip ties on my coupler- thanks :).. Did you get my PM about the turning issues?
Joe

RE: Miss Bud Servo Problem
 

Oh yeah- the nice thing is aside from the drying time of the CA on the seams, the whole ordeal took maybe 2 hours at the most between pulling the motor, tank, electronics, mounting the bru-line boots, etc. and reassembling it all. Well worth the time..
Joe

RE: Miss Bud Servo Problem
 

Get a waterproofing spray like Aeroplate, Corrosion X or The Stuph. spray some inside the servos and the water problems should go away. I use Aeroplate on all of my boats and one had the radio box full of water. I dumped it out and had it back on the water a few minutes later and still no glitches since. The Aeroplate and others cost about what a cheap servo does. I've sprayed a lot of servos and still have over a half bottle.

RE: Miss Bud Servo Problem
 

Good idea- I still prefer to keep water out altogether though :). I did honestly put dielectric grease on all the connectors and took the reciever and servos apart and put it around the seams to seal them. Should be about the same as your method- except the nice thing is you can pack the reciever connector holes full of it before plugging the servos and such in to seal around the connectors and also prevent corrosion.
Joe

RE: Miss Bud Servo Problem
 

A cheap bag for the reciever. Disposable baby bottle liners. I cut them off at the 6 oz. mark. Stuff a little paper towel in there for added protection.
If you don't embarass easily, some people put cut-up tampons in their radio boxes to soak up the water.

RE: Miss Bud Servo Problem
 

Lol, that'll work too :). Mine is water tight now though :).
Joe

RE: Miss Bud Servo Problem
 

Exacto Joe.
I have been bagging but you can't bag servos and somehow moisture always gets in receiver. Servos have an arm that moves so they can not be water proofed completely so the spray may help me. I didn't know we weren't suppose to flip. Can that cause problems? I cracked my exhaust manifold twice and have used JB Weld to repair the second one. Once I figured how to fix instead of replace they quit breaking, or it is the redundancy I finally got.

Waterproofing is best and now that I know it is possible I will try. Thanks.