i have a torpeda 1/8... i was doin a tear down of all three diffs and a clean up today getting ready for the torpedas come back when i get my new motor.... i did the front and the rear hade no problems now i got the center apart cleaned all the diff fluid out put the gears back in filled it with new diff fliud everthing is back in its groves... now when i put it togather and put the 4 screews back in its locked up you cant spin the the two ends where the front an rear drive shafts go.. i took it back apart and tried it all over agen and it still locks up once i put the screws in.. is there a big washer or something that gos in the middle of the caseing that stops the gears from binding up that himoto forgot to put in because when i opened up the center caseing there was nothing in it is was like dry..

FYI i also looked at all the gears there all in good order there not all grinded or chewed up..

if it worked before i doubt we forgot to put something in, lol.....  there is a small grub screw on the side of the housing, make sure that is loose enough and not binding the gears if not something was put back together wrong. 

i know the grub screw your talking about its to get the pic out to remove the gear.. i dont think it is in to far it is flush with the case like the others from the other diffs.... ok i am goin to rebuild it agen and see if i missed anything.. ill post back in like 20 mins

I'm trying to think what could be locking it up, but cant think of anything

something must not be sitting wrong and binds when tightened if that grub screw is OK. 

Try turning it before you put the case back together.

I cant count how many times I've had mine apart (suprised I havent wore out the threads..lol)...I've never had that problem...anytime putting diff fluid in its good to turn it a bunch to get the trapped air out...

ok took it back apart 3 more times and its not locking up its binding up i found out cuz i can put a wrench on it an it turns but real hard so it binds up when the screws are all the way in... when i losein up the 4 screws about 1/4 to 1/2 of a turn it will unlock and only bind a little but the fluid comes out the screw holes.... its like the case is squeezeing the gears to tight have never had done anything to cars diffs befor.. i only hade about 8 tanks ran threw the motor befor the raido would go nuts half way thew a tank of gas and drive it self whereever it wanted to... it killed the car about 2 an half years ago... and i havent touched the car since then....

maybe a rusty or bad bearing thats binding, do the bearings turn by hand?

I can only think of 3 things that might cause that Binding Problem.......

1. Something is Bent/twisted from the Crash.....

2. You put it together Wrong.

3. Too many Shims, or Shims in the wrong places, and it Binds up when screws are tightened.


Take the Capsule out of the Buggy. Hold the assembly by the Spur Gear and turn the drives cups. They should turn with a slight "Notchy" feel.
If the drive cups wont turn, then there is a Problem inside the capsule.

Now assemble the Spur/diff assembly onto the car. Make sure you properly Seat the bearings. If it Binds NOW,,,,then the bearings are bad or something is mis-aligned or bent.

the bearings are freed up and thay are on the outside of the dif case... thay spin by finger when i screw the case closed yea... ok the two things that come out of the center diff that the drive shafts go into is what is what i am talking about something is binding up the gears inside the diff.... not the diff itself on the brackets on the car... from what i can tell nothing looks damaged or broken i looked over ever tooth on every gear inside the damn thing....

thats what i was trying to say it is inside the capsule.. there is a notchy feel to it that what i am talking about when i tighting up the 4 screews it gets so notchy it dont spin at all when holding the spur gear and trying to turn the drive cup inless i use wrenches or i un screw the 4 screws about 1/2 turn out and then it was turn with a slight notchy feel

okay....you have 2 sun gears and 4 planetaries....its been awhile since I've had a torpeda diff torn apart so bare with me...there should be a notch on the pins that the planetaries ride on...those notches should enter weave ...on the sun gears there is like an X machined or casted in them...the pin that holds the outdrives should fit in there...make sure the pins are lined up properly...I honestly cant think of anything else the would cause it to bind tightening up the screws..something isnt being put back together properly so you get the proper mesh...if you bent either the planetary pins or the outdrive pins the sun gears go over I would be amazed..and if you did, whatever you were doing when you did it you shouldnt do again..lol

you are right to a tee... wish i could of explaned it like that... everything is back in placelike it was when it come out.. i didnt look to see if i bent the pins on the gears or the out drives.. i dont really see how i could but if i did it was the car that did it... like every other time i took it out it whould go nuts and take off on it own... it was my first car i didnt know it was the raido that was crappy intill i got my losi and it came with a futuba so i put the torpeda in the closet intill now.. iam getting a new motor an raido so i was just goin over the car to get it ready to rock....

This is what happened to my Buddys Avalanche when the Radio Crapped Out. It ran away at 1/2 throttle,,,,,into a wall.

lol... i got no pics i already fixed it but the raido that came with the torpeda sent the car full speed threw 2 yards down 2 blocks and into a big geen dumpster... it also took it self swimming one day when i went to the beach... that was the last time i drove the car over 2 years ago.. lol... anyways i looed over the pins on the out drives and the ones that go in the gears nothing seems to be bent or out of place... maybe the gears never seated right in the first place i have no clue i am so lost with this damn thing.. cant really find nothing on the web about it eather..

get your diff figured out...still puzzled here...intrested to know what it was

i just got done messing with it for about two hours now and still no clue what the deal is.. nothings i can tell is bent or out of place

ok i was lookin at the himoto web site and found this http://server.sohouniverse.net/~himo...&=SID#MOREINFO this is the diff shell to the left of the diff shell what is that is that a seal/spacer/washer or something of that sort??? if so that might be why it is binding i didnt see any seals on any of the front or back diffs.. and i also have a few other things to ask.... on the torpeda can i put Stabilizer Bars in the front too?? it came with one on the back but i seen the the spot for one in the front.. and what the diffrence in the clutch shoes what so good about haveing Metal Clutch-3pcs vs the standerd ones?? and the three pins that the clutch shoes sit on do i need a new flywheel is thay broke off?

Iwill wait for Randy or someone to get back to you about the diff shell, I NEVER took mine apart on my torpeda's, it should have come with a stabilizer bar in the front. a metal shoe will grab faster than the nylon shoes but they do need maintaince. You will need a new flywheel, that is part of the flywheel.

yeah that is a seal...may take up the space needed for proper mesh...as far as putting a front stabilizer bar, yes you can...I havent done it to either of my 2 but have the parts to do it ( havent messed with them much since I've gotten my rxb-1)...

as far as the shoes and flywheel Eddie was spot on (as usual..lol)...if your not going to race it ( iffin ya wanna race a himoto get the rxb-1 trust me) ya might wanna stick with composite shoes....

does it come with front bars randy?  I thought the torpeda comes with front and rear bars, i may be wrong, i dont have it in front of me and we havent ran them in a while.

just rear....i'm almost positive the rear bar will go on the front...I dug my spares out and held them up and it looks like it will work anyways..lol.....maybe I should tinker on them ol' dogs some, ya think?..lol....
still think they are a good buggy, I've hit a curb dead on at a fair rate of speed with one of mine (pretty much stock cept the engine), it went up in the air like 3 ft..and when it landed I drove it off, no damage.lol...not much of a fan of the aluim upgrades since I got the rxb-1....on a torpeda I think your better off running it pretty much stock...I beleive the stock towers are better...and I know first hand the aluim front upper arms arent worth it...the rxb-1 upgrades are exactly that, upgrades...great quality parts, very light and extreamly durable...just proves how himoto has turned the page....and I bet it continues...

there was no seals on any of my diffs when i took them apart at all i knew something was missing because i put the diff back togather just like it came apart.. the guy putting my car togather in hongkong must of been drunk or something there was so many problems with this car... can i just but the seals for the diffs of do i have to buy the whole shell to get the seal?

not sure...I'll look around and see what I have...I may have some...

i also forgot the gas tank always leaked since the day i got it from the lid is there a lid and seal kit for that tank i hade to use a little zip tie to hold it closed