Smoked AE2 ESC
 

I'm looking for some info as to possible reasons why. The truck is an SCX10. I recently (before the esc fried) installed an Epic motor (not sure the turn, got in a trade, probably 45t) with 30* advanced timing. 3s battery, Axial AE2, Castle bec.

I used the truck for a few hours the Saturday before with no problems, no overheating either. While cleaning the truck, I noticed the endbell was loose. The endbell screws were not secured to the inner ring, so I had to remove the endbell. Once i got it all back together I tested it with the 3s battery and the esc smoked as soon as I accelerated the truck.

This was the first time I messed with a modified motor with timing. I was thinking it might have been how I rebuilt it. A friend said with advanced timing and 3s it was too much amp or watts for the esc to handle.

Basically I'm looking to learn from my mistake so it doesn't happen again. I'm not even sure it safe to use the modified motor. Any help/opinions are appreciated.

Hmm...I thought that ESC looked familiar. It's Castle. Probably a Sidewinder. Looking at the specs on AXIAL's page for that ESC, the motor limit is 19T. So 45T is way off. Add a 3S battery, and I'm not too surprised the ESC went *poof*. Honestly tho, I don't know if 19T is the max or min limit. Lessee....lower T = higher KV = higher RPM/volt. Higher T = lower KV = lower RPM/volt. So a 45T motor would be a crawler motor. And the AE2 is used in the SCX10 etc....so I would think it would have been ok, but maybe the design of the motor, plus the 30* advanced timing, was just too much for the AE2. Castle designs to pretty close margins, IMO, and I think the 45T is just too far outside the ESC's 108Amps Peak, or the motor caused some kind of back-voltage or ripple that killed the ESC. Not knowing the motor's specs, I'm guessing.

I doubt you did anything to the motor if it had been running ok, then you noticed the end bell was loose. You should have heard a scraping sound as the rotor started chewing into the windings on the inside of the can. Unless you didn't recognize that sound. In which case, you mighta killed it. If you can take it out of the car and spin the rotor with your fingers and it feels free and smooth (except for the magnet drag of course), then it's probably ok. But putting an un-known motor into a system is really not wise, unless you really know what you're doing.

Looks like you're gonna be in the market for a new motor/ESC combo. Stick with the stock Axial replacement for now.

a 45t motor is well within the limit of a AE2 ESC, they can handle anything over 19t. And 45t is not even close.
generally u will find the higher the turn count the lower the current draw, and been a crawler there would be even less current draw because of the increased mechanical torque from the low gearing.

but....

The AE2 ESC is only rated to 2s lipo and 6cell Nimh

so by the sounds u run a 3s lipo and smoked it.... Whoops, Expensive mistake.

personally I would recommend one of these ESC over the Axial AE2..... HH Torquemaster

http://holmeshobbies.com/Holmes-Hobb...ter-BR-XL.html

Thanks for the replys. Just an fyi, I did read on axial site that using 3s on the ae2 esc with a castle bec is ok. That is why I tried it. But now I'm thinking the ae2 doesnt like modified motors just stockers (I have no material to back that up though).