JonesE

My smartech car runs fine but it has a hard time moving I have to slowly give it throttle to make the car move and if I speed up the engine screams and the car slows down and someitmes to a stop. Other times i can't get it to move at all. This HAS to be a problem in the clutch area but i don't know whats wrong. I own a raptor 50 titan with an oss 50 hyper but it has a metal clutch and clutch liner. This smartech does not have a clutch linei n the bell and it has a spring device. I am new to rc cars and do not understand how this works. My clutch is probably melted as I noticed it was kind of lop sided and there was a lot of black grunk in the clutch bell. Which part do I need to replace? How do I fix this?

GYNAIKAS

Well have you checked the flywheel nut? But if it was the nut it wouldn't move at all ...don't know what to say my brain got stucked... Let me think about it...

DIABLOTAC78

is your spur gear stripped or the screw from the clutch bell loose or is it without screw? the clutch shoe? check it out .

JonesE

None of my gears are stripped. I had the engine out of the car earlier today to clean up the clutch but that didn't help. The hex bolt holding the clutch on is tight. I think I'll have to buy a new clutch.

GYNAIKAS

Did you check the final gears or the transmission generally? When you hit the throtle do the bell-gears and the spur gears move?

JonesE

The only gears visible to me are the 2 in in 2-speed transmission. Here is what happens when I give it throttle. The engine speeds up and the clutch bell doesn't turn. Sometimes it will engage and the gears will turn and the car will run fine more often then not, the clutch bell will NOT even spin. Even at high rpms the clutch won't engage the clutch bell...

GYNAIKAS

Maybe it stucks somewhere and doesn't engage (shoes don't expand)...I don't think that the shoes weared off so easily..I think you said they were metal, right?

ferrarimk13

you should take em out, and have a look, these shoes are very precise, and one minor thing, can affect it greatly, so i would definitely take a look. maybe its your springs?

GYNAIKAS

I don't think it's the spring's fault... I'm so curious...! But I agree: open the clutch and investigate, it's the best way to notice what goes wrong...

JonesE

The first time I opened the clutch assembly up, it was very dirty.

This is what was cleaned off of it which is why I suspected my clutch was burnt out.



Top view of clutch shoes, the edges where the springs are seem to be worn down a bit.

Last picture shows the 2 gears in the transmission. The gear I am point to with the hex wrench seems to do nothing no matter which way I spin it. The larger gears makes the car go forward whe nI spin it anti clockwise though. I'm not sure why the small gear doesn't do anything? Maybe it is because I don't understand how it switches gears anyway...

Maybe from these pictures you guys can get a better idea of whats going on.

GYNAIKAS

The second gear doesn't move the car. That's the 2nd gear and it engages only at high rpm. Well try the clutch again now that it's cleaned. If the problem remains get new clutch shoes to see what will happen.

JonesE

This is the second time I've had the clutch apart. The first time, I cleaned the bell out and I tried it again. I still had the same problems and this is the second time I have taken it apart to inspect it. I will try it again, but I really doubt it will make a difference. I'm going to pick up a new clutch shoe off ebay, too bad its gona cost 16$ for one tiny part.

GYNAIKAS

[]...I hope you solve the problem soom...I can't think of anything else...!

JonesE

Part of my problem may be that my engine is not tuned yet. I jsyt got through breaking it in real rich so I will start to lean it out. I am still going to get a replacement clutch and I am confident it will help fix my problem. If I got full throttle, I should be able to do a burn out, but my car' wheels don't spin but the engine screams.

I'll keep you guys posted after I get a new clutch.

evil

Well if nothing else Those are some of the sharpest pics iv seen taken of problem bits

JonesE

I leaned it out a tad more and now I think the engine is running fairly well although it has only gotten into second gear once while the tank leaned out (empty). It goes ballistic in second gear, I wish it would go into it more often. Thats a problem that can wait though.

Does anyone notice anything thats missing in this picture?


This dogbone and joiner are probably a useful part to have in your car!

I'm not sure how long I ran the car with FWD only but I noticed these missing pieces when I took it inside to clean her up. Unfortunately I seem to be missing a bearing. I am missing one sliding bearing 10*5*4 part #002147. The other thing that I find strange is my manual shows an E-ring #4 that should attatch onto the bevel bearing shaft. This should have kept the bearing from coming out but mine may not have had an e-ring in the first palce as there isn't a groove in my bevel bearing shaft like the one in the diagram. Part #11341.

Also after looking at the diagram of the engine assembly, I noticed my clutch does not have a clutch friction washer. This is strange, I don't think it even came with one. Do I need one? could this be causing my clutch problems?

I will also get a new clutch friction set Part #45059
I assume there are not any canadian dealers of smartech parts but I tried excelhobby earlier today. I tried to buy a clutch but paypal said they were not receving money at the momoment.

The ebay stores are also very expensive and don't carry many parts. A clutch would cost me 15$ including shipping but I'm willing to pay it if it will fix my car.

GYNAIKAS

LMAO...It has happened to me too...FWD sucks!!! But I don't know about the friction set...if clutch is the problem then it will work in my opinion.

boltech

JonesE

FYI.... You don't have to get the stock Smartech clutch shoes. Go with Duratrax White Nylon Shoes DTXC7156 or Kyosho Alloy Shoes IF204. Your Smartech will perform much better!

Also did you do a complete check before you started running it? Make sure all screws were tight and had loctite on them?
Be it a cheap knockoff or a brand name RTR you have to check the car top to bottom.

Since it is a Smartech I would check to make sure there is grease in the diffs. There was none in mine when I did the pre run inspection

JonesE

I know the best helicopter shops in Canada but not the USA. Is there a good canadian shop? as cross border shipping is very slow right now. I found this one on ebay, its the alloy clutch but I can't tell if it comes with a spring: http://cgi.ebay.ca/Kyosho-Inferno-MP...QQcmdZViewItem
I'm going to buy it and I geuss I can use the spring off my old shoe but it would be nice to find spares.

I did not do a complete check which is a big no no. I thought, meh its a car what could possibly go wrong! I thought wrong... :P
I started pulling it apart today to give it a good cleaning and inspection while I wait to order parts. I took the transmission apart so now I understand how the car gets into second gear. I'm not sure why my car won't get into second. I don't think I can loosen the screw anymore holding the spring down or else it will rub on that metal rod where the clutch catches.

Correct me if I am wrong but inside the tranny clutch, the metal piece comes out with the force from the rpm and gets stuck on the metal post inside. This makes sense but to me it doesn't seem like it will work to well because the pivot point in my mind is in the wrong spot. I would think it would beed to be flipped over so the metal part can swing out from behind and grab, but this won't grab anything. I'm not sure how else I am supposed to get this car in second gear.

I possibly have a new problem. When I was disassembling the tranny I notced the piece connecting to the dogbone for the FWD was very wobbly. This is the piece I am talkign about:

I tried to use washers to help but they did not which is when I noticed why it was wobbling.



The shaft is 5mm and the diameter of the universal joint is 6mm. I honestly don't know how to fix this problem. My car did run while it was wobbly but too me this just seems like unnceccesary vibration and it is probably 2mm out.

Right now it looks like I need a new clutch. I will get the alloy one or nylon you suggested. Thanks, I wasn't going to be forced to buy another bad smartech clutch. The only other part is a 10*5*4 bearing which I will buy online as well. I don't think I need that clutch frictio nwasher. All it would do is move my clutch bell out further and then it probably wouldn't align wit hthe tranny properly.

Anthoop

Hi,good to see you using the vernier calipers there...you do know that for measuring internals you can use the opposite side...you get me?
For your clutch,i would say from looking at the pics that the shoes are binding against the face of the clutch bell....you need to shim the bell out so as the shoes do not contact the flat face of the bell....yes?
I to have a Smartech and i will say that you are right to source alternative parts (bearings/clutch...etc) where you can as the parts are in general pretty cheap.

JonesE

Thanks for the tip about measuring internals. This is the first time I've used calipers so I did not know that.

I can spin the clutch bell and it will keep on spinning freely. I don't think it is binding. Its harder then I thought to find a 10x5x4 bearing.

boltech

JonesE that cup came loose because the grub screw that is located within it has become loose or worn at it's base. for those grub screws I use red loctite, be warned after the red loctite is applied it's very difficult to remove the grub screw.

Anthoop

This is the pic i'm looking at....looks as though the shoes are being prevented from coming out as they are in contact with the face!?A shim or two will not hurt.
Sorry can't really help with the bearings (i'm in the UK).

JonesE

Oh now I see what you are saying. I think that streaked grime on the face is from me wiping it off the side of the clutch. I will open it up soon and see if there are any more signs of it binding and I'll see if some washers won't help once I get this thingrunning again.