Hey Guys...great forum! I am building my first tank and could use some help. The manual says when installing the turret "align turret projections and rotate as shown." I understand aligning the notches in the deck with the projections in the turret but manually turning the turret with the gear engaged to the turret rotation unit is not possible. Does rotate as shown mean under power? If so I am led to think that if the batteries are completely dead (unable to rotate the turret) then it would become impossible to remove the turret.
I hope I am missing something. Any and all advise would be greatly appreciated.
Best Regards,
Don

Hi you can rotate the turret manually if needed,the rotation unit has a slip clutch so you wont break anything,besides your tank will stop moving well before the turret stop working as batt power gives out. And of course if you dont want to move the turret by hand you can always access the batt by removing the deck plate which is held by two screws forward of the turret, also detach the rubber air hoses at the back which of course you didn't already superglue on

Thanks ! A slip clutch...well that makes sense. I guess I was a bit leary of forcing anything, didn't want to break anything before I at least had a chance to run it. Thanks again.

Don't slip the clutch too much!!! The tamiya traverse is the weakest part of their kits and that gear can slip too much and become so loose it will get stuck. Many true believers glue the gear or use the no slip replacement to get good traction. No traverse equals Jagdtiger!

Thanks edoubleaz. Could you elaborate on the "no slip replacement" ? Sounds like a good idea.

Don

Don,

Ethan has a good point. The only place I've heard of that has the no slip replacement gear (i.e. it replaces the stock gear with the imbedded slip clutch) is from Tom Zhang, who has a website (due to RCU rules, I can't post it on this forum). Most of us (including myself) just epoxy the clutch.

It is the blue one piece gear that the thread is referring to.

For some help, email Tom, to learn more about the no slip turret gear replacement: [email protected]

Gluing the clutch gear works just as well, I have used both methods and it is an easy fix or install.

As the others have said, glue the clutch gear with epoxy or super glue. Also try the "zip tie" fix.

http://www.sead.us/technology2.html

This really helps on all of the Tamiya tanks.

Guys:

This 'special' gear is none other than one of the gears from the Tamiya TechniCraft series gear boxes. Its also used to 'power' the tracks on the static Tiger and King tiger kits.
If you know someone thats got a static Tiger or KT and isn't going to use the gearbox, ask to swap for his gears.

For reference, the one used is the 72005: ( 17.50 MSRP, but check with the AAF PX)



[link=http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=72005]TechniCraft series gearbox # 72005[/link]

It'll give you about 4 gears for traverse units (about $3 a gear, plus leftovers) I cannibalised my static one or I'd offer you one of mine for postage.

(will look for the gearbox to see if I can 'rework' the removed clutched ones to 'lock' them for those who are not able to DIY)

Great catch White Wolf!

*laughs*

Been telling you guys this for years, ever since I saw the one out of my static Tiger and thought the gears looked like the ones in the traverse. Only difference is the color of the plastic.

Tamiya is famous for re-using parts... as many know from their RC cars... The Frog, Brat, & Lancia Rally buggies, then the Blackfoot (monsterized w/ F-150 body) MudBlaster (monsterized with Brat body) & MonsterBeetle (monsterized with Beetle body) all used the same major components, and re-used bodies from other kits too. Same with the Sand Scorcher/Rough Rider, Blazing Blazer/Hi-Lux 4x4, Bruiser/Mountainer, and many many more.

Haven't dug for the gears yet, but wil. Got a tube of silly-cone here ready to begin locking 'em too.

Great. Thank you for the update on the info.