Well, I'm pretty used to breaking in the HL gear box which is a very important step. As some of you know, I've finally got myself a Tamiya Pershing. I'm getting fairly close to installing the gearbox....but I'm not sure if I need to break in the gearbox. Is it still the same method using valve grinding compound or something else? Some of the gears have a chrome poslished finish and a very smooth surface. They looks as though grinding them down would be a bad thing. Same for the motor......this need to be broken in too?


Also the motors don't have disc capacitors......should they?

Thanks fellas!
Tony

Do not even THINK of the break in deal with Tamiya TU'S!!!!!!!! Oil all the gear shafts lightly (I use 10W-40), a spot of grease on each gear face, and run them...for years. The motors have internal suppressors. Plug and run, me lad. Periodic maintenance is the name of the game. Oil the TU's from time to time, and a spot of grease on the gear teeth.

While we're on that subject, suffice it to say I wince every time I see the 'break in' posts here. Valve lapping compound is a fine abrasive, designed to cut hardened steel and alloy valves. Some tooth pastes have fine abrasives in them also. Any time you are using an abrasive on your transmissions, the fine powder is getting not only on your gear teeth, but also on the gear shafts and bushings and 'breaking' them in also. Don't do it!! Take the new HL or Mato metal geared TU's, run them after a heavy oiling of the shafts and gear teeth for an hour in each direction and be done with it. You can NEVER get all the lapping compound out of your transmission with out special cleaners, and besides, the damage is already done.

Tony,
I'll defer to the expert, I did not think there would be a problem with a no load run of the gearbox without the lapping compound and I have read here to break in the motors to get the brushes seated with a no load run but I must have misunderstood somehow.
Steve

Well, I'm very relieved now that I asked!! Thanks a whole heap!!! Those chrome gears are what red flagged the question....they're do pretty, lol.
Your right about the lapping compound and I've had concerns about it. Especially when I broke in my first gear box by running the motor and gears together instead of seperately. Noticed lots of goo and metal flakes in the opening of my motors. So that was the last time I did it that way, and used the drill method for the gearbox alone.

Anyway, thanks Bob for clarifying!!

What about the disc capacitor normally on the positive end of a motor's lead? I suppose Tamiya gearboxes don't require this?
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Not a problem, BT. I just shudder every time I see a post about breaking in the TU's.

The Tamiya system is very well thought out. Motors have internal suppressors, as do the after market Graupners I sell (out of stock at the moment but due in any day now...finally). Basically you have a very well thought out and quality built unit here. The entire system is plug and play, although I do replace all my motor connectors with low resistance connectors, and do the same on the batteries, carefully matching polarity on the batteries by the way. Basically you are getting what you pay for. Tamiya TU's can be worn out, as I have done to a couple over the years, but you can get an inexpensive kit to overhaul them, basically a kit to replace everything but the TU frame, from Danville Museum or Tamiya in CA. It took 5 years of hard running and many a competition at Danville for me to wear one TU out. Normal driving, I doubt if you will ever wear one to the point of needing replacement gears, but if needed they are out there.

Steve, with your special competition TU's, I do run them an hour in each direction with the TU motor, clean them up, re lube them, and run. The more they run, the more quiet they get.

yes please don't touch the tamiya gears, i have tanks from 12y old never had any issue's with them, see no tearing at any place, thats the difference between HL and tamiya , quality, long lasting and price also.
I ordered a gearbox for my third KTit was from the 36 tamseries static so, it costed 60&euro; and it gonna last for ever ... my porsche KT is twelve years old no wear at all

Thanks again guys, and Bob....ya saved me from doing something real stupid! <div></div><div>What about the ceramic grease supplied with the kit...I tried to find some locally and hardware stores to mechanic shops give me dumb looks when I ask for the stuff. I have silicone ball diff grease....is that safe for the gears and box alike?</div>

BT, it wasn't 'stupid', you just are not familiar with Tamiya is all.

On the 'ceramic grease', read 'teflon grease'. You can generally find it at most any hobby shop that does model trains or RC cars. Labell is the company that makes it, at least used to make it. You can also use the silicone grease, just a dab on the teeth does the trick. On the gear shafts, 10W-40 is what I use. Works grand, a drop on each side of each gear or cluster on the shaft.

Thank you Bob for the guidance. I surely don't want to screw up my tank! lol <div>This build is a fairly slow process....actually, I'm purposely making this slow. Little here, little there. It's quite pleasing....I almost want to sell it right after I build it and purchase another to start the build all over again. </div><div>
</div><div>One thing that I have noticed on my Pershing so far that isn't really a problem at this point, but looks like it could be an annoyance later on....the return rollers, once assembled are not meant to be taken apart again. I'm hoping that doesn't become an issue if dirt  gets trapped in there....or I ever need to re-lube the shaft. []</div>

Like I said, " my only one" is not likely to happen. After you build one, it's hard to stop.