My comments on the cold and Amber.

[mattf]

Well, yesterday I took my pede out with my friend who has a Savage. Things were going good until our front bumpers met each other with him going 20+. I broke the front shock tower, left castor block, lower shock end, bent the shock shaft into a "L", and broke the case in two on my Hitec 625 servo. After some custom fitting of parts from my NRustler, I got it back up and running. I took it out today and split the case of my Futaba 3003 servo. It was 1* with a -25* wind chill when we were driving. This has led me to conclude that it is too cold to drive.

On to the Amber. I got it installed and broken in and everything. How much more top speed can I expect? I have the stock tires and it was geared 14/87. The accel is a lot better but top speed isn't. I tried 15/87 today and accel was still good, but top speed still wasn't. It doesn't seem any faster than the Stinger. Is that normal, or is something wrong? There isn't anything binding or wrong is the tranny.

Also the pinions I am using are the normal Robinson Racing pinions. They seem like they don't mesh with the spur very well. They aren't smooth like the stock Traxxas one. Normal? Or should I go to a different brand?

[Paraphoe]

Originally posted by mattf
On to the Amber. I got it installed and broken in and everything. How much more top speed can I expect? I have the stock tires and it was geared 14/87. The accel is a lot better but top speed isn't. I tried 15/87 today and accel was still good, but top speed still wasn't. It doesn't seem any faster than the Stinger. Is that normal, or is something wrong? There isn't anything binding or wrong is the tranny.

Well, that's not encouraging....I was planning on buying one in the next few days.

You are talking about this motor, correct?

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXCUP9&P=7

[stampede720]

Originally posted by mattf
Also the pinions I am using are the normal Robinson Racing pinions. They seem like they don't mesh with the spur very well. They aren't smooth like the stock Traxxas one. Normal? Or should I go to a different brand?

I have no trouble out of my RRP pinions, well, with mesh anyway. I use a small 12 tooth that likes to break and strip the screw hole.

Are you positive that it is 48 pitch?

720

BTW Paraphoe, I wouldn't worry about the motor. Too many people around here recommend them for them to not be great.

[sirsloop]

yeh, the entire speed gem pro series are VERY nice motors..

What spur gears are you using? I STRONGLY recommend you pick up a RRP Absolute Spur. Ive gone through TONS of spurs trying to get a nice mesh...these absolute series spurs and pinions are the best ive found.

[cbrfreak]

I am currently running an Amber with a RRP spur... I am geared 16/87 and have M2k's for the traction duties. I didn't notice a real power increase until I installed the LRP esc over the stock MSC. I love this combo! If you haven't seen the vid clips of my Pede on my website, go there and at the bottom you will see how it runs. Let me know if yours is comperable to that.

[mattf]

You are talking about this motor, correct?

That would be the one.

Are you positive that it is 48 pitch?

Yep. This is the one. The gears work fine, maybe it is just me.

Edit: I got the vids to work. Mine is nothing like that. Mine is geared lower and yours still out accels mine. Yours is a lot faster too. I see yours wheelies, mine isn't even close to doing that.

I am running the stock esc too, if that makes a difference. And I'm using Sanyo 1500's too.

[TO FAST FOR YOU]

is your slipper adjusted properly?

[mattf]

Yep. Locked.

[cbrfreak]

Are your tires glued? Mine wouldn't wheelie until I got the Mashers by the way...

[cbrfreak]

Here's a thought... Have you re-calibrated your esc since you got the new motor?

[mattf]

No I have not. All I did was plug it in and go. The tires aren't glued, but they spin on pavement (which is where I drive in the winter), so I think that is fine.

I'll try the esc thing tomorrow. Maybe I'll have to order up a set of mashers.

Thanks for all the help.

[cbrfreak]

Originally posted by mattf
The tires aren't glued, but they spin on pavement
Maybe I'll have to order up a set of mashers.

Thanks for all the help.

1 Your tires spin on pavement... Not enough traction to wheelie.

2 If you get enough traction, your un-glued tires will spin on the rims.

3 Glued mashers will give you the traction needed to wheelie.

4 glue on some Mashers and grin like an idiot!

[imPEDEd]

If you are still using the stock tires, that is a huge part of the problem. M2Ks with the same gearing and motor will hook up hugely on pavement.

What is the timing set at on the Amber? If you have it set to 10-15 degrees, you really should see a good improvement over the Stinker. Motors will break in and improve with time.

Stay out of the cold you silly person! We destroyed several bodies last winter and exploded an RPM bumper playing in the cold. Then we found the local indoor off-road track and all was good in our world.

[Azuza]

Originally posted by imPEDEd
If you have it set to 10-15 degrees, you really should see a good improvement over the Stinker. Motors will break in and improve with time.

What's a "Stinker" motor?

Just kidding!!

I know it's a typo on "Stinger". We all have those days.

[razer]

Originally posted by Azuza
We all have those days.

I reqret to inform you that you are having one now. He typed it that way on purpose - haha, funny, get it?

[Azuza]

I get it......

[imPEDEd]

No, on my keyboard the 'g' an the 'k' geys are right next to each other.

[mattf]

I realized the spinning tires=no wheelies, but it didn't seem like enough to make it wheelie. I'll get Mashers and giver her a try.

The timing as at about 10*. Would increasing it do anything?

Stay out of the cold you silly person!

That's what I first planned on, but you know how that goes.

[cbrfreak]

My timing is at 15 degrees. On a side note, I also upgraded the tranny and wheels with roller bearings. Another factor may be that the stock esc has more resistance than the LRP that I run. Other than what I have suggested, I am out of ideas for now.

[RCcarnut]

And I'm using Sanyo 1500's too.

Better batteries make a world of difference.If those have alot of runs on them they could be your problem.

Increasing the timing would make your top end faster but also make the motor get warmer.

[stampede720]

Originally posted by imPEDEd
No, on my keyboard the 'g' an the 'k' geys are right next to each other.

Really? There's an "H" and a "J" between the G and the K on mine. He meant to do that.

Mattf, do you still think your top speed is down? The tires will help wheelies tremendously, but if it's still not right on the top end, then...

I think you still may have wheelie trouble with the stock ESC. Better batts are a plus, but you do have Sanyo's, so i probably wouldn't worry about that right away.

FWIW, i didn't see that big a difference in my Serpentine and the Stinger when I had my Radio Shack 6 cell battery, but the acceleration was considerably better (as was the running temp). Maybe the batts could be one of the problems. I went to a GP3300 7 cell and it was exactly a 7.3 MPH increase.

720

[imPEDEd]

Originally posted by stampede720

Really? There's an "H" and a "J" between the G and the K on mine. He meant to do that.

He wins a prize doesn't he? He must win a prize.

[mattf]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm going to go mess around with it some more to see if I can get anything to happen.

[RyguyJones]

I've noticed that as it gets colder you lose traction. Some days no matter how hard I try it won't spin out, when its above freezing, but when its below I spin out without meaning to!

[cbrfreak]

The day I shot the wheelie vids it was 25 degrees out.

[mattf]

Ok, I took my tires off of my NRustler (that were glued) and put them on the Pede and took it for a spin. I put my wheelie bar to work with the first pull of the trigger. For the first half of the pack it would wheelie easily. I think with the Mashers and a little gearing work it'll be good to go.

Thanks for all the help.

[cbrfreak]

WOOHOO! Glad to help.

[mattf]

WOOHOO!

That's how I felt when the front tires pointed up in the air.

[mattf]

I got my Mashers to day and took it for a spin. I get about 3 inch wheelies geared 14/87. I think that when I get good batteries it will make a big difference. About 3 minutes into the runs, I heard a loud crunch and the motor just spun. I think it is either the idler or a diff gear. Otherwise, I'm pleased with the mashers and the motor.

[cbrfreak]

It's weird that with a Sanyo pack you're not getting gigantic wheelies... btw, After putting the esc and Amber in mine, I too heard that disgusting crunch and then just clicking with no forward motion. I had to buy a new idler gear and that's when I put the slipper clutch in it too. (mine is an original Stampede so it didn't have a slipper) I've gone through about 5 batteries and a hundred wheelies without a stripped gear.

P.S. I got a Mini-T today!!!

[mattf]

I took the tranny apart and it was the idler. Half of the teeth were stripped off smooth. Time for an aluminum one I guess.

[TO FAST FOR YOU]

thats funny mattf the same thing happened to me the other day.i had about 15 teeth left on the idler! hehe.glad to see your pullin wheelies!

[eri3f0g]

You knew that was coming. I just installed an aluminum idler since I knew come spring I'd be going for the hotter motors. I cleaned everything including the inside of the differential and lubed it up nice with some waterproof red "racing" grease that use in my ATV's.

Seems to be a bit tighter but nothing like I imagine the "sillyputty" differentials are like.

[TO FAST FOR YOU]

ive got an aluminum one coming in the mail as well as 24 other items.

[mattf]

You knew that was coming.

Yep, I was just waiting for it to go.