pic: Low Profile Gearbox Front View

[Jared]

It's actually really difficult to just pull a CIM out of a gearbox without taking it apart. If you're using a 12 or 11 tooth pinion, the retaining ring on the CIM catches on the gear that the CIM pinion mates to. If you're using a 14 tooth gear, the pinion won't fit through the .755" hole for the CIM boss.

Also, if you did want to remove the CIM without disassembling the gearbox, I'd be willing to bet that the gearbox wouldn't just fall apart if one (or even all three) of the upper standoffs were removed.

If you wanted to disassemble a gearbox without removing a CIM, you'll have to remove one of the mounting bolts from each CIM. From experience, the CIMs don't fall out of the gearbox when this happens. They can't go anywhere because the one remaining bolt hold the CIM boss in a tightly fitting hole.

It looks like a solid design, and the gear ratios sound good too.