Last year vs. this year Fisher Price Gear

[bmusser]

Will First let us use last year's Fisher Price motor? The pinion gear appears to be smaller and would suit our drive train better. First is slow in responding to this question please help.

[Joe Johnson]

The stuff in this year's kit is in this year's kit. Last year's stuff can be used (as spares, for example) if it is the SAME as this year's (and you have not improved it prior to the kickoff).

So...

I suppose that you cannot use the Fisher Price motors from last year.

Joe J.

Maybe not the motors - but nothing from taking apart the gearbox from last year - and using those gears in this year's gear box........


Also - not certain if all teams got the exact same
FP motors. i.e. some of this year's may be the same as last year's, and the cases look the same.


This whole FP thing reminds me of a comedy routine.

---- I went home last night only to discover everthing in my apartment had been replaced by an exact duplicate. I went over to my neighbor to tell him. He said: "Do I know you?"

[Andrew Dahl]

after running both sets against each other
i have foudn the following

1: there seems to be more torque produced in this years set
2: this years set seems to be more sturdy takes more abuse



just my .02

dahl
bleh

We did some surgery on this years versus last years
FP Motors/gearboxes.

1. Last year's motor is appernetly the same as the
loose 'Johnson' motor included in this years kit.

2. The gear press fit on last years motor is 16 tooth and identical in profile to the small portion of the Chipua cluster gear.

3. If we number the gears from highest to lowest speed
(closest to furthest from motor) gear two is the
same. 1, 3, 4 are different.

4. the palstic housing of the gear boxes is slightly different because the #1 gear /motor is in
a slightly different position.

5. If you use last year's housing and #1 gear it woule be fairly easy to modify the FP Gearbox to accomodate the Chipua cluster gear.
(housing and gear 1 from last year 2,3,4 from this year)

6. By just replacing the #1 gear from last year into this year's gearbox, more extensive modification of the gearbox housing would be needed to adapt.


This is all a theoretical exercise - our drive train team has not recommended we adapt or modify the FP gearboxes to accept the Chipua motors. I suspect they might be able to withstand the tourque
if suitable reinforced, they would be realatively slow. (The FP gearboxes are not very efficient.)

I have no question in my mind that using gears or motors from last year's kit is legal. Using last years housing is probably not. Using a complete
FP unit form last year is almost certainly not.