Confusion about the F-Ps

[Tristan Lall]

Originally Posted by FIRST Official Forums

Section: 5.2.5 Status: Answered Date Answered: 1/20/2004
Q: <R09> The 2002 and 2003 Fisher-Price motors appear to me to be identical to the Fisher-Price motor in this year's kit. May we use the 2002 or 2003 motor as a spare?

A: Yes.

The premise of this question is most definitely in error--the motors are very different--but the response is rather surprising.
The 2002 F-P was a high-output, high-speed (relatively speaking on both counts) Johnson Electric motor. The 2003 (and the 2001) was a lower-speed, lower-output Mabuchi. Now, in 2004, Paul Copioli has informed us that the motor is a high-output, lower-speed Johnson (which may or may not be reflected in the link to Johnson's site that I posted in the other thread).
Yet, now, they are all fair game (that's three different models of motor). Personally, I don't have a problem with it, but it certainly is an uncharacteristic ruling--for example the 2002 CIM (the Atwood version) is specifically illegal, as ruled upon by FIRST, even though the FIRST version (introduced in 2003 and still present in 2004) is legal.
More specifically: the 2002 motor is not a suitable spare for either of the others (unless used with its own gearbox--provided that year, and different from the current one), due to its higher free speed, and different gear size (yes, you can pull that off and replace it if you're determined enough).