pic: A nikko RC car, modified

[Andy A.]

sarbjr-

Sounds like you ran into the same problems I did with the motor swap. By the time you've modified the tranny enough to accept such a massive motor, theres not much left to hold it in place. Even with everything I had done to hold it down, it would still torque it's self out of alignment. Eventually, this was part of what killed it. Interestingly, the poor engagement between the pinion and first spur isn't where the real failure accord in my project. The last gears in the reduction where the same size as the first few, and just were not strong enough to handle the massive torque the motor was putting out. Eventually every gear in that tranny had a few bald spots on it, before it just bound up and 'melted'. I don't think there is any safe way to put this much torque through a cheesy little rc car.

The problem is that these cars are as massproduced as possible. It doesn't make any sense for Nikko (or who ever really makes these things) to make any part stronger then it absolutely has to be. So you end up with a transmission that uses the same 2 gears over and over again with out any regard for the increase in torque the gear teeth are dealing with, or a lack of even decent bushings. It's fun to try, and my results where a ton of fun to watch, but I wouldn't recommend putting the time in unless you are very very bored. I still think sometimes I could do it right, and have the ultimate 'sleeper' rc car when I show up at the race track.

Ruby (my Nikko) is in pieces spread over 2 or 3 different workshops. Development on project Ruby was officially ended awhile ago. The good news is that I keep finding uses for odd bits and pieces from her. James and I will probably be bringing a few examples of our most recent projects to Atlanta, if your interested in seeing it. I'd love to hear someone elses take on how to overcome some of the problems that crop up in this sort of thing.

-Andy A.