RE: Official Tamiya Sand Scorcher Re-Release thread
I just finished my 2010 sand scorcher re-issue. It's all stock except for the aluminum rims. I'm running the stock 540 motor with a 7.2 Nimah hump pack. The paint is metallic orange laquer and white laquer with 5 coats of clear laquer over it. I put in the high gears, and it's pretty fast for being stock. It will pull wheelies on the carpet and squeel the tires across my kitchen floor. I haven't ran it outside yet because i'm waiting for the weather to warm up. I'm using a 2.4 g Radio and reciever, the stock speed controller and a futaba servo for the steering. I was never able to get one of these back in 1979(i was 10 years old then) but, now I was finally able to get one, and I love it! [IMG]http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/robriley/bugdone3.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/robriley/bugdone7.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/robriley/bugdone4.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/robriley/bugdone8.jpg[/IMG]
Posted on: 4/1/2011 2:00 PM by Author "robriley" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10436142

RE: ReCat Delivered Yesterday.... In Repair Today- Not Happy
I'll tell you what, I had a volcano s-30 (i know, a different truck all together) with the vx18 in it. I broke it in the correct way, took very good care of it, and all that. It would only go about 20 mph tops, but it had a lot of torque. I put a direct drive transmission in it, which improved the top speed, but killed the bottom end torque. top speed increased to maybe 25 mph with the direct drive in it. The thing is, when they claim it can run 65 mph, they should state if it is scale mph, or in km....not just say "65". I have an OLD tamiya blackfoot from the 80's that is 100% stock and original with the exception of a superstock motor and an esc. the blackfoot would run circles around my volcano. I also have an electric duratrax evader, all stock with the exception of a pinion gear change, superstock motor and bigger tires. it too would run circles around my volcano. I picked up a Megatech top fuel dragster with a .16 megatech motor in it an a 2 speed transmission. They claim 60 mph out of this dragster. I took it to a track, ran it on a scale 1/4 mile (132 feet) and it ran an honest 58.7 mph. let me tell you. 58 mph with an r/c is VERY fast! when a company claims that their cars/ trucks can run 65 mph, that # is imprinted in the buyers head. They run the car /truck and think, "man, this thing is fast!" but in reality, the 65 mph # is in their head from the advertizing, and the car / truck may actually only be running 30 mph. but, with a 1:10 scale car / truck, sometimes they look like they are going faster than they really are. ran my evader and the blackfoot at the dragstrip and it topped out at 32.5 mph, my blackfoot hit 26 mph. so, my volcano was lucky to be going 20 mph on a good day. yes, i know how to tune nitro motors, i just think that a lot of the time, peopel are mislead by the marketing dept. , and 9 times out of 10 it works.
Posted on: 2/10/2010 10:47 AM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9492639

RE: ReCat Delivered Yesterday.... In Repair Today- Not Happy
"they acted like i was lieing and i drove this car into a wall at 40mph" ha ha...good luck wth that. these things won't go 40 mph down hill with a tailwind!
Posted on: 2/9/2010 9:28 AM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9489405

RE: volcano transmission
yes, you can do it but i'm not sure what all is involved as far as parts. I know that some of the parts on the volcano s/v are different than on the volcano s-2 (which comes with the 2 speed). one thing to consider tho, is that a 2 speed is not really the way to go if you plan on running it off road all the time. 2 speeds are best used in on road cars & trucks. the problem is that when you are off road, and lets say that you'r climbing a hill. the truck will go up the hill, and then it will shift into 2nd gear. the rpms will drop as well as the torque, so the truck may actually slow down and struggle to get the rest of the way up the hill. It just depends on how you want to run it i guess. Most off road trucks benefit from a single speed trans to keep the rpms and torque in the upper range.
Posted on: 12/5/2009 9:51 AM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9305423

RE: Volcano S30...Rear drive shaft
it's not easy to get the rear driveshaft back in without having the front one fall out. I used a pair of needle nose pliers, a magnet and some very steady hands. loosen the transmission enough so that you can raise it up like mickstix said. There isn't much wiggle room for the shafts and it might take a couple of tries to get the rear one in without the front one falling out. but if the grub screws fell out, you may to pull the transmission out. the transmission shaft has a flat spot on it, and you will need to align the stub so that the grub screw is in contact with the flat spot on the transmission shaft. make sure you use blue locktite on the grub screws. If your original rear driveshaft is still in place, there really is no need to replace it unless it's bent or broken. you will need to remove it to get the grub screws back in tho.
Posted on: 10/22/2009 11:51 AM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9193447

RE: fixed dogbone, now new problem
either a vise, or lay it on a flat hard surface, and use a hammer to gently pound it back straight. I had the same problem, and that's how i fixed mine.
Posted on: 10/22/2009 11:47 AM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9193438

RE: Volcano S30....Brakes..!!
exactly...pull the transmission out (no need to remove the top plate if you have the stock plastic one). getting the driveshafts back in is a challenge tho. use needle nose pliers and a magnet to get the front & rear driveshafts back into place.
Posted on: 10/22/2009 11:45 AM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9193434

I traded off my volcano today
Well, i bought my volcano in Jan. 2009 and got rid of it today 10-18-09. ran about 3 quarts of fuel through it and had a blast doing it. I traded it for a 1:10 scale nitro dragster made by megatech. It has a .16 engine in it, a 2 speed trans, a tuned pipe and header. All i can say is that this thing is FAST!!!
Posted on: 10/18/2009 10:47 PM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9184081

RE: Spur Gear
a plastic spur gear is the way to go because it becomes the"weak link" in the drivetrain. if a plastic spur gear goes out, then all you mess up (normally) is the spur gear. if you run a steel spur, you take the chance of it taking out the rest of the gears in the transmission (which are plastic). the spur gear is easier, and cheaper to replace than a transmission or transmission gears.
Posted on: 10/11/2009 6:15 PM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9164522

RE: clutch bell setup
yes, the bell should spin free. you should be able to spin it very easily with your fingers. It should spin as free and as long as a non driven wheel on an r/c truck with bearings (like the front wheel on a 2 wheel drive truck) there needs to be bearings in the center of the bell (an inner and an outer) along with the correct amount of washers for spacers. the reason the clutch bell needs to spin freely is because it's what keeps the truck from taking off as soon as you start it. when you give it throttle, the centrifugal clutch shoes come out, and make contact with the inside of the bell and that's what makes the truck move.
Posted on: 10/11/2009 6:11 PM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9164508

RE: back draft nitro spur gear
all nitro trucks will eat spur gears sooner or later. setting the gear mesh right and frequently checking it will make a spur gear last for quite a while.
Posted on: 10/2/2009 10:41 PM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9142465

RE: Please help...!!!
here's how to check for correct gear mesh. Take a peice of regular white printer paper. Cut a strip about 1/4 inch wide x 5-6 inches long. (The paper should be as wide as the clutchbell gear) Loosen the motor mount screws so you can slide the motor so that the clutch bell is away from the spur gear. It's a VERY important to remove the engine mounting screws and apply blue lock tite to them before you put them back in. slide the motor to get the clutch bell gear in contact with the spur gear. Now feed the paper in between the clutchbell gear and the spur gear. Slide the motor over to sandwich the paper between the spur gear and the clutchbell gear and snug the motor mount screws. Turn the clutchbell with your fingers and the paper will feed in between the 2 gears. You want to be able to turn the clutch bell so that the paper ends up with a crinkle or zig-zag pattern on it, and does not tear. Fully tighten the motor mount screws and remove the paper. Feed a new strip of paper in between the 2 gears to double check it. You want that crinkle or zig zag pattern on the paper with no tears. The best way that i can think of to describe the pattern that you should have on the paper is like one of those old folding hand held paper fans that people used to use. I guess it's more of a pleated pattern. The fit of the paper should be snug between the 2 gears, but you shouldn't feel any binding when you turn the clutchbell by hand. The truck should roll freely in the floor, and you might hear a little noise from the gears as they rotate and mesh with each other. You may have to do this process several times before you get the feel of how to do it. This is how I set my gear mesh on my volcano and I am still on my original spur gear (i've had my truck since jan. 2009 and have ran it a bunch). If the gear mesh is set wrong, you will destroy the spur gear in a matter of minutes after starting the motor. As for the steering servo making noise. I would start disconnecting the linkage one peice at a time and trying the servo after each peice is removed. If you get to a point that the servo stops making the noise, then you found the bound up part. Or, just disconnect the linkage where it connects to the servo and try the servo without the linkage on it. If the servo works fine with no noise, then start working the linkage by hand to see if you can tell where it's binding up at. The steering linkage and the way that it's set up on these isn't the best design in my opinion, but it works good when it's not binding and able to move freely. It might just be that there is a screw or somethign in the linkage that has been over tightened causing it to bind in a place where it needs to swivel. The servo saver may be where the snap is coming from. If the linkage is binding and the servo saver is snapping, then it's doing it's job as long as it's not broken. Hope this helps you out.
Posted on: 10/2/2009 5:04 PM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9141787

RE: piston and sleeve swap
ummm, no they aren't. the .16 is smaller than the .18
Posted on: 9/20/2009 8:10 PM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9110595

RE: Engine problems
i wouldn't even bother wasting the time to take it apart. i'd just send it in for a new replacement motor. you can't beat the engine replacement program.
Posted on: 9/20/2009 8:08 PM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9110589

RE: Recommendations for shock oil in the Volcano SV.
those sleeves that i am using are made by the tandy leather company, and they are 3/16". they are not stainless like i said tho, they are nickel. i thought they were stainless but i was wrong. the t-maxx shocks that you can get off e-bay are plastic, they come filled with oil, and they have the springs already on them. i think they are filled with 50 wt. oil. they also come with spring spacers to help adjust the ride height, and different piston disks for the inside to change the dampening strength. the disks have tiny holes in them. the more holes the disks have, the easier it is to compress the shocks. i think i have the 2 hole disks in mine (they come with 1 hole disks, and 3 hole disks extra, the 2 hole disks should already be in the shocks when you get them). yes, you will have to remove all of the ball socket things that the stock shocks snap onto. run longer screws all the way through the holes where the ball sockets were screwed in, and put nuts on the screws. i had some long screws in my parts box that worked fine, but yes, you could probably pick up some screws at the hardware store. you can use the redcat screws to hold the t-maxx shocks to the a-arms. the t-maxx shocks have a steel ball bushings on the ends that screw to the a-arms. after i wrote this i went to e-bay and did a search for you. here is a full set of the shocks. it looks like these come with plastic sleeves for the top holes of the shock mounts, but i'm not sure if that's what they are or not. (mine did not come with these peices). they are lined up across the top of the shocks in the pic. these are $24.00 plus shipping, but that's still a pretty good deal. http://cgi.ebay.com/Traxxas-T-Maxx-3-3-Shocks-set-of-8-spacers-Dampers_W0QQitemZ370210509791QQcmdZViewItemQQptZRadio_Control_Parts_Accessories?hash=item56324413df&_trksid=p4999.c0.m14
Posted on: 9/17/2009 10:20 PM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9104391

RE: Recommendations for shock oil in the Volcano SV.
i only have 4 of the t-maxx shocks on my volcano and it handles excellent. i don't do a bunch of big jumping, but i do jump it sometimes. to use the t-maxx shocks, you need to remove the redcat ball sockets that the stock redcat shocks snap onto (on the top of the shock mounting bracket) in place of the ball sockets, you need to use long screws with washers and nuts to hold the t-maxx shocks in place at the top. you will also have to find or make some metal sleeves to go in the upper hole of the t-maxx shocks where the screws go through. the sleeves will help the shocks move side to side (or rotate slightly) so they don't bind up when you tighten the screws and nuts. actually, i bought a bag of stainless steel sleeve type things at hobby lobby (they are for leather working) and they fit in the top shock monnting holes perfectly. i think there are like 50 in the bag, and i think i paid like $3.00 for the whole bag. if the shocks are not allowed to move a little on the screws, the shock mounts could break when the shocks are compressed. to mount them on the a-arms, you can use the stock screws that hold the redcat shocks on. it's really easy to put the t-maxx shocks on a volcano, and they make a night and day difference over the stock and upgraded redcat shocks.
Posted on: 9/16/2009 11:17 PM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9102128

RE: Tornado fuel problem
i don't know, but maybe something got into the carb opening where the line goes on? if fuel normally flows into the carb, you should be able to blow air into the carb as well. from what you said, it sounds like there is a blockage in the carb opening where the line goes onto it. i'd pull the carb line off, turn the car upside down and see if there is anything blocking the fuel from getting into the carb. maybe a small peice of dirt worked it's way in there and is blocking it?
Posted on: 9/13/2009 11:54 AM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9091810

RE: Recommendations for shock oil in the Volcano SV.
you don't fill the shocks all the way to the top with oil. fill them almost to the top, screw them together and then compress the shock with your fingers. if the shock is very hard to compress, then you have too much oil in it, if it compresses really easy but doesn't rebound on it's own, then you don't have enough oil in it. do this without the springs on them. the shocks should compress fairly easy with your fingers, and re-bound almost all the way on their own without the springs on them. you can pick up some t-maxx shocks off e-bay for like $20.00 for 8 of them. they are plastic shocks, but they don't leak like the redcat shocks, and they are alot bigger in diameter. if you get the t-maxx shocks, you only need to run 4 of them because they are alot bigger and can hold the weight better. you get 8 for $20.00, use 4 and have 4 spares. they are almost direct bolt ons for the volcano, but you need to use long screws, nuts and metal sleeves on the top mounts in place of the ball sockets that the stock shocks snap onto. the stock redcat shocks (aluminum and plastic) leak oil like crazy. i tried everything i could think of to keep mine from leaking and nothing worked. i went with the t-maxx shocks and have not had a leak yet. they make the truck handle ALOT better than the stock shocks too. i'm running 40 wt silicone oil in my t-maxx shocks with red springs. different color springs = different stiffness.
Posted on: 9/13/2009 11:47 AM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9091796

RE: Tornado fuel problem
check the o-ring seal that's on top of the fuel tank under the cap. if there is dirt or something on it, it will prevent the cap from sealing tight, and you will not get any fuel pressure in the tank. also make sure that there are no kinks in the fuel lines (i know, sounds dumb but a TINY kink can give you a major headache) are you running a fuel filter? if you are, make sure that there is nothing in the filter that would block the flow of fuel.
Posted on: 9/13/2009 11:38 AM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9091783

RE: she wont start
is your idle still set to a 1 mm opening inside the carb? did you turn the truck upside down with the glow plug out of the motor, and pull the starter a few times to clear the cylinder of excess fuel? is fuel getting into the carb.? try putting a couple of drops of fuel directly down the carb throat and see if it'll fire.
Posted on: 8/29/2009 4:06 PM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9054675

RE: Pull start
oh yes....there are 2 stroke diesel engines. they are made by detroit diesel, and alot of firetrucks use them. they are v-6's, and they have both a turbo and a supercharger.
Posted on: 7/30/2009 10:48 AM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8976202

RE: Pull start
ok...if you do spin the motor backwards you're saying metal to metal contact, no lube (from the fuel) will cause scratches. well, if you put a few drops of after run oil in the cylinder...you have lube and you can spin it backwards. bo, you can not compair a nitro engine to a car engine, or even a motorcycle 2 stroke for that matter. motorcycle 2 strokes have either reed valves or they have rotary valves. as far as i know, a nitro engine does not have any moving valves...maybe some slots for intake & exhaust, but no actual valves. in contrary, you can run a diesel engine backwards...i have seen it many times. you can also run a 4 stroke car type engine in reverse (all in-board car type boat motors run in reverse.) you have to make changes to the ignition to make one run backwards, and you need a reverse flow waterpump, and a reverse rotating starter.
Posted on: 7/29/2009 10:56 PM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8975220

RE: Pull start
[quote]ORIGINAL: neyou86 dont do that that will scratch ur piston up [/quote] lol, how and why would turning it backwards scratch the piston? the engine doesn't know which way the piston is being turned...it just knows that it's going up & down. so what's the difference if you turn it forwards or backwards?
Posted on: 7/28/2009 10:55 AM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8970539

RE: can it be done?
i'm not familiar with the tornado, but...you should be able to do it. i would think that all you'd need is a bigger set of tires and/or rims, aller body mounts and of corse a body. you might want to look at longer shocks and shock mounts from some other r/c truck. the thing that will suffer is your gear ratio. since it's geared for the short buggy tires, adding bigger tires will take away some of the bottom end torque. you will gain top end speed tho. it all depends on how big the tires are that you put on it. i don't see why it could be done tho. i turned an electric duratraxx stadium truck into a monster truck, and all i had to change was the tires, pinion gear, body and body mounts. it now sits as high as my volcano and it has 3-4 inches of ground clearance.
Posted on: 7/24/2009 11:35 PM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8961781

RE: Pull start
if it's the same as a vx pull start, be careful. there is a mile long coil spring inside that will jump out and bite you like a cobra if you try to take it apart.
Posted on: 7/24/2009 11:28 PM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8961767

RE: holy crap! 2 wheel drive vs. 4 wheel drive
i don't really have a way to do a video, but i will see if i can borrow a camera one of these days.
Posted on: 7/24/2009 11:27 PM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8961764

RE: I need help !!!
yeah i did get a few extra spur gears just in case, because i always heard about them getting eaten. (not only on redcats, but on other nitro cars & trucks as well). it's part of the game i guess. it's not IF it's gonna break...it's WHEN.
Posted on: 7/24/2009 12:11 PM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8960379

RE: holy crap! 2 wheel drive vs. 4 wheel drive
[quote]ORIGINAL: nubzorz did you lock the front diff. up?? or remove it totally? [/quote] no, i left the diff in place, but i just removed the front driveshaft and the front dogbones. the front wheels just freewheel now, and the front diff does nothing. The case is there just to hold all the other parts on the front.
Posted on: 7/24/2009 9:29 AM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8960014

RE: holy crap! 2 wheel drive vs. 4 wheel drive
[quote]ORIGINAL: chevyderek72 Hey rob i have a diff if you want it. I got a one or two in this tool box i got in a trade. Im prettysure they are still good, they still turn with no binding. I can ship it out monday when i get home from cali. [/quote] hey that would be really cool!!! i will pm you with my address. do you want anything for it? thanks.
Posted on: 7/24/2009 9:25 AM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8960011

RE: I need help !!!
wow, breaking the motor mount screws would definitly throw the mesh way off. but, what is causing the screws to break?
Posted on: 7/23/2009 4:18 PM by Author "robriley" in the forum "Redcat Racing Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8958248