A Few More Questions

[raveer2000]

I bought my truck used off of E-bay from a guy that made it sound like the best thing since sliced bread. His feedback was good so I bought it. When I get it the thing is dirty and the EZ-start on it is shot. I bought a glow plug heater for it and have been using a drill battery to spin over the motor to get it running. Went back to break in on the carb and tuned it to the best of my ability. Had alot of trouble with the carb linkage on it, it would either stick and not open fully to WOT or it would idle to high to keep it still when sitting. So after I get it tuned somewhat I tried it out. then the next prob was it would die alot. Replaced the fuel tank and lines and also took off the so called performance muffler that was on it and put on the stock one. Semed to help but after about 10 min, the things won't idle anymore and won't restart till it cools. That says that the motor is shot. But I dealt with it and also noticed that the trans most of the time will not go into reverse. And when it does it gets stuck there and I have to kill the motor and fool with it to get it out and into forward. SORRY I AM RAMBLING. Anyway. Now the Flywheel is getting stripped out because apparently the motor is sipping back a tiny bit and not meshing with the plastic allowing the teeth on the gear to strip. Am I makeing any sense. The steering also has its troubles. Seems to go through batteries on the steering like crazy. Had trouble getting it to steer left sometimes.

So what do I do? I already have so much in it I could have bought a brand new one and once again got screwed by someone who apparently knew that he was getting over on someone. So do I go out and buy a new motor. I saw a post about a OS CV-RX .18 with the rotary carb. Is this the most reliable motor to out on. What kind of starting system does this have? HELP. If I don't get this right I am going to junk it all and get another hobby..

 

[olds97_lss]

Well... sounds like you have a project ahead of you that your already in the middle of...

First off, if your going to keep it, your going to need to put a few hundred into it to get rid of some of your headaches.

1) replace steering servo and buy new bushings (preferably bearings) for the sterring pivot posts. It sounds like your steering servo or steering linkages/pivot points may need some attention as well.
2) replace engine with an OS 18 CV-R(x). Slide carb preffereably if your current engine is a slide carb to avoid re-doing the linkage.
3) remove reverse out of the trans and install a FOC (forward only conversion). The T-maxx trans was never that great due to design. Installing a FOC will make it much smoother on take off, but you loose the capability to do reverse... short of kicking it.

If you do go with a OS 18 cv-r(x) (pull start version), you will need to buy a new exhaust setup. The TRX 2.5 is rear exhaust. The OS 18 CV-R is side exhaust. You can normally find side exhaust stuff pretty cheap on ebay. This Header and this Pipe are both good for the t-maxx and should allow the OS 18 to breath pretty good.

All in all, about $200 will get you going to a point where things will be pretty stable. $100 for an engine, $50 for a pipe/header, $40 for a steering servo (hitec 645MG) and a few $ for miscelaneous rod ends/bushings to make the steering move freely.

Granted, you can probably find the pipe/header cheaper on ebay, but the engine is only around $100 at tower and the servo is only arond $40 at tower. I think currently, if you spend over $150 at tower, you get a rebate of $25 if you use this code as you check out: 010KY

Also, if you do get the 18, you will need a clutch adapter nut and you may have to cut the crankshaft with a dremel to get things to fit right.

IT all depends on what your willing to pay... now that you have it. The t-maxx is a bit of a money pit. It was designed for newbies with the EZ start and crappy radio/electronics. However, it wasn't that cheap when it was new. Kind of like the revo is now. Expensive. But you can get new t-maxxs for around $330-350. Then use any usable parts off the one you bought as replacements for the new one as they break.

 

[raveer2000]

Thanks olds97. I went today and bought a bunch of things. I am going to replace all of the steering componets. Also upgraded to bearings instead of the plastic bushings. Was looking at the os-18 at the local hobby shop and they wanted $269 for it. I think I will order from tower. I think the last thing I need to know is about the clutch adapter nut and having to cut the crankshaft with a dremel. Could you please elaborate on these two alittle more for me thanks..

Also should I get the slide carb or the rotary carb. I don't mind redoing the linkages as long as its not to costly. Which carb works better? What is involoved in redoing the carb linkage. Thanks

 

[olds97_lss]

You may have been looking at the direct drop in OS 18, which is considerably more expensive, not the side exhaust 18. The direct drop in is this:OS 18 TM w/manifold Running this engine doesn't require the use of any after market parts. It bolts right in. It also uses the EZ start. Personally, I don't like electric starters. They don't give you the feel of what the engine is doing.

To install an OS 18 CV-R(X), you will need this:
OS 18 CV-R(X) w/Slid Carb, standard shaft
Traxxas clutch adapter
To make cutting the shaft easier, use this Associated cut of nut. When you screw this on, it covers/protects 3-4 threads on the shaft. Then (if I'm not mistaken), you cut the crank shaft that sticks out the end off flush with the nut. Then, when you remove the nut, it straightens out the threads that were messed up with the dremel/hack saw.
Once you do that, you install your collet, flywheel, then this Traxxas clutch adapter. Then you put your shoes and bell back on.

Traxxas 2.5 carb linkage set up sucks. It ALWAYS caused my 2.5 maxx carb to bind even with other engines/carbs. I tried installing an OS carb on my 2.5, but it would bind, then I tried installing an orion wasp 18 with a slide carb, it also would bind. I ended up moving my layout of the truck around so I could mount the throttle/brake servo near the engine and get rid of the crappy pivot thing.

Or... you could run the OS 18 CV-r w/rotory and rout a linkage wire up/over the center of the truck to the carb directly from the servo. I did it and it worked ok on my maxx. I had an OS 15 cv-r with rotory carb, but that was 3 years ago and I don't have any photo's of it. I'll try to find the linkage pack that I used. It was made (I believe) for the original t-maxx with the .15 pro engine on it which was a rotory carb.

I'll fill this in more in a little bit... I just spilled an entire cup of sweetend tea on the floor in my office...

 

[raveer2000]

Thanks again for the help. Sorry about the tea...LOL Anyway I understand about the cutting now. And I agree about the slide carb binding. That is the same prob I am having now. So I will convert to the rotary carb. Just out of curiousity when I run the linkage to the rotary carb will it go over the spur gear without interfearing?

 

[olds97_lss]

You bend it. It's just a long wire that goes from the servo to the throttle arm. It has a bend in it so that the bend is right over the spur area. I wish I had a photo for you...

Actually... I just found it at tower!
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/WTI0095P?FVSEARCH=4968&sourceid=mozilla-search

I went to traxxas site and looked around for the manuals for the T-Maxx 15 Pro. It was a rotory carb.

Take a look at this parts explosion to see how it works: http://www.traxxas.com/products/nitro/tmaxx/blueprints/011201_tmaxx15_chassis.pdf

 

[raveer2000]

Thanks olds97 for all of your help. I bit the bullet after I saw how much the stuff is to fix my T-maxx. I went out and bought a new truck tonight. Got a monster GT. Hope it works out for me.

 

[olds97_lss]

I"m sure you won't regret it... I haven't heard much bad about the MGT. Not sure I'd have gone that route... but it's probably a better choice than a maxx if your looking for more power!

RPM makes arms for that pig as well: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXGWR5&P=7

RPM is good stuff. Lifetime warrenty.

Kind of funny that I blew about 1000 words on t-maxx info... your on your own with the MGT!

(I've never owned one...)

 

[raveer2000]

Didn't mean to make you type all of that for nothing. I hope you understand that I did not realize the total cost of fixing the truck was so much. Man I really got screwed when I bought that thing. I only had to add $120 to get a brand new one. I think it was time to cut my losses with it. Plus my brother wants to give $200 for it for all the spare parts to fix his new T-maxx. So I think I came out okay.

 

[olds97_lss]

I was just messing with you anyway...

I hope I helped and I hope your happy with your MGT.

Hopefully, all the info will help some other new guy out down the road to dissuade them from getting a maxx. Or persuade them to get a maxx...