Build/engine swap: Thunder Tiger into HSP

[tudordewolf]

Just wanted to share another video, demonstrating how easily it starts:

At the risk of sounding corny, now I get why it's called a bump box.

This is admittedly not the first start of the day, but with preheating, the first was just as quick to catch.

 

[tudordewolf]

Here's some running about. This one hits 48mph, both with and without a body. Was hoping it'd hit 50, but it very consistently maxed out at 48. That's 31k rpm from the engine, which suggests the 18/23 clutch bell is right at the edge of its abilities, maybe optimal. It also accelerates harder than the 18cxp powered one, so it's both faster and snappier. Bonus pic of my transport solution, it's like the 1/10th scale was made to work with milk crates.

 

[gandalfnz]

Love the storage.

I was looking at these these last night but a brushless version.
Would be nice to have side by side.
I wonder ifs exactly the same car with just electric motor instead of nitro version?

 

[tudordewolf]

Love the storage.

I was looking at these these last night but a brushless version.
Would be nice to have side by side.
I wonder ifs exactly the same car with just electric motor instead of nitro version?

Funny you ask, I put an electric one together for my brother, so I can comment on that. More or less the same, yes. Different chassis plate, and a very slighty different rear diff: the pinion gear is mounted on the rear diff's input shaft, (a very common arrangement), so it's a little longer and the center driveshaft runs the whole length of the chassis to the front diff.

The rest is identical - steering rack, the whole front end, the suspension arms. The stock electrics come with a plastic chassis but there's aluminum ones available in all 4 common anodized colors, more than you can find for the nitros which are only purple and blue.

There's also nitro -> electric engine mount conversions, but that seems like going the long way around on purpose.

 

[gandalfnz]

Funny you ask, I put an electric one together for my brother, so I can comment on that. More or less the same, yes. Different chassis plate, and a very slighty different rear diff: the pinion gear is mounted on the rear diff's input shaft, (a very common arrangement), so it's a little longer and the center driveshaft runs the whole length of the chassis to the front diff.

The rest is identical - steering rack, the whole front end, the suspension arms. The stock electrics come with a plastic chassis but there's aluminum ones available in all 4 common anodized colors, more than you can find for the nitros which are only purple and blue.

There's also nitro -> electric engine mount conversions, but that seems like going the long way around on purpose.

The stock motor just didn’t push that car fast enough.

Do you reckon higher KV motor would do the trick along with a stronger esc?

 

[tudordewolf]

The stock motor just didn’t push that car fast enough.

Do you reckon higher KV motor would do the trick along with a stronger esc?

Probably the best way to do it; stock is 26 spur / 58 pinion and they don't have (stock) gears beyond that, only higher reductions.

Edit: you could go above the 26 spur, there's larger on Aliexpress (link). It depends what the engine mount will support.

For comparison, the stock nitro 2nd gear is 21 spur / 39 pinion, so you'd need to have the electric motor turning 33k rpm to hit the same speeds as the VX-18 at 28k rpm. That's a ~3900kv motor on 2S, so it's doable.

Edit: numbers corrected, original estimate too pessimistic.

 

[gandalfnz]

I am always amazed at how you come up with those numbers man. Great!
I thought, on 2S electric version stock will be way faster than the nitro counterpart, I guess I was wrong.

 

[tudordewolf]

I am always amazed at how you come up with those numbers man. Great!
I thought, on 2S electric version stock will be way faster than the nitro counterpart, I guess I was wrong.

Double Edit: I went back and checked those numbers, I was too conservative in my estimates. The brushless version can probably go faster.