First Gen E-Maxx advice

[Panko75]

I picked one of these up at the LHS consignment, old Emaxx with the Novak esc and molex connectors.

What do I need to know? My plan is to just get it going, then see what it needs from there.

 

[Tunedfrog]

Can you take a pic without the body?

 

[Panko75]

Can you take a pic without the body?

Its more or less stock afaik, body aside

 

[Tunedfrog]

Looks like it's in decent shape, I would charge a battery and find out what's working or not to start with.

 

[Rowdyray]

If it's stock DO NOT try to use a pair of 2S batteries. Ask me how I know.

You can use two 8.4 volt NIMH hump pack. Someone already cut the battery trays. The hump goes down.

 

[Panko75]

If it's stock DO NOT try to use a pair of 2S batteries. Ask me how I know.

I try to go easy on older stuff, since most of it was made back when times were a bit slower.

Looks like it's in decent shape, I would charge a battery and find out what's working or not to start with.

Both motors and the steering servo work, but the gear shifter servo was too weak (typical Traxxas 2018 junk), I swapped that for a newer servo and all is good.

 

[Weezel]

If it's stock DO NOT try to use a pair of 2S batteries. Ask me how I know.

You can use two 8.4 volt NIMH hump pack. Someone already cut the battery trays. The hump goes down.

What happened when you tried 2s batteries? A 8.4v NiMh battery has more voltage than a 2s battery. The only thing I can see is not having Low Voltage protection. I've used a 2s Lipo in place of a (6cell) 7.2v battery.

 

[Rowdyray]

What happened when you tried 2s batteries? A 8.4v NiMh battery has more voltage than a 2s battery. The only thing I can see is not having Low Voltage protection. I've used a 2s Lipo in place of a (6cell) 7.2v battery.

Yep, I know. But, when we tried two 2S batteries it fried my grandson's motors. In about 30 seconds. Doesn't make sense. No, it was not 3S. I didn't own any yet. These were batteries for my Summit 1/10th.

We thought it might be the ESC. My son had his stock one. Put that in. Nothing. Dug out his stock motors. Back in business. I just bought him a set of hump packs for his birthday and won't do that again.

 

[Weezel]

Yep, I know. But, when we tried two 2S batteries it fried my grandson's motors. In about 30 seconds. Doesn't make sense. No, it was not 3S. I didn't own any yet. These were batteries for my Summit 1/10th.

We thought it might be the ESC. My son had his stock one. Put that in. Nothing. Dug out his stock motors. Back in business. I just bought him a set of hump packs for his birthday and won't do that again.

What setup where you using if it wasn't the stock electronics?

Sounds like something else was wrong causing the motors to die. The ESC controls the voltage going to the motors. If anything the wrong battery voltage would damage the ESC.

On the older dual motor Emaxx's I know some that tried running the 12t motors instead of the 21t motors to try to get more speed. The lower kv motors (12t) couldn't handle the weight and burnt up quickly.

The Novax EVX ESC has a tech spec of 12 cells (14.4 nominal) input voltage. And a motor limit of 19t (550 size).

 

[Rowdyray]

My grandson's is totally stock. Other than the trays cut to fit hump packs. That's the one that the motors fried.

My son's is highly modded. Dual Dewalt drill motors and Novak ESC. He had to upgrade the drive train to metal. It would just twist the plastic ones. Lol. It's a beast. We used his stock electronics to get my grandson's back up and running.

Didn't make sense to us. But, that's what happened. Felt bad, it was my idea.

 

[Weezel]

I understand the feeling bad. I know it sucks when stupid things happen. But I would truly put it up to bad luck. You shouldn't feel bad (or guilty) because that shouldn't have happened.