Luke's Traxxas Revo 3.3 Electric conversion build

[Lukedavis]

I'll start the first section when I get home so I can charge my phone and take photos of the car so far!

New build time! Haven't done one in a while, so here it goes! Every section will include photos.

Table of contents:
(Numbers correspond with sections of the build)

1. Intro/Back story
2. Stripped transmission and fixing it
3. Forward only conversion kit install
4. General maintenance on the car and fixing things
5. New shoes!
6. Rear Wing
7. New motor mount install
8. New motor and ESC install
9. New remote and receiver
10. Suspension tuning
11. First big test drive to check that everything is working well
12. Custom transmission gear set using pinions!!
13. General Maintenance Round 2
14. New Body
15. Proline Body Mounts
16. RPM Front end and RPM True-Track rear end
17. GTR Shocks
18. Traxxas Steel driveshafts for Revo 3.3 install
19. Traxxas steel center driveshafts for Revo 3.3 install
20. Wheelie Bar
21. Problems faced
22. Future plans
23. Updates

 

[Lukedavis]

Alright, it's time to start!

Section 1: Back story

I got this car a couple of years ago from my buddy Wes or from a trade I made with a guy on OfferUp. When I received it, it was nitro-powered and had a Traxxas 3.3 engine. It also had a metal cage from a different company that I don't remember. I had it nitro-powered for around a year, and then the engine decided to STB. At that point, I bought the Integy Electric conversion kit and slapped it on the truck. I then found a YouTube video on how to lock second and first gear together, and I did that in the transmission. I didn't have an 8th scale motor or ESC, so I put in a spectrum 85amp ESC and a 3300kv motor. I was running it on 3s, and the battery decided that it had had enough. It swelled up super bad, and we had to cut the cables and the zip ties that I was using to hold the battery on. it sat for a while as I didn't have any other batteries. A couple of months later, Wes, the person that I have in my signature, passed away in a motorcycle crash. I got some of his RC stuff, which included an 8th-scale motor and Esc. I decided to pull out the Revo again and slap that motor and ESC in it. Then, the gearbox started stripping gears every time I drove the car. I sort of sorted it out, and then I traded it for two slash 2wds and an ecx amp mt. That was the end of the first era of the Revo. Turns out, he only ever drove the Revo for a total of 10 minutes for the year and a half that he had it. A couple of months ago, my buddy got an Arrma Kraton 6s. he didn't like how it drove, and he wanted to trade it. I talked to him about trading it for a slash 4x4 to give to me as I had given him one of the slash 2wds. I hit up the guy I traded the Revo with, and he had a slash 4x4 and an associated buggy. We both met up with the guy, and he brought the Revo for me to fix and make good again, and we completed the trade for the slash and buggy. He left the Revo with me to fix it for him. This was when I realized how much I missed the revo. I drove the Slash 4x4 for a day or so and found out I didn't like how it drove. I went home, fixed up the Revo, and took it out for a test drive. That's when I made up my mind that I wanted the revo back. I messaged the guy and asked if I could trade the Slash 4x4 back for the Revo, and he said yes! Now, we are up to the present day. Down below are some photos of the Revo.

 

[Lukedavis]

Section 2: Stripped transmission and fixing it

Alrighty, the first order of business is fixing the stripped transmission!

Note: I did my own forward only conversion in this section, but later on in section 3, I installed the Traxxas conversion kit. Skip this step if you have the forward-only conversion kit on hand. I will also be talking about locking first and second gear in this section and section 3.

Step 1: take the transmission apart

Remove the screws that hold the transmission together to split the cases.

Step 2: Take the gears that are stripped out of the transmission case.
As you can see here, the gear that drives the shaft that the center driveshafts connect to is stripped.

Step 3: Take the stripped gear off of the shaft.

Step 4: Grab your new gear and reverse shifter and screw them together. This allows you to make your own forward-only conversion. Then, slide the gear and gear shifter on the shaft that had the old gear on it.

Step 5: Reinstall the gears back into the transmission case.

Step 6: Lock the first and second gear together. Take a drill or a dremel with a drill bit, drill a hole in the second gear clutch, and screw a screw into the hole to lock it into the second gear.

Step 7: Put ALL the gears back in the case and start closing it together. Be patient with this step, as all the gears have to line up together for it to close smoothly. wiggle the output shaft and spur gear shaft to help things seat correctly. After this, screw your screws back into the transmission case to close it together.

After this, reinstall the transmission back in the truck the same way it came out.

 

[Lukedavis]

Section 3: Forward-only conversion kit install

Step 1: Take your transmission out of the car.

Step 2: Grab your forward only conversion kit.

Step 3: Take the screws that hold your transmission together out and split the cases.

Step 4: take out the two-speed gears and the center driveshaft shaft and gears.

Step 5: Take apart the two-speed gears and clutch.

Step 6: Drill 2 small holes in the 2nd gear clutch and put two screws through it into the 2nd gear.

Step 7: Grab the gear with the extended white piece from your forward only kit and install it on the two-speed assembly.

 

[Lukedavis]

Step 8: Installing the new center driveshaft shaft and shaft gear.

Step 9: Install the Opti drive cover and shift rod cover, and remove brake linkage/shift linkage.

 

[Lukedavis]

Step 10: Reinstall transmission gears.

Step 11: Screw the transmission cases back together.

Step 12: Reinstall the transmission back into the truck.

Step 13: I would recommend keeping the old parts to use as spares in case anything happens. You don't need to, but it would be a good idea. These are the parts I am talking about.

 

[majin]

man that was awesome! i feel like I'm ready to do it myself now! well put @Lukedavis

 

[Lukedavis]

Thank you! I am currently in the process of doing section 4!

man that was awesome! i feel like I'm ready to do it myself now! well put @Lukedavis

 

[Lukedavis]

I'll get this thread updated some time next week. I'm at my dad's all this week, and the Revo is at my mom's house.

 

[Lukedavis]

An update for this thread is coming soon! Got lots of new ideas and such too!

 

[Lukedavis]

Okay, now it is really time to update this thread. I started doing a little one off project with the Revo involving the transmission, and I shall post photos tonight. it sure is something special.

 

[CertifiedMike]

Okay, now it is really time to update this thread. I started doing a little one off project with the Revo involving the transmission, and I shall post photos tonight. it sure is something special.

Did you put a 2 speed in your Blazer? Forward only conversion???

I'm watching...

 

[Lukedavis]

heres a little hint...

its something VERY different...

 

[Lukedavis]

Alright fellers, its TIME!!! I am going to do the rest of this thread a little different, showing things as they happen. First up, I created a new motor mount and center drive to get rid of the stock transmission. I kept blowing gears, so I decided to get rid of the whole thing. Its on I thing around version 6 at this point, and I have two types of motor mounts, with a third in the works.

This is the first motor mount I designed, and it is the one I currently have in the Revo.

I had to cut the chassis a little bit for this one to fit, but the new version doesn't need it. I decided it would be best to go with almost a 1/8 buggy/truggy setup for the drive, so i took a 45 tooth mod 1 pinion from Amazon, and a 16 tooth mod 1 pinion also from Amazon, and used the 45 tooth as a spur gear. I run mainly 3s, on a hobbywing max8 g2 2500kv 4268 combo.

I added some "Mesh Holders" to stop the 3d print from getting warm and moving the screws that attach the motor. I plan to send these out to JLCCNC, and get them cnc'd out of 7075 aluminum. It should only cost around $70 shipped, so I think its worth it.

I use the stock mounting locations for the stock transmission, so no new holes need to be drilled in the chassis.

I will get some pics of the car when I get home, as well as start another thread for a second project I'm working on involving a slayer 2.5 chassis.

I have been working on this iteration of the car for around 6 to 8 months, and I think it will be worth it.

I plan to go belt drive with my new iteration, so I can make things a little more compact. I am currently having trouble finding belts and pulleys that will survive 6s max, in case I intend to make a couple kits and sell them. This is by far my most custom RC project, and I don't plan on stopping any time soon. In case you don't already know, the Traxxas Revo platform/slayer platform is my favorite out of all other rcs I own.