I've had a 2.5 jato for a long time, at least 10 years. That's the oldest photo I have. Tried selling it a few months back, but nothing but low ball offers. So, now that I'm seasoned vet with electric (5 whole months), I decided to try converting it to brushless.
I'm using the motor/esc from my stampede 4x4 vxl. Figure 2wd will make it less likely to overheat. Especially since I'm going to try 2S.
Upon taking it apart, I noticed the trans was really notchy/gritty feeling. I needed to put a single speed conversion in it anyway, so I tore it all apart. Then found that one of the two-speed pins broke off and had it's way with pretty much every gear in there:
As for the e-conversion "kit", I bought it off ebay and it came with just the mount and esc/receiver/battery tray from a guy that makes them in Greece. Fit and finish was pretty good. It's a very solid well machined hunk of aluminum. It screws to the trans where the stock plastic brace did and bolts to the chassis near it's front edge to a stock screw hole. I liked that the mount had at least one bolt to the chassis to stiffen things up a bit since pretty much the entire top deck was cut off. I did have to grind a little spot because the slipper cooling fin hit it and wouldn't rotate:
I just kind of have everything sitting in there. I did drill and tap one of the esc mount screws. The receiver is literally wedged in there. I have a new smaller receiver coming in the mail with a bipole antenna as well as a replacement diff.
I also have a 20T pinion coming. I put a 17T in there just to see how it fit. I have no idea what gearing to use. For what I do, with the 2.5R, I ran relatively low gearing and it was plenty fast, 18/54. It seems that 17/54 doesn't fit, so I ground a hair off the trans to get it to mesh. The single speed trans is geared between what it had with 1st/2nd. Running 2S at full charge and a 3500kv motor will put peak rpm's right at 30k. Guessing I'll be playing around with gearing a bit.
I'll need to figure something out for the roll bar though. One of my main issues with the jato when I first got it was I'd frequently snap the rear shock tower off. I made a roll bar that kind of protected it, but it also connected to the stock roll bar. Many hours were burned making this thing with a vice, torch and pliers. Sooo many bends...
It has done it's job well for many years and fit nicely under the body. As it is, the shock tower in it has one side cracked that I didn't know about and that was the first one In installed with the roll bar. Prior to that, I had replaced 6 or 7 of them. So, figuring something out is a must.
When the diff and whatnot all show up, I'll hopefully have thought out a way to mount my roll bar on. Will probably have to make something out of some steel flat stock and mount it to the chassis deck somewhere. Not a whole lot of room for things with the battery right where I'd want to mount a roll bar. I'll post up more pics when I get it finished.
I'm using the motor/esc from my stampede 4x4 vxl. Figure 2wd will make it less likely to overheat. Especially since I'm going to try 2S.
Upon taking it apart, I noticed the trans was really notchy/gritty feeling. I needed to put a single speed conversion in it anyway, so I tore it all apart. Then found that one of the two-speed pins broke off and had it's way with pretty much every gear in there:
As for the e-conversion "kit", I bought it off ebay and it came with just the mount and esc/receiver/battery tray from a guy that makes them in Greece. Fit and finish was pretty good. It's a very solid well machined hunk of aluminum. It screws to the trans where the stock plastic brace did and bolts to the chassis near it's front edge to a stock screw hole. I liked that the mount had at least one bolt to the chassis to stiffen things up a bit since pretty much the entire top deck was cut off. I did have to grind a little spot because the slipper cooling fin hit it and wouldn't rotate:
I just kind of have everything sitting in there. I did drill and tap one of the esc mount screws. The receiver is literally wedged in there. I have a new smaller receiver coming in the mail with a bipole antenna as well as a replacement diff.
I also have a 20T pinion coming. I put a 17T in there just to see how it fit. I have no idea what gearing to use. For what I do, with the 2.5R, I ran relatively low gearing and it was plenty fast, 18/54. It seems that 17/54 doesn't fit, so I ground a hair off the trans to get it to mesh. The single speed trans is geared between what it had with 1st/2nd. Running 2S at full charge and a 3500kv motor will put peak rpm's right at 30k. Guessing I'll be playing around with gearing a bit.
I'll need to figure something out for the roll bar though. One of my main issues with the jato when I first got it was I'd frequently snap the rear shock tower off. I made a roll bar that kind of protected it, but it also connected to the stock roll bar. Many hours were burned making this thing with a vice, torch and pliers. Sooo many bends...
It has done it's job well for many years and fit nicely under the body. As it is, the shock tower in it has one side cracked that I didn't know about and that was the first one In installed with the roll bar. Prior to that, I had replaced 6 or 7 of them. So, figuring something out is a must.
When the diff and whatnot all show up, I'll hopefully have thought out a way to mount my roll bar on. Will probably have to make something out of some steel flat stock and mount it to the chassis deck somewhere. Not a whole lot of room for things with the battery right where I'd want to mount a roll bar. I'll post up more pics when I get it finished.