T3 Up Keep?

[RCDad]

Is there any kind of up keep required on a T3 besides checking the screws occasionally?

 

[Plaidfish]

Learn about the proper techniques of Charging / Discharging and storing batts unless you like killing packs....also cleaning/cutting your comm regularly (when it's needed) will extend the life of your motor.....shock maintenance too...and you thought electric was easier huh?

 

[RCDad]

What is "cleaning/cutting your comm regularly" ?

And flipping a switch and pulling a trigger, to me, is much easier

 

[Plaidfish]

luckily I have friends who are really into electric road cars and they do most of this as I need it done, but as you use the motor you can or are scoring the end of your armature ( the thing inside the motor that spins ) the end of the armature is the Commutator?....this is the contactor for the electricity to travel through the Armature and create the electro-magnetic field to turn the motor....when this gets dirty or imperfect your motor doesn't perform well...even if your not racing.....so it needs to be cleaned or "cut" on a lathe.......every one seems to be different so I don't know what the rule of thumb is for servicing these....I just take my car to the track when they are there and get a free tune before I play....the battery pack issue is even more important but I'm just not into it enough to explain that one....but definately read more about battery maintenance before you use them too much...I killed my first 3600 pack by not cycling the battery when I should have....those things are just too expensive to not do it.....
and you thought electric was less headache....

And flipping a switch and pulling a trigger, to me, is much easier [/QUOTE]

the running may be easier but the maintenance can kill ya

 

[RCDad]

Well, I don't have a lathe. Hopefully the local track does stuff like that.

 

[Plaidfish]

ususally the community lathe will do more damage than good.....find a person you trust that can show you what they use....I have a Cobra Lathe that I thought was fine but all the hardcore guys say it's junk and wouldn't use it on any of their stuff....so you will find some very perfectionist opinions...I've always found that if I take their advice, read stuff on the topic at hand, mix it with a little trial and error and throw in a dose of common sense and I end up with a pretty good method that works for me......but you can expect to drop some cash on these things every week you go....I figure I spend about 50 bucks every 2 weeks just to maintain my cars (fuel, cleaners, glow plugs, bearings, springs and clutches)...that's not including the broken parts or upgrades I do.....that's maintaining 3 different types of cars in running condition though...

 

[retarded pilot]

or for like $200 you can get a novak brushless system and never have to worry about comms or brushes etc..

and your car will run like a bat out of hell with like 20% longer run times i have one on my tc3 and will never go back to a brushed setup

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXDDD7&P=ML

 

[RCDad]

brushless definitely seems the way to go. Maybe around tax/bonus time