Build Thread The most interesting Team Associated SC10 in the world

[Spksh]

This is where I make my first major mistake. Before you scroll down, can you spot the problem? In retrospect, trying to build a new transmission at 10pm in the middle of week when I've had no sleep probably wasn't the best idea.

I love this little thing, so great for seating the big gears.

Then I spent about an hour trying to figure out why the transmission case wouldn't go together. I have a few transmission cases in my parts bin, and I compared fit without bearings, and everything looked like it should have snapped together fine. Maybe bearing tolerances? Maybe if I pushed harder? Maybe if I grabbed woodworking clamps to apply a ton of force?

...maybe I was accidentally using the first gen ball diff transmission case from a B4 . Look at the difference. Luckily I didn't break anything, but I've likely deformed the old SAE bearing seats by jamming the metric gear diff bearings in there.

Now using the correct transmission case, everything lines up.

 

[Spksh]

I've been using 0.250" aluminium spacers in place of the "ballstud spacer" that AE provides in the kit. They're slightly bigger than stock, just a bit more surface area. However, they're too big for the transmission case mounting points. The kit parts are 0.220". I switched to salvaged parts to keep going, and it probably doesn't matter, but I'll likely pick up some new ones.

I made another (much more minor) mistake attaching the motor guard.

I'm used to the B4 and T4 where the motor guard goes on nearer the end, after the transmission has been mounted, so I didn't tighten the screws thinking I'd want to line it all up once it was attached to the rear end. But with the SC10, the rear bumper brace blocks access to the screw heads here and I had to disassemble a bit to tighten these up.

 

[Spksh]

I want to stop here and thank @RustyUs for their post about differences in transmission rebuild kits and availability of parts. Super valuable for me when tracking down the various shims and seals I need.

The post also correctly predicted my challenge with using the wrong transmission case

 

[Spksh]

Continuing the transmission module. Rear bumper and brace, along with the motor plate.

There's something really aggressive about this assembly. Maybe I've watched Aliens too many times.

There's this locknut that's held in place by soft plastic. I had to run the bolt through the nut a few times to carve up the lock in order before the nut would stop just turning in place. You can see some dings to the anodizing where I tried a few different pliers.

 

[Spksh]

New slipper pads and spur gear, used spring.

I know the slipper spring and adapter isn't stock for this era, but it feels so much more positive.

 

[CertifiedMike]

Continuing the transmission module. Rear bumper and brace, along with the motor plate.
View attachment 254753

There's something really aggressive about this assembly. Maybe I've watched Aliens too many times.
View attachment 254754

There's this locknut that's held in place by soft plastic. I had to run the bolt through the nut a few times to carve up the lock in order before the nut would stop just turning in place. You can see some dings to the anodizing where I tried a few different pliers.
View attachment 254765

Not every build is super straightforward... good for you figuring out the case issue! I would have had it in a vise until ALL of it was broke!

Vintage resto at its finest! Thanks for keeping it real and showing the good, bad and ugly!

 

[Spksh]

I thought stock SC10 toe-in for the the rear arm mount was 3.5 degrees, because every SC10 I've disassembled has had a 3.5 block. But the instructions say 3.0, so here we are. Maybe I'll regret it and change later.

Obviously I put the arms on backwards first, and then corrected them once I turned the chassis around. Shocks forward!

Rear chassis brace and shock tower.

 

[Spksh]

Not every build is super straightforward... good for you figuring out the case issue! I would have had it in a vise until ALL of it was broke!

Vintage resto at its finest! Thanks for keeping it real and showing the good, bad and ugly!

Thank you! I honestly find the "ugly" piece the most fun to figure out.

 

[CertifiedMike]

Thank you! I honestly find the "ugly" piece the most fun to figure out.

Me too!

Building is so much fun!!!

 

[Spksh]

And let's finally join the transmission module to the chassis.

I know the SC10 is longer than the T4, but this thing is getting hard to photograph without catching all my bench clutter in the shot.

 

[Spksh]

And now a dilemma. The used SC10 right rear body mount has a stress fracture, and does not sit straight. I clearly didn't notice the damage when I was cleaning up this part from another tear-down, but it's super obvious now. The photos don't capture the 10 degree inside lean it has.

I could forget about it and it'd likely survive for a bit, but something about the bentness makes me unhappy. I have no other used SC10 body mounts. Do I crack open one of the new-in-packet mounts that I've got in the parts bin?

 

[CertifiedMike]

And now a dilemma. The used SC10 right rear body mount has a stress fracture, and does not sit straight. I clearly didn't notice the damage when I was cleaning up this part from another tear-down, but it's super obvious now. The photos don't capture the 10 degree inside lean it has.
View attachment 254781
View attachment 254782

I could forget about it and it'd likely survive for a bit, but something about the bentness makes me unhappy. I have no other used SC10 body mounts. Do I crack open one of the new-in-packet mounts that I've got in the parts bin?

I would try to fill the crack with superglue & baking powder. You have nothing to lose and a new parts bag to save!

 

[Spksh]

I would try to fill the crack with superglue & baking powder. You have nothing to lose and a new parts bag to save!

Someone needs to think of the children new-old stock parts! I'll need to heat gun it to get it to settle back straight, and then try glue.

 

[CertifiedMike]

Someone needs to think of the children new-old stock parts! I'll need to heat gun it to get it to settle back straight, and then try glue.

If we are saving children, we need to buy lots of Flock cameras and such too!!!

Good luck! The crack doesn't look too bad but might be in a bad (high stress) place.
Def worth a shot!
I always have mixed feelings when I slice open a bag of brand new parts thats been sealed for the better part of 40 years!

 

[Doom!]

Me too!

Building is so much fun!!!

You guys are nut jobs! Playing with my RC's is way more fun than working on them!
Ok, I get it, just sayin.

I'm loving this resto, so don't listen to me.

 

[Spksh]

You guys are nut jobs!

 

[Spksh]

Adventures in heat forming. Recall the rear body mount, here's a better picture of where we started:

Heat gun the whole thing to bring it up to "not quite droopy" (that's metric, not imperial), then clamp flat.

And celebrate.

Now I need to stabilize the crack. Not sure what plastic this is. I'll see if I can find a solvent that'll weld this back together.

 

[Spksh]

I noticed the rear bumper was a banana too, so I gave it the same treatment.

 

[Spksh]

Let's get the body mount and bumper attached.

The mudflaps will come later...

 

[Spksh]

Rear hubs!

I have to use my two remaining crush tubes/bearing spacers. I have some aluminum tube of various dimensions coming, but man it hurts to have zero stock left. I need my emotional support tubes.

Easy. Used the cute black aluminium locknuts again.