Resurrecting/Modernizing Your Vintage R/C's Electronics

Brushless, lipo, spectrum, etc...

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Re: Resurrecting/Modernizing Your Vintage R/C's Electronics

Post by Coelacanth »

Jared J wrote:For the front wheel conversion, do i use the normal Flanged bearings that the original front wheels use? or the slightly larger ones? and do i use the flanged bearings at all?
Hi Jared,

A 17.5T motor should be perfectly safe for vintage cars; plus, you can adjust punch (how strong it accelerates) with modern ESC's. The answer to when to use flanged bearings is quite simple. You would use flanged bearings anywhere where there's nothing on the inside of the part you're putting the bearings into preventing them from pressing in too far. Regular unflanged bearings need this inner ridge to press against to keep them in position. If the bearing hole is straight through with no inner ridge, the flange rests against the lip of the outer hole, preventing the bearing from slipping inside the hole, keeping it in position.
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Re: Resurrecting/Modernizing Your Vintage R/C's Electronics

Post by Jared J »

A 17.5T motor should be perfectly safe for vintage cars; plus, you can adjust punch (how strong it accelerates) with modern ESC's. The answer to when to use flanged bearings is quite simple. You would use flanged bearings anywhere where there's nothing on the inside of the part you're putting the bearings into preventing them from pressing in too far. Regular unflanged bearings need this inner ridge to press against to keep them in position. If the bearing hole is straight through with no inner ridge, the flange rests against the lip of the outer hole, preventing the bearing from slipping inside the hole, keeping it in position.[/quote]

Okay, so then there is this inner ridge part in the B4 wheel. so that would mean,no Flanged bearing?
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Re: Resurrecting/Modernizing Your Vintage R/C's Electronics

Post by scr8p »

B4 wheels use 3/16 x 3/8 plain bearings.

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Re: Resurrecting/Modernizing Your Vintage R/C's Electronics

Post by Jared J »

Yay! I have those!! hahah. Well, now today will be the day this car gets 100% done!! Woo hoo!. (where do i post when its done anyway. )
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Re: Resurrecting/Modernizing Your Vintage R/C's Electronics

Post by Wahrsuul »

Just checking to see if there are any updates to this thread. I'm thinking I'll modernize a couple of my old Tamiya's for the grand kids to bash around in the yard. I'm looking for long run times, but don't need high speed. From what I gather, going LiPo, I'll need new motor/esc combo and new radio gear. What's fairly inexpensive? This is outside of the batteries and charger I know I'll need.

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Re: Resurrecting/Modernizing Your Vintage R/C's Electronics

Post by laylow3down »

I have a rc10t2.. I installed an Sky R/c Leopard 12t 3930Kv brushless system.. I'm running Venom 5000 Lipo 2s batteries...still haven't had a chance to run it outside but it looks promising...

I have a Tamiya Lunchbox I'm running the same system in but the motor is a 9t 4340kv....I drag race with this one..

I run the Lipo with the older brushed systems too.. just make sure the ESC can handle 8.4v or more.. and you got to watch the voltage on the Lipo..

the brushless systems are like 40 to 50 dollars.. comes with a program card and the ESC are v2...

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Re: Resurrecting/Modernizing Your Vintage R/C's Electronics

Post by Wahrsuul »

I'm a little confused. BITD, less windings usually were faster? I need longevity in run time, would I go more windings? Yes, I can run lipo with my old stuff, but I'd need an LVA for each car, and really for my needs if I'm doing all that, it's be easier to just go with an inexpensive brushless/esc combo with a cheap transmitter. Just needs some recommendations for what's decent.

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Re: Resurrecting/Modernizing Your Vintage R/C's Electronics

Post by jwscab »

the hobbywing hobbyking turnigy and others are decent low priced brushless setups. something that is around a stock silver can would be a 21.5 turn motor.

while you are at one of those websites, look for lipo's and chargers as well. I have turnigy items and they work well and priced nicely.

you can get the tower hobbies radio for like 50 bucks and it's a smallish pistol grip that works well for small hands.

https://www.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXWPW0&P=N

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Re: Resurrecting/Modernizing Your Vintage R/C's Electronics

Post by Wahrsuul »

What does the Kv rating mean?

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Re: Resurrecting/Modernizing Your Vintage R/C's Electronics

Post by jwscab »

kV is rpm*volt, so 4000kV means 4000x7.4v or 29,600rpm. of course this assumes 2S (2 cell) lipo. this is the unloaded max rpm of the motor, HOWEVER, brushless motors make a boatload of torque compared to brushed motors, so even though the motor may look like it has a low rated rpm, you can gear them up quite a bit and get much more power to the wheels without loading the motor down.

generally, when a motor is specified in kV, they are sensorless, which means at slow speeds they can cog/work poorly. most motors that are rated in turns (17.5) would indicate they are sensored, so they require the extra small cable running to the motor, but are very smooth at slow speeds and generally work better. in a sensored motor, you need to be sure to adjust the speedo to reverse the motor if you need to. With a sensorless motor, you just have to swap 2 of the 3 leads and you are off.

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Re: Resurrecting/Modernizing Your Vintage R/C's Electronics

Post by Lonestar »

jwscab wrote: Mon Dec 18, 2017 10:13 am kV is rpm*volt, so 4000kV means 4000x7.4v or 29,600rpm. of course this assumes 2S (2 cell) lipo. this is the unloaded max rpm of the motor, HOWEVER, brushless motors make a boatload of torque compared to brushed motors, so even though the motor may look like it has a low rated rpm, you can gear them up quite a bit and get much more power to the wheels without loading the motor down.

generally, when a motor is specified in kV, they are sensorless, which means at slow speeds they can cog/work poorly. most motors that are rated in turns (17.5) would indicate they are sensored, so they require the extra small cable running to the motor, but are very smooth at slow speeds and generally work better. in a sensored motor, you need to be sure to adjust the speedo to reverse the motor if you need to. With a sensorless motor, you just have to swap 2 of the 3 leads and you are off.
Nice summary.

One additional thing: just like brushed mills, on BL motors you can adjust timing. But while on brushed it was an adjustment that was technical AND was yielding minor returns for a lot of wear if you were a non-racer, on BL mills you can litterally add >50% more rpm to your motor. Timing can be controlled by the hardware (rotate the head on the motor) or the software at a constant or variable rate (by the controller). That can make your 21.5 sensored motor silver-can like at zero timing, or feel like a 16 double at smartly setup timing :)
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Re: Resurrecting/Modernizing Your Vintage R/C's Electronics

Post by RC10th »

Boost and turbo into the stratosphere :mrgreen:
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Re: Resurrecting/Modernizing Your Vintage R/C's Electronics

Post by Lonestar »

RC10th wrote: Tue Dec 19, 2017 9:00 am Boost and turbo into the stratosphere :mrgreen:
yes :mrgreen: it's a double-edge sword, really.

I race mostly 13.5 boosted... regularly in the 80deg total timing (static + dynamic). That 13.5T becomes VERY fast :lol:
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Re: Resurrecting/Modernizing Your Vintage R/C's Electronics

Post by bigrobbyt »

Hi All - I'm new to this, but just like the post described, I want to do exactly that....resurrect my T3 with new electronics. So many options out there and I don't get all the terminology. I'm looking to spend $200-300 or more if needed for something reliable, but not competition worthy. Something my 12 year old son and I can have fun with. Just looking for a recommendation for setup on motor, esc, controller and receiver. From reading other posts it seems like a 2 cell lipo hard pack will do ok for what I'm looking for.

Thanks!

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Re: Resurrecting/Modernizing Your Vintage R/C's Electronics

Post by JosephS »

bigrobbyt wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 9:12 pm Hi All - I'm new to this, but just like the post described, I want to do exactly that....resurrect my T3 with new electronics. So many options out there and I don't get all the terminology. I'm looking to spend $200-300 or more if needed for something reliable, but not competition worthy. Something my 12 year old son and I can have fun with. Just looking for a recommendation for setup on motor, esc, controller and receiver. From reading other posts it seems like a 2 cell lipo hard pack will do ok for what I'm looking for.

Thanks!
There are a few basic ways to go. But first are you absolutely set on giving your 12 year old a vintage rc car? $2-300 Will get you a reasonable quality Traxxas RTR truck with easy to find replacement parts.

If the vintage updated vintage route is absolutely they way you want to go there are some guidelines.
Rebuild the truck first and see what kind of condition the slipper and gears are in. If everything is pretty much in new shape with out too much wiggle in the parts you can go on.
A 2s lipo is the biggest battery you would want to get. 6 and 7 cell Nimh are also still available and can be a good alternative to lipo. Either is fine, but Lipo batteries need more attention than Nimh batteries.
Most modern chargers will charge both types .

For radios I have a flysky gt3b and it seems just fine and is about $50 on amazon for transmitter and receiver.

I really recommend brush-less motors and speed controllers. The new technology is much easier to use and maintain

I have personally had poor experiences with no-name equipment. You can get some killer deals, but you can wind up with unreliable equipment.
I use hobbywing bushless ESC and they have been reliable.
The justock esc is about $60 and should handle most motors you should be using

For motors 13.5 is the fastest motor you should use in a vintage RC 17.5 is about what the old stocks motors were. I used the Reedy Sonic 13.5 fixed timing motor again about $60.

For servos I use something similar to the Savox SC1257TG-BE it's about $80.

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