RC10 Vintage transmission upgrade - help!

[rbcross62]

Hello everyone,

I thought that I would refer to the experts on this question. I have a vintage RC10 with the "A" gold tub. I would like to upgrade to a stealth transmission from the standard transmission. Do any of you know if the 7037 RC10T 4.1 tranny will fit and work in the original buggy? I know that I will have to drill holes for mounting a stealth, but other than that, what else is needed?

I also recently upgraded from the resistor speed control to an ESC. It will support down to a 17T brushed motor. I would like to use the Reedy Radon 17T motor, has anyone used this motor? I am looking for a step up from the stock (original 27T) motor. I would like to be able to keep up with an Evader EXT that my kids have. I appreciate all of the ideas and feedback!!

Thanks!
Rich

[Phin]

Putting a B4.1/T4.1 transmission in an A stamp isn't as easy as just drilling a few screw holes...there's some significant modification involved. Original stealth transmissions are readily available on eBay, will take much less work to fit into your buggy, and will handle the motors you want to use.

Then again you should post a pic of your RC10 before you start drilling holes in what might be a buggy worth preserving.

[rbcross62]

Thanks for the quick feedback Phin! You are correct, I'm not interested in doing a lot of custom modifications to the car. I've also posted a few pics of it here per your request. I have installed an SC200 ESC and a new metal gear servo for steering, but other than that it's still stock.

I took a look at eBay and wasn't really able to find any older stealth transmissions. The original 6-gear never did work great, so I was thinking of upgrading at the same time I do the motor. I still have the original motor and it runs well. It doesn't have the top end speed that the new cars (brushed) have, but it's still a blast to drive. My other option was to get a new car for playing and just keep the RC10 for nostalgia purposes.

Thanks!!

Rich

Putting a B4.1/T4.1 transmission in an A stamp isn't as easy as just drilling a few screw holes...there's some significant modification involved. Original stealth transmissions are readily available on eBay, will take much less work to fit into your buggy, and will handle the motors you want to use.

Then again you should post a pic of your RC10 before you start drilling holes in what might be a buggy worth preserving.

[Phin]

Other than a bonk in the nose that looks like it's in pretty good shape. How scratched up is the bottom?

If the bottom is in good shape, and the arms aren't road-rashed to hell it'd be worth cleaning up and finding something else to race. If it's beat up underneath then you wouldn't be crucified for drilling it for a stealth.

Someone on eBay has started repro'ing stealth drill templates, or you can print out the template ROH73 posted here.

[limestang]

Another option is to clean and upgrade the current 6 gear transmission. It's really a solid transmission, and with the right tuning works great. There are also upgraded gears (48p), bearings (outdrives), and numerous tricks available to make it even better. Your RC10 appears pretty clean - I recommend restoring it and enjoying it as a vintage buggy. Be careful - You might get the sickness allot of us have here, and start a very serious collection:)

Have fun!

[rbcross62]

Here's a pic of the bottom. It's a bit dirty, but in pretty good shape for its age. So now I'm not sure what to do with this! I think I will upgrade the motor to the Reedy Radon 17T and leave the diff in its original condition. I'll most likely buy another car for racing and use this one for show. They don't make 'em like this anymore!

I've been looking at the Arrma Granite as a second car, do any of you know much about the brand?

Thanks,

Rich

Other than a bonk in the nose that looks like it's in pretty good shape. How scratched up is the bottom?

If the bottom is in good shape, and the arms aren't road-rashed to hell it'd be worth cleaning up and finding something else to race. If it's beat up underneath then you wouldn't be crucified for drilling it for a stealth.

Someone on eBay has started repro'ing stealth drill templates, or you can print out the template ROH73 posted here.

[Phin]

Yeah that's a nice one to just clean up. Maybe just get some new rubber for the wheels. You can even leave that Chenowth body clear if you don't have any artistic ability.

[farmer]

ahhh just race race it! in my opinion if its not straight out the box it will never be mint, racing with your kids will bring you better feelings than setting something on the shelf,every car i have that is in runnable condition i would let my kids drive, you can always get a MIB some other time charrish the time you have with your kids, i have 2 kids boy 18 and a girl 13 they grow up faster than you can imagine , my daughter still races but the boy is onto other things, i look foward to the day of the week that i can go racing with my daughter

farmer

[rbcross62]

Well, I purchased the Reedy Radon 17T motor today and put it in my RC10. WOW, what a difference!! It runs much, much faster and can definitely keep up with the Evader EXT and the Tamiya Stadium Blitzer! Now, I've got a few more questions, but a bit more info first....

The 6-gear transmission that came with the car has never quite worked correctly. Basically, when turning one tire, the other tire spins with it or doesn't spin at all. It doesn't spin in reverse like the newer transmissions do. I checked the tightness of the case and nothing seems to be overtightened. I was talking with one of the local hobby shop guys and he said that some guys would take the transmission apart and fill it with toothpaste and then use a drill or something else to rotate it many times. It would basically act like sandpaper and smooth out the inside of the housing so things would fit better. Is there any truth to this? Has anyone tried this? I'm curious if this is common with these original transmissions. It does tend to squeal more now that I have the better motor in it. Overall though, I'm very happy with the new motor, and you can't beat it for a $20 upgrade!

Also, is it possible to put new tires on this original RC10? I'd like to put larger truck tires on it, but am not sure if this is possible. The rear tires are a bit loose due to the plastic hubs that screw on. They used to be tight, but have loosened up with use. I believe that I can get some locking nuts to use like there are on the front axles. Ideas?

Again, thanks for the input! You have all been very helpful!!

Rich

[Phin]

Toothpaste I think only worked for people who converted to a steel idler gear. Buy new diff balls and rebuild your 6-gear the Jim Halsey way. You can also try the bearing elimination mod but it's not required for a smooth 6-gear.


For modern 2.2 wheels/tires you can order a set of JCRacing wheels from http://www.jcracingproducts.co.uk/products/ or use DuraTrax Evader BX front buggy rims and Thunder Tiger Phoenix BX for the rear. You will need to convert the rear stub axles to 3/16" and get new bearings for the Duratrax and TT wheels.

If you want to use stadium truck wheels I'd again suggest you shelf your RC10 and buy a new RC. You'd need to replace a bunch of parts to convert your RC10 to a stadium truck and the 6-gear's lower gear ratio might run into more problems with the larger truck tires.