RC10Talk - The Net's Largest Vintage R/C Community

Before the blue kit:


Blue cured.


Going to go one more round of light sanding, steel wool, and clean/blue on these. Have come this far, might as well go the entire distance.

A light oiling of them is good to do also. I oil mine with 3 in 1 machine oil and then absorb/blot the excess with a paper towel.

The kit came with something called barricade, which was a cloth with oil on it to use after the blue step. I'll wait for this second blue layer to cure, then oil them like you mentioned.


Looking forward to putting those on there tomorrow.


Thanks again @Frankentruck, wish I had to done this to begin with.

Second blue looks more even.


Next to NOS.


Used the Tamiya cutters to get the ball joints cut really close. The old ball cups were chewed on.


Finally figured out how to use the tools properly, in order to not chew up the new ball cups. Oiled turnbuckles, I'll let them sit over night.

That oil really sealed the deal on the blue job.

Thanks again @Frankentruck!

Got the turnbuckles all on, and used Tamiya AW on the outdrive and bones.

Thanks @juicedcoupe for the info on AW, in my other thread; great stuff, and is not what came with my M06 kit.





When I first built this kit in late '96, I had recently turned 24 years old, I rushed through the turnbuckle step to get to the driving. I remember using pliers and my bare fingers, and how sore my fingers were that night from doing it wrong. I'd always heard it takes twice as long to do it the wrong way, and now I have the proof.

While waiting for parts on this project, I watched this:


At 7:53 he says the track was torn up and Brian Kinwald put in a good lap with the Losi Hydra Drive/Stealth combo, says he then bought the entire team the same setup.

Having the late Stealth CE kit from '92-'96, I went looking for one of these Losi Hydra Drive kits and found one. Made a fairly low offer, for a nearly forgotten piece of history, imho, and he took it.

These are the seller's pics.






Not sure if it will go on, or stay sealed.

Time to get the electronics figured out. Everything I have for the RC10.


Pack on the left is having the shrink wrap let go.


Might as well unwrap that pack.


Got the Rx and ESC in.


But the Novak Rooster has a J style connector, with the blade on it, for use with Futaba Rx, and I can't complete this yet because I have Airtronics/Sanwa Rx, and the ESC won't fit.


Need to get a kit and make a conversion cable from Futaba servo plug, to Airtronics/Sanwa Rx.

Also need to figure out what to do with this.

GreenBar0n wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2023 8:10 pm Also need to figure out what to do with this.

Delima... They're exceedingly cool and your gut instinct was to buy and install a new one... given the package is damaged it likely wouldn't be a consideration for a NIP parts collection so, if no one asks if they can buy it from you, I say use it. A new kit beats the can of worms of piecing together a working used one. Especially if you got a good deal on it.

Didn't see the top shaft... Losi A-3140, Thorp 4775, Speed Craft SC0010, etc... if you don't already have one.

Build is looking good!

I say slap it on. I think gear covers for Stealth with hydra can be found. I saw one somewhere recently...

Edit: Not if you are gonna run it though. But for display of goodies of the era.

Dangeruss wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2023 9:22 pm Delima... They're exceedingly cool and your gut instinct was to buy and install a new one... given the package is damaged it likely wouldn't be a consideration for a NIP parts collection so, if no one asks if they can buy it from you, I say use it. A new kit beats the can of worms of piecing together a working used one. Especially if you got a good deal on it.

Didn't see the top shaft... Losi A-3140, Thorp 4775, Speed Craft SC0010, etc... if you don't already have one.

Build is looking good!

Thanks! I was unable to find the directions for the Losi kit in .PDF format, I wanted to check it out without opening it.

TRX-1-3 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2023 10:55 pm I say slap it on. I think gear covers for Stealth with hydra can be found. I saw one somewhere recently...

Edit: Not if you are gonna run it though. But for display of goodies of the era.

That settles it, the Losi kit is going on!

Was entirely sealed still.


Should be everything.


Some interesting looking stuff in the bags.

GreenBar0n wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2023 11:19 pm Should be everything.

Oh snap, I didn't realize it was the whole Stealth conversion kit... that's awesome. Right shaft, cover, everything... Nice score!

TRX-1-3 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2023 10:55 pm I say slap it on. I think gear covers for Stealth with hydra can be found. I saw one somewhere recently...

Edit: Not if you are gonna run it though. But for display of goodies of the era.

You wouldn't put that in a runner? I wouldn't waste it on a basher but... track day funzies... yes please.

This kit was no joke, not sure how someone could install this between races, it was very involved. Tiny pieces, oily hands, not easy. Here goes.

The full kit.


Directions front.


Directions back.


What was in the bag on the left.


Bag on the right.


What we're working with, and how it should go.


















This is the part where the Hydra Drive is filled with the oil, think it's silicon like the shocks. You fill one hole, and the other hole is the air bleed, you keep filling until no air comes out, and only oil. Then seal both filler and bleeder with nylon washer and screw.


New shaft that comes with kit.


New shaft ready.


Kit uses only the bottom of the slipper from the RC10 kit, the rest is provided.






New slipper.










Cover cut and fit.








Feels really slippery in there.

Another interesting thing about this kit, is that it has a plan for the event that you can't rebuild the Hydra Drive in the time you have, so it has provisions to turn the Hydra Drive back in to a regular slipper clutch. It comes with (3) extra parts to make this change.

Nicely done and documented

MarkyDents wrote: ↑Sat Dec 09, 2023 11:31 am Nicely done and documented

Thanks @MarkyDents! I looked all over the web to see if there was another Losi A-3139 RC10 kit installation thread, wanted to see what this was all about.

Just the name Hydra-Drive had me wondering what this could be and do, had to find out for myself.

Turns out it's not Hyper Drive related.

GreenBar0n wrote: ↑Sat Dec 09, 2023 12:09 am This kit was no joke, not sure how someone could install this between races, it was very involved...

Don't know anyone did, was more of an install-at-home thing. Tuning it was nearly as difficult. Something regular slipper clutches had over it, quicker/easier adjustments. Multiple 'Drives with their own weight oil was the wicked setup though. Swap 'em out and go.

A lot of guys thought it worked like a torque converter, but a torque converter forces fluid through the stator and multiplies fluid pressure like a scroll wheel on a turbocharger. Rather, Hydra-Drives operate like a rotary (Houdaille) shock, using fluid as a dampener instead of friction like a slipper clutch.

Now, had Losi fluted the stator and housing it could have created a torque converter and the "X" lineup would've been like...