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Bulkhead repair?
Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2012 1:07 pm
by 85Edinger
Hello all,
Several months ago, I got an SPC 5000mah 25c 2s lipo for my rc10. It was too tall to fit in the rear bulkhead. I own 2 rear bulkheads: the original one, which the previous owner screwed up, and one that I got new off of ebay. The previous owner of my car broke the ball off of the ballstud leaving the threads behind. Instead of doing the rational thing and drilling it out, he drilled a new hole in an extremely bad location that caused the tab to pull partway off. Obviously, if it was repairable, this bulkhead would be a good candidate for modification. I drilled the ballstud out and filled in the extra hole with epoxy putty. Then I put a long ballstud through and secured it with a nut. This setup survived a few months of racing, including Vonats. Then the epoxy putty pulled out.
Any ideas of how to fix it? Would fiberglass cloth and liquid epoxy work? Or, should I just get a battery that fits? I'm currently stuck with the SPC angled diagonally across the chassis, which can't be good for weight distribution.
Note: this is a first generation bulkhead with long wing tubes and short camber links.
I would really rather not cut up the nice bulkhead when I know there are lipos out there that fit. Just trying to work with what I have.
Re: Bulkhead repair?
Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2012 1:46 pm
by jwscab
i can give you a thing to try: find a nylon screw, say 6-32 or 8-32, and drill a hole in order to tap it for either size thread(whatever screw you find). then take the plastic screw, add a bit of crazy glue, and screw it in the new tapped hole. cut the screw off flush with the bulkhead. let it dry, then drill out the screw for the 4-40 ball stud and screw it in. Wait, did you say the whole 'ear' is basically attached by one small piece? I'd trim both ears off and drill another hole inboard like the later model bulkheads
OR, find a decent used bulkhead on ebay
Re: Bulkhead repair?
Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2012 2:09 pm
by scr8p
drill and tap a hole through the wing tube (while in bulkhead) to install a new ball stud in the same location as the second and third series bulkheads. then use a longer turnbuckle.
Re: Bulkhead repair?
Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2012 3:15 pm
by 85Edinger
Will a longer camber link reduce camber gain? When the car leans all the way over, I get about 0 degrees of camber, even though it has about 2.5 arms level.
To elaborate, the tab is held on in four spots: The top, bottom, and middles between the holes. Someone drilled through the top one. I filled in the hole with epoxy putty. The epoxy putty pulled out, and the tab is now held on by the very bottom.
Does the precise location of the hole matter, or does it just need to be symmetrical? In pictures, the CE bulkhead's inboard holes look to be about the same height as the top ones on the tab and directly below the wing tube.
Won't the "bump" for the wing tube increase the angle of the camber link? Could this cause binding?
Actually, now that I look at the car (with the good bulkhead currently installed), the camber link angles towards the bulkhead! Maybe the bump could lessen binding. Has anyone tried this?
Re: Bulkhead repair?
Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2012 5:53 pm
by trek
if you go to the 25 years of RC10 thread and look at the THE RC10 GRAPHITE Late 1990-91. Scroll down and you can see the inner hole on that bulkhead. I had no idea about the inner hole till the other day when I was looking though the 25 year thread.
http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=13059
Re: Bulkhead repair?
Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2012 6:28 pm
by 85Edinger
Yeah, that's what I looked at. It looks like it's the same height as the top level on the tab. I'll pick up a 4-40 tap as soon as I can and post up the results.
Re: Bulkhead repair?
Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2012 7:33 pm
by soniccj5
My rear bulkhead got ruined when my right rear A-arm pin came out. There was enough there to hold in a Venom 5000mah battery, but eventually the rest broke off. I went to a shorty pack, two B44 standoffs and a B4 factory team battery brace.
As for the rear ball stud I would try what scr8p had mentioned. Mine is a newer bulkhead with the shorted wing tubes with the holes already there and it handles great.
Hey, did you catch your picture in Car Action?
ED
Re: Bulkhead repair?
Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 11:15 am
by 85Edinger
Am I going to need cutting and tapping fluid to go through the wing tube? I read somewhere that it was important. Also, what size drill bit should I use? I have a 1/16", which seems about right, but I was hoping someone who's done this kind of thing could verify.
Sonicc, did the e clip come out? I've thought about putting shoe goo on my e-clips. It should be safe on nylon, right?
Re: Bulkhead repair?
Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 11:34 am
by scr8p
you don't need any cutting/tapping fluid. just take your time.
#43 drill bit to tap 4-40.
Re: Bulkhead repair?
Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:24 pm
by soniccj5
85Edinger wrote:
Sonicc, did the e clip come out? I've thought about putting shoe goo on my e-clips. It should be safe on nylon, right?
Yes the clip came off. I check each time before I drop it on the track now.
Re: Bulkhead repair?
Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:18 pm
by 85Edinger
I get e clips popping out of my front inner hinge pins quite frequently. I'll give shoe goo a try.