School me on the stealth #6560

[Alan_r]

Hello guys, I need some help from the RC10 gurus. First, I've got a 1990 Championship car that is pulling duty on the track until my modern cars are up and running. The car was originally a 6 gear car so when I decided to pull her out of retirement, I located a new Stealth kit #6560. The one with the V2 slipper. I downloaded the template found on this site, drilled my A stamp chassis, and installed the Stealth. The issue is that the transmission sounds like a ratchet with the motor installed. I've rebuilt it with the same parts twice just in case I messed something up. I've run 15 lipos through it and it hasn't changed. When I hold one wheel and turn the other, it's smooth. When I turn one wheel while the other rotates backwards, it's smooth. The back of the slipper does not rub the plate. The spur gear or pinion is not hitting the cover.


My 6 gear is silky smooth. I built it the way Jammin Jay did. When I built the Stealth, I deburred all the gears and made sure everything meshed properly. Without the motor attached, the car will roll a few feet when you push it. On the track, the power delivery is fine. Coming out of corners under power, the car locks in fine. It's just loud. And when I let off the throttle it acts like the dynamic braking is engaged. I don't even have to use the brakes it's so effective. (Defective).....

I always thought the stealth was supposed to be a smooth, quiet and efficient transmission, that's why I wanted to upgrade to it. Honestly, my 6 gear is better in every way that I can tell. Something has to be wrong. Any ideas?

[Alan_r]

Oh yeah, I'm running an Associated 21t 48p pinion on a Reedy 27 and 17t brushed motor with a Novak 410-M5. If that helps. Thanks in advance.

Edit: Added motor information.

[mk-Zero]

Did you try a new spur gear? Sometimes just one bad tooth on a spur gear can make all kinds of racket. Likewise sometimes a little piece of dirt can get lodged between the teeth of the pinion and make a lot of noise. Pull the motor out and spin the wheels, if the noise is gone it's most likely from the pinion/spur...

As for the off-throttle braking, there is probably a lot of drag brake set on your ESC. Find a users manual and see how to check and change the drag brake setting. I usually run zero or maybe a few percent at most.

[yellowdatsun]

For what it's worth, I've had the same issue. I haven't been able to find out why though. I've had one that was super quiet, and then another that wasn't. I've rebuilt two of them, the insides looked just fine, but I replaced the gears and diff balls anyways, and it was still noisy. I just finished rebuilding the second one, and with the tranny out of the car, and in my hand, turning the diff sides and spur shaft, the tranny is very smooth and quiet. Yet when I put it in the car it makes noise. I can only surmise that my pinion/spur spacing is off. But if I get them much closer they'll be touching. There's very little play between them, but maybe I need even less?

[Alan_r]

Hello Brian, it makes the same noise without the motor. It's twice as loud pushing the car forward than reverse. I made a mistake when I wrote it up originally, after writing it I put it on the floor and that's when I noticed it. It actually sounds pretty good when pushing it in reverse. The sound sounds to be coming from the area of the idler gear. It's just louder with the motor attached for some reason. I don't think it's the esc brake. I set it up according to the Novak manual, it was great for the first 2-3 packs. The transmission was nice at first- not 6 gear smooth- but fairly quiet. It's when the noise started that the "drag braking" started. Visualizing how the transmission works while I'm spinning it, it sounds like a bad mesh between the top shaft and idler gear. With nothing attached there is no binding to be felt. The noise is still there when I remove the slipper.

Maybe it is just loud...but man.....everything in my mind that could tell me somethings wrong is going off.

[jwscab]

this is the thread that discusses your issue(s). it stems mostly from the idler, but check your tightness on the case screws, and the contact to the slipper plate as well.

http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=88&t=36121&hilit=stealth+trans+idler

[Alan_r]

I ordered a new top shaft, idler gear and diff gear along with new balls and diff rings. I'll go through that thread and apply everything within it. I think for now I'm going to reinstall the 6 gear. It's quiet and smooth. I noticed today the diff was having trouble with a low traction environment. It sounds like the metal spur gears on short course trucks. I am the only vintage RC10 running here so I've got nothing to compare it to. But if this is what a stealth is like I don't see why they got rid of the 6 gear.......which is why something has to be wrong. If the new parts and the other thread don't help I'll figure out a way to link a video. It's loud enough to hear it though a video while on the drivers stand.

[Alan_r]

Additionally, one of the first things I did was play w ith the case screw tension. No change at all. I remember reading about Chinese case issues. Hopefully it doesn't require new cases. He'll, at that point I will have bought all the parts to build another transmission, making me wonder why I bought the kit in the first place. I've got a Worlds Car kit enroute that has the same tranny in it so I'll have something to.compare it to shortly. Man.....and I've got a race this weekend too......

[DaveM]

Hi,

I have a re-release Worlds stealth and a 6 gear, guess which ones spins easier?

Hint, it's not the re-release stealth.

It is either the idler or the clearances as I am running a early top shaft with T3 slipper.

Cheers, Dave.

[bully]

Best bet is the 6565 case and original style idler gear to suit....

[GoMachV]

If it was a real, bagged and sealed stealth trans kit it came with the USA case and idler, however some shops were parting out worlds kits and thus the bag contained the crappy China case and idler . if it came with a motor plate it was likely parted from a kit as the 6560 didn't

[Alan_r]

Yes, it was a sealed, Associated stealth kit. I've been looking for one for ages and happened across a shop in California that had one in stock. Like page 23 on a Google search. Anyway, I received my Worlds Car kit and built it over the past two evenings; what a great kit! Everything was perfect and I was able to focus on the quality and detail of my build. With the prerequisite reaming, cleaning and detail-blurring, everything is smooth as silk. This thing makes my poor Championship car feel like an old dump truck.......the Stealth in the Worlds was prepped the same way I do all my transmission's. Teeth filed and detail-blurred, clearances checked etc. It is smooth and as quiet as the transmission in the B5M. So I don't know guys. Like I said, I've got all the internal parts enroute. Maybe I need to pick up some new cases as well. I'm running brushed in that car so efficiency matters. This is the first issue I've had with any Associated product since about 1988. I'm sure it's a fluke and I just got a Chinese Friday afternoon tranny. It works fine, but that noise means inefficiency I'm sure. Thanks for the tips and ideas. AR

[GoMachV]

now im even more unclear. You have a worlds kit AND a sealed trans kit 6560....the worlds is good and the 6560 is not? Thats exactly backwards from everyone else?!

[Alan_r]

Oh I almost forgot, the Worlds Stealth was different than the one I built for the CE. The gears were a different color and the instructions said to put stealth lube on gears within the transmission whereas the one for the CE specifically said to put it only on the diff balls and rings.

Edit: wrong information.

[Alan_r]

Hello Gom, yes. That's exactly what's happening.