How do you clean your RC?

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So is it good practice to rinse the 50/50 water and simple green off after spraying and scrubbing or is that not necessary? Sounds like some do, and some don’t reading some of these cleaning regimens line for line.

I assume the rubber shielded bearings come with grease in them, and once you start oiling that grease is spun out and you have to keep up with an oiling routine to keep them from seizing? Misguided or not, I have not been oiling them in the hope the rubber shield retains the grease, despite the fact I spray with simple green and hose the truck down (after removing the power and electronics modules).

Also What is recommended for greasing the differential external gears, under the covers?

Thanks!
 
MrLimey said:
So is it good practice to rinse the 50/50 water and simple green off after spraying and scrubbing or is that not necessary? Sounds like some do, and some don’t reading some of these cleaning regimens line for line.

I assume the rubber shielded bearings come with grease in them, and once you start oiling that grease is spun out and you have to keep up with an oiling routine to keep them from seizing? Misguided or not, I have not been oiling them in the hope the rubber shield retains the grease, despite the fact I spray with simple green and hose the truck down (after removing the power and electronics modules).

Also What is recommended for greasing the differential external gears, under the covers?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
The sealed bearing are "permanently lubricated" not supposed to be serviceable. However, they are also design for machinery in a relatively clean environment not RC cars. So plan to clean and or replace them as needed. It's a matter of time vs money. Eventually you will need to replace them.

If you want to service the bearings, the seal rubber seals can be removed then you can clean and lubricate them. Sometimes you can even get the rubber seal back in too. The metal seals can be removed but it's a one way ticket. A video (not mine) on servicing them.

If you decide to replace them, don't be tempted by cheap bearings.

The outer wheel bearing for the Limitless from Amain doesn't show any specs other than size.
https://www.amainhobbies.com/arrma-bearing-8x16x5mm-2-ara610016/p409550

But a 4" wheel @ 100 mph (if my math is correct) spins > 26,000 RPM so don't be tempted by cheap bearings. You can find cheap bearings designed for a lead screw.
https://openbuildspartstore.com/ball-bearing-688z-8x16x5/
1659624631537.png

Or an expensive high speed bearing from McMaster Carr.

1659624548160.png

Either do the math yourself or buy something from the RC store.

For the differentials, remove the diff housing, drain the fluid, replace. Raz has a good video.

The real art is what fluid you want to use. Heavier fluid will have less slip.
 
I used simple green a long time ago but don't anymore, as it contains sodium carbonate which needs to be thoroughly rinsed off to avoid corrosive effects on aluminum, and it's simply not feasible to thoroughly rinse an assembled car. Anodized aluminum is better protected but it may still break down the oxide layer over time so it's not worth the risk.

Air blower I also use for my computers or air compressor, plus a paintbrush usually gets it clean enough to store if not running in wet/muddy areas. If there's still too much gunk left after a quick blowing and brushing, the garden hose and sprayer comes out. Washing the rear end while trying to avoid bearings is normally sufficient, toothbrush for scrubbing stubborn areas. Blow it off again to remove the water and hit exposed metal parts with silicone spray. Wash the body with the hose and/or wipe with a wet rag. I don't like to spend more than 10 minutes on it and these are dirt bashers so trying to keep them pristine is an exercise in futility. It doesn't need to sparkle, so I don't bother with surfactants.

For nitro cars when I had them, extra step was using a rag soaked in heptane to wipe off the exhaust oil residue.
 
Jerold said:
You supposed to hit it flat out and watch is skip across the water.

Click to expand...
That's what I was trying to do. With the wide Trenchers it ALWAYS hydroplaned water. Know what's different? Weight from BLX185/TP4050 1700kv and not one but 2 3s batteries lol
 
What size air compressor would u guys recommend? I bought a 3 gal not knowing anything and it was harbor freights cheapest. And it sucks. Way too small and inadequate.
 
bladefan said:
What size air compressor would u guys recommend? I bought a 3 gal not knowing anything and it was harbor freights cheapest. And it sucks. Way too small and inadequate.
Click to expand...
You don't need to clean your RC at 150 PSI. I think the blow gun is typically ~100 PSI max. Often 50-80 PSI is usually good for cleaning and it will help your tank last longer.

Short answer
There is no "size" to an air compressor and the numbers can be deceiving. There are two numbers that matter, the size of the tank (gal) and the volumetric output of the compressor (SCFM). They work together.

Ignore HP numbers. It's either "maximum developed" or HP (Watts) used. The maximum developed is potential energy at maximum pressure. If they give you a HP number for the motor it just tells you how many Watts it uses. Both are BS marketing numbers.

I have an older Craftsman 6HP 30Gal compressor. The 6HP is the "maximum developed" meaning that when the tank is full @150 PSI that somehow equates to 6HP of energy for a microsecond. It's not usable for any length of time, so I don't care.

However, it works well for everything I do. This would be the closet thing now
https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-...73698660ae4519cdcd30e55785afa2d1&gclsrc=3p.ds

I don't think you need something this big just to blow out an RC and it's a bit expensive, but you get what you pay for. I think I paid like $400, 20 years ago and I've gotten at least twice the value from it. If you buy a good one you will keep it for ever. Avoid off brands or the cost optimize products. There can be some deals on Craig's list too.

Longer Answer
There are two numbers that you'll need to understand the size of the tank (30 Gal) and the volumetric output of the compressor in Standard Cubic Feet Per Minute (SCFM). It seems to be standard for xx.x SCFM @ 90psi to be listed.

The tank is a measure of how long you can use it before the compressor turns on again. The tank is a buffer for the already compressed air. However, once you pull the trigger to release air the pressure goes down and you still have 30 Gals of air just at a lower pressure. The compressor will turn on at a lower pressure. With this cycle the tank pressure is maintained in a range like 100-150psi.

There are application charts for air tools, where they specify the PSI and SCFM required. An air nozzle for cleaning is an open valve and you need to "refill" (increase pressure) your tank quickly. To do that you need the compressor to output a high volume of air, which is SCFM, meaning how much air, can an air compressor compress at a particular pressure. The bigger the SCFM the more air you can use.

It's a game of how fast can your compressor replace the air you're using and right now your using air faster than it's compressed. You could just get a bigger tank but the compressor will run longer and it will solve a short term problem. You can have have high SCFM with a small tank and it will suck, or a large tank with low SCFM and it will suck. Both numbers need to be solid.
 
Jerold said:
You don't need to clean your RC at 150 PSI. I think the blow gun is typically ~100 PSI max. Often 50-80 PSI is usually good for cleaning and it will help your tank last longer.

Short answer
There is no "size" to an air compressor and the numbers can be deceiving. There are two numbers that matter, the size of the tank (gal) and the volumetric output of the compressor (SCFM). They work together.

Ignore HP numbers. It's either "maximum developed" or HP (Watts) used. The maximum developed is potential energy at maximum pressure. If they give you a HP number for the motor it just tells you how many Watts it uses. Both are BS marketing numbers.

I have an older Craftsman 6HP 30Gal compressor. The 6HP is the "maximum developed" meaning that when the tank is full @150 PSI that somehow equates to 6HP of energy for a microsecond. It's not usable for any length of time, so I don't care.

However, it works well for everything I do. This would be the closet thing now
https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-...73698660ae4519cdcd30e55785afa2d1&gclsrc=3p.ds

I don't think you need something this big just to blow out an RC and it's a bit expensive, but you get what you pay for. I think I paid like $400, 20 years ago and I've gotten at least twice the value from it. If you buy a good one you will keep it for ever. Avoid off brands or the cost optimize products. There can be some deals on Craig's list too.

Longer Answer
There are two numbers that you'll need to understand the size of the tank (30 Gal) and the volumetric output of the compressor in Standard Cubic Feet Per Minute (SCFM). It seems to be standard for xx.x SCFM @ 90psi to be listed.

The tank is a measure of how long you can use it before the compressor turns on again. The tank is a buffer for the already compressed air. However, once you pull the trigger to release air the pressure goes down and you still have 30 Gals of air just at a lower pressure. The compressor will turn on at a lower pressure. With this cycle the tank pressure is maintained in a range like 100-150psi.

There are application charts for air tools, where they specify the PSI and SCFM required. An air nozzle for cleaning is an open valve and you need to "refill" (increase pressure) your tank quickly. To do that you need the compressor to output a high volume of air, which is SCFM, meaning how much air, can an air compressor compress at a particular pressure. The bigger the SCFM the more air you can use.

It's a game of how fast can your compressor replace the air you're using and right now your using air faster than it's compressed. You could just get a bigger tank but the compressor will run longer and it will solve a short term problem. You can have have high SCFM with a small tank and it will suck, or a large tank with low SCFM and it will suck. Both numbers need to be solid.
Click to expand...
Thank You Jerold,
I have a small 3 gal. I did dial back the regulator to about 40 when I use it. but even with that it still sucks. Both the amount that the pump can replace and the 3 gal capacity are too small/slow. Its painful to use
 
hobo said:
I've done that a few times in winter does a good job as long as you dry it of when you get home and spray with wd40. not good for your tyre foams though unless they are sealed
Click to expand...
Not good for the bearings either
 
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