Mongoose's Typhon Build

[Mongoose]

Well, Ive been saying I wanted a Typhon for a while now and I finally bought one! I will eventually truggify it but I think I am going to leave it in pure buggy form for a while to experience it the way it was designed.

This thread probably won't be ground breaking or really even that special but I figure I will document what I do here for future observers. I know there have been countless times I have found an idea while reading through someones build thread. Plus, its always fun to follow along with someone as they build. So without further ado, here is what I will be doing from the get-go.

Specs.

2019 Typhon V4 6S
Flysky GT5 paired to BS6 Rx
BLX185 Combo (for now but may either switch to a MMX or Tekin RX8 Gen 3 I have, what are your thoughts on either of these in this?)
Tekno 17T pinion
Proline pre-mount MX Buggy Tires on Velocity wheels (Black)
RPM rear skid
Diffs 50/100/30 to start

Going to swap stock sidegaurds for Outcast sideguards.

Day one pics.

Yeah, I flubbed the order by only ordering 1 set of tires. Pretty aggravating but another set is on the way and should be delivered this week.

This is the first time I have seen a Typhon in person outside of the box and was surprised by its size. This is next to a Redcat Blackout for reference.

First thing I did was install the FlySky BS6 receiver and set up my endpoints (which were WAY off on the servo) and also removed the stupid antenna that now comes on these. I have to say, I think I am going to love this transmitter. It will be nice to reduce the throttle when my daughter drives it.

Next up will be changing the center diff fluid to 100k.

I will swap the bearings as needed rather than tearing the whole thing apart. Yes, I know they say Kraton but they're the same for the Typhon.

I will swap these for the stock non-shielded hex nuts.

My wife bought me these nice nut drivers for Christmas off Amazon and Im pretty impressed with them. They feel quality for the $15 price.

She also bought me a HR soldering jig. This should come in handy for sure.

I will be using this on the ESC.

And these on the motor. Sorry its a stock pic but I didn't feel like digging it out of the bin.

Thats all for now I guess. I will update as I do more! Thanks for reading!


I do have a quick question though, how does 50/100/30 sound for the diffs? I think the stock fluids will be too light. I have PL MX Buggy on Velocity wheels on the way with it.

 

[3d-rc.myshopify.com]

Oils sound good. It's all user preference but sounds like what most people run.
Looking forward to it. What are your ultimate plans for it? Speed? Jumping? All around?

 

[Mongoose]

Oils sound good. It's all user preference but sounds like what most people run.
Looking forward to it. What are your ultimate plans for it? Speed? Jumping? All around?

Thanks @Lovestricken, just general bashing and sending!

 

[pl9171]

I do have a quick question though, how does 50/100/30 sound for the diffs? I think the stock fluids will be too light.

I am still running 7/10/3 at the track with my Typhon 6s. It's light, but with VPPro sticky tires, it give me a chance to follow the pace.
note: normally, F + R = Center. So, for strong cornering (entry and exit), I would recommend maybe 80 in front. But for bashing it sounds good to me.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[Mongoose]

I am still running 7/10/3 at the track with my Typhon 6s. It's light, but with VPPro sticky tires, it give me a chance to follow the pace.
note: normally, F + R = Center. So, for strong cornering (entry and exit), I would recommend maybe 80 in front. But for bashing it sounds good to me.
Thanks for sharing.

So if I did 80 in the front (80/100/20) I could retain the steering characteristics of a racer and at the same time throw more power to the front with 100 in the center?


I heard the Katars balloon so I decided to strap them off the bat.

6 wraps, tied but not knotted each wrap and glued with a tie and 3 knots on the last wrap and glued. Hope that makes sense...

 

[pl9171]

So if I did 80 in the front (80/100/20) I could retain the steering characteristics of a racer and at the same time throw more power to the front with 100 in the center?

A bit less power to the front with 80, but more front control on cornering. The 100 in the center (thicker than rear and front) will give you more AWD effect. With thinner (20) In the rear, the car will be bullet on rear exit cornering and will be a bit harder on rear tire.
Result; hell of a ride on tarmac or grippy surface.

The 70/100/30 would be good on a wet track or winter condition (or rough condition). Stability in the front and a bit less power in the rear. Could be very good on morning wet grass too.

When you keep the equation, C =F + R, you will have stable machine. You need a stable machine with so much power in 6s mode, especially with 15t pinion.

At the track, I run in 4s with 20T pinion; more top speed and "less" acceleration; I don't feel the "less" acceleration because I run very light in diff (7/10/3)… Car is still bullet on carpet cornering... Mainly all little races are won on cornering and "How to" handle cornering. Camel jumps became secondary (from our experiences).

At the end, it's up to the driver. Yo-yo game.

 

[Mongoose]

Forgot I have these to add too.

They don’t fit flush though. Is the V4 different in this area? Seems like there should be round pocket rather than rectangular?

Not really diggin’ this. They’re pretty twisted up and smashed in.

Rearranged a bit.

 

[Mongoose]

RPM rear skid installed...

And this is why it’s a good idea to go through everything before you run it the first time. Center diff is leaking.

Wiped it up so we’ll see how fast it’s leaking.

But on a positive note, it looks like Arrma really is using blue threadlock now. The Typhon must be flying off the shelves because it’s still wet.

Rear T-Bone Racing arm guards installed.

My wife gave me a Go Lamp for Christmas and it’s been awesome. It’s bright, adjusts to wherever I need it and is slim enough to not get in my way when I working on something. I like it a lot and for $10 I don’t think you can go wrong. Worth every penny. The description says its recharchable but it isn’t. 3 AA’s. Not really an issue though.

https://www.amazon.com/Go-Lamp-Seen-Black-Pack/dp/B07M712BV2

A bit less power to the front with 80, but more front control on cornering. The 100 in the center (thicker than rear and front) will give you more AWD effect. With thinner (20) In the rear, the car will be bullet on rear exit cornering and will be a bit harder on rear tire.
Result; hell of a ride on tarmac or grippy surface.

The surfaces this will see will mostly be short grass, dirt and blacktop (tarmac) so I think I will go with 80/100/20 and see how it goes. Start the yo-yo game! Thanks for the great info!

 

[Notorious J]

Looking good @Mongoose. I made my own mud guards, but the T Bone look very clean. Like the idea of using Outcast side guards, definitely a consideration for my Typhon. I went 60/200/30 for my split, only because it will always be a basher first, even though I run it at a small outdoor track for fun. Regarding the center dif, I used the Arrma aluminum 3 piece there. I bought it for the f/r of the Notorious, but found the screws loosen too easily. Cleaned and dried it well, added the 200k and thread locked the screws while the holes were still completely dry. So far so good. I did put on a T Bone Thrasher bumper as well. Felt like the front wheels were too exposed for such a fast buggy. I'm glad to hear more people talking about the Flysky GT5. Now that I have three trucks, I can see why people only want one radio. The Flysky falls into a price range where I think I can bite the bullet. I just hope the range is up to par. About those Prolines. Are they 2.8 or 3.8 wheels. I tried wedging some 2.8 Badlands on Desperado wheels, definitely too small and rubbing on the inside of the wheel. I'd like to get some real truggy wheels on there soon, so I can jump a little higher with less worries of wrecking wheels or anything else for that matter. Congrats on the new buggy btw!

 

[Mongoose]

Hey @Notorious J, I was hoping to hear from you on this since I knew you have one as well. I'm still undecided on the diff fluids, I have some 100k and 500k and I think I will mix them to try and get closer to 200k rather than 100k. I just don't want it to be too touchy in the turns on hard pack dirt since its such a short wheelbase.

Have they fixed all the issues with Arrma diff cups? I have read through @olds97_lss thread and it kinda has me on the fence. Was thinking of just waiting to buy the M2C cups but I like the price of Arrma's much better.

https://www.arrmaforum.com/threads/issue-with-the-arrma-alloy-diff-cup-seems-too-long.14517/

As for the PL's, I'm not sure if they are 2.8 or not, they look like it but it doesn't directly specify on their website. They are still in the package but from what I can see they look like they will be awesome. RCDude81 and Rich Duperbash had some issues with them coming unglued when they were released but I'm hoping that has been fixed since its been a couple months. They also gave them good reviews even with the ungluing so I'm pretty confident they will be good. I will probably run another bead of glue around each tire to play it safe though.

https://www.prolineracing.com/tires...all-terrain-1-8-buggy-tires-mounted-black.asp

I'll keep this updated with my thoughts on the GT5 as I use it. You can adjust just about anything you want on it.
Range is supposed to be good on it from what I've read but I did tuck the antenna in the box so I'll see how that goes....

It was good to hear from you brother! Congrats on yours as well! I'm super pumped to get this thing out!

 

[Notorious J]

Hey @Notorious J, I was hoping to hear from you on this since I knew you have one as well. I'm still undecided on the diff fluids, I have some 100k and 500k and I think I will mix them to try and get closer to 200k rather than 100k. I just don't want it to be too touchy in the turns on hard pack dirt since its such a short wheelbase.

Have they fixed all the issues with Arrma diff cups? I have read through @olds97_lss thread and it kinda has me on the fence. Was thinking of just waiting to buy the M2C cups but I like the price of Arrma's much better.

https://www.arrmaforum.com/threads/issue-with-the-arrma-alloy-diff-cup-seems-too-long.14517/

As for the PL's, I'm not sure if they are 2.8 or not, they look like it but it doesn't directly specify on their website. They are still in the package but from what I can see they look like they will be awesome. RCDude81 and Rich Duperbash had some issues with them coming unglued when they were released but I'm hoping that has been fixed since its been a couple months. They also gave them good reviews even with the ungluing so I'm pretty confident they will be good. I will probably run another bead of glue around each tire to play it safe though.

https://www.prolineracing.com/tires...all-terrain-1-8-buggy-tires-mounted-black.asp

I'll keep this updated with my thoughts on the GT5 as I use it. You can adjust just about anything you want on it.
Range is supposed to be good on it from what I've read but I did tuck the antenna in the box so I'll see how that goes....

It was good to hear from you brother! Congrats on yours as well! I'm super pumped to get this thing out!

Great to hear your thoughts. I had similar issues with the Arrma cup, but only when using it in the f/r difs. So far, all's well but keeping a close eye on it. Tried to decipher the Proline website for info, but no specs at all. Let me know how they fit once you get them on. I'm also gonna be watching to hear your views on that GT5 radio. Bash on brother???

 

[Mongoose]

Took the center diff out and gonna let it drain over night. I’m kinda wondering if it actually wasn’t leaking but was some kind of oil that was sprayed on it as a rust inhibitor. All of the steel parts were covered in it. Even the bottom of the chassis had what felt like a thin coat of cosmoline.

Was a little low.

Letting it drain over night.

 

[Notorious J]

Took the center diff out and gonna let it drain over night. I’m kinda wondering if it actually wasn’t leaking but was some kind of oil that was sprayed on it as a rust inhibitor. All of the steel parts were covered in it. Even the bottom of the chassis had what felt like a thin coat of cosmoline.

Was a little low.

View attachment 60055

Letting it drain over night.

View attachment 60056

What was the shim count like in yours?

 

[Mongoose]

What was the shim count like in yours?

I’m not sure yet but I will see tomorrow night. I was going to let it drain out and then remove the internals. I know there was a shim between the bearing and outdrive on the cup side though.

 

[Notorious J]

I’m not sure yet but I will see tomorrow night. I was going to let it drain out and then remove the internals. I know there was a shim between the bearing and outdrive on the cup side though.

Yeah, I noticed that one shim comes standard on the V4's. I had to add that one on my Notorious after reading about it somewhere on the forum a long ways back. They also include a shim under each of the larger planetary gears now, just not as big as the Mugen ones that everyone was using on the previous versions.

 

[Mongoose]

Took the front diff out last night to change the fluid and it’s a good thing I did because it was leaking too.

And here is the culprit. Poor workmanship so I will be warrantying this mostly because I’m mad that I now have to wait on the gaskets and won’t be able to drive it for the first time this weekend like I was planning. The holes weren’t aligned when they put the screws and the screws were also loose.

A shim behind each planetary gear.

Refilled and using the gasket from the center diff that is still unassembled due to waiting on thicker fluid.

All back together.

Moo-Slick Udder Butter for grease.

There were no shims when I removed the diff so I thought I would see if I could fit one. 1 shim was added and it went in very easily. I didn’t clean the grease off the pinion so I couldn’t check lash but it went in so easily that I kept it because it could probably use it.

Reinstalled and ready to button back up.

I think the ring gear isn’t straight or something. It looked straight to the eye though. All 4 screws are tight but clearly something isn’t quite right. Juuuuuuust barely binds so I think I’m just going to let it wear in. A little silicone got in the screw holes so I really hope that doesn’t cause them to back out and loosen over time...

The perfectionist in me wants to fix the lash but the other part thinks it will wear in and be fine. What do you guys think?

 

[BashingBrian]

I can’t even remember what oil I put in mine and it was only about a week ago..? good job I’ve got a build thread..?
Yours is looking good, you’ll have to keep us updated on those proline buggy tires..??I’ve looked at them a few times..?

 

[Notorious J]

Took the front diff out last night to change the fluid and it’s a good thing I did because it was leaking too.

View attachment 60182

And here is the culprit. Poor workmanship so I will be warrantying this mostly because I’m mad that I now have to wait on the gaskets and won’t be able to drive it for the first time this weekend like I was planning. The holes weren’t aligned when they put the screws and the screws were also loose.

View attachment 60183

A shim behind each planetary gear.

View attachment 60184

Refilled and using the gasket from the center diff that is still unassembled due to waiting on thicker fluid.

View attachment 60185

All back together.

View attachment 60186

Moo-Slick Udder Butter for grease.

View attachment 60187

There were no shims when I removed the diff so I thought I would see if I could fit one. 1 shim was added and it went in very easily. I didn’t clean the grease off the pinion so I couldn’t check lash but it went in so easily that I kept it because it could probably use it.

View attachment 60188

Reinstalled and ready to button back up.

View attachment 60189

I think the ring gear isn’t straight or something. It looked straight to the eye though. All 4 screws are tight but clearly something isn’t quite right. Juuuuuuust barely binds so I think I’m just going to let it wear in. A little silicone got in the screw holes so I really hope that doesn’t cause them to back out and loosen over time...

The perfectionist in me wants to fix the lash but the other part thinks it will wear in and be fine. What do you guys think?

I can't tell from the sound, but probably cause I'm not sure what I should be listening for. For the sake of argument, did you add a shim under the bearing on the cup side between it and the drive cup?

 

[Mongoose]

I can’t even remember what oil I put in mine and it was only about a week ago..? good job I’ve got a build thread..?
Yours is looking good, you’ll have to keep us updated on those proline buggy tires..??I’ve looked at them a few times..?

Thank you. I’m following yours as well ? and I’ll update on the tires as I use them.

I can't tell from the sound, but probably cause I'm not sure what I should be listening for. For the sake of argument, did you add a shim under the bearing on the cup side between it and the drive cup?

When the gear sound gets louder is what I was trying to show. It seems as the diff rotates, the ring gear is not on the cup perpendicular to the cup axis so the mesh gets tighter in one area and causes the noise to get louder. You can feel it slightly as it’s rolled.

Here is where I added the shim.

 

[Mongoose]

Cracked open the rear case and the rear diff actually wasn’t leaking. Swapped the 7k for 15ish fluid maybe a hair heavier. I didn’t fully drain it and added a few drops of 30k in with the rest 15k. Added an external shim on the ring side and it’s buttery smooth now.

Also opened the front case because I couldn’t leave it the way it was without knowing why. Opened it up and everything is as it should be so I think it could a couple different things like the case itself, the cup or the ring gear. Im not going to worry about it anymore because 1/2 of the mesh is butter smooth and the other half is slightly binding so I’m just going to run it on 4S for a couple packs and let it wear in to be as good a mesh as the rest of it. I’d rather do that than remove the shim to halt the binding while leaving the other side mesh too big. I think it’s better to do it this way. Wasn’t noticeable when I unboxed it because it didn’t have the shim. Fist time on 6S and an on throttle landing would probably chip a tooth so I’m glad I found it.