Senton Stripping gears obnoxious

[C03camson]

Where I drive is very dusty and sandy and that’s obviously not good for RC cars but it’s impossible to keep it out of the power module since there is a huge hole in the bottom of it. I bent the teeth on the HR metal Spur gear as well as stripped numerous Plastic spur gears and metal pinion gears. I clean everything with compressed air as much as I can but it’s always broke anyway. I tighten clutch according to Arrma recommendations and I’ve tightened and loosened to see if anything helps but I’m sure it’s from so much dirt.

Would a dust cover help? Does anyone make a sealed power module? Cut a hole in the chassis? It’s so annoying. How can I seal it so dirt won’t get in?

 

[Camaroboy383]

I've found a way to seal them.. and so far it works really well...

With the module out, take some double sided tape and line the opening of the module.. if the tape is not wide you will need two pieces and cut notches in each one for the module opening... leave the plastic on the outside of the tape, so it can slide when installed..

Hard to explain so let me remove my module and show you.. I will post pictures..give me a little bit

 

[C03camson]

That would be awesome. Thanks.

 

[Camaroboy383]

Sorry for the delay man.. day got busy for me.. so I use 3m double sided tape 1.2mm thick..the stuff I have on hand is thin.. so I notch one and use a long thin strip for the front.. leave the plastic on it so it can "slide" on the chassis as the module is going in.. it makes the module a little tougher to get in, but once it's in the tape actually compresses to the available space.. seems to be working well for me... hope this helps..



Forgot to add that the plastic case needs to be cleaned well with alcohol before attempting to stick the tape to it.. if cleaned properly it will stick very good..

 

[C03camson]

Ordered my tape and new pinion. Hope this works. Thanks for the info!

 

[NewSensei]

Sorry for the delay man.. day got busy for me.. so I use 3m double sided tape 1.2mm thick..the stuff I have on hand is thin.. so I notch one and use a long thin strip for the front.. leave the plastic on it so it can "slide" on the chassis as the module is going in.. it makes the module a little tougher to get in, but once it's in the tape actually compresses to the available space.. seems to be working well for me... hope this helps..



Forgot to add that the plastic case needs to be cleaned well with alcohol before attempting to stick the tape to it.. if cleaned properly it will stick very good..

I also plugged the large rectangular hole behind the spur gear with some hot glue and use self adhering hobby foam strips to put a seal on the bottom that allows me to still easily pull the power train if needed. Most importantly is that hole behind the spur gear, it's HUGE...that said, I run mine on the golf course through the sand traps and know all about the sand getting everywhere. I've been lucky not to have gear damage at all yet...

 

[Warby]

I drilled 2 small holes in the chassis under the gear to allow the sand out and so far we've had no more issues with grit stuck in the gear teeth. It doesn't stop the dust/sand getting in there but it gives it an exit.

 

[NewSensei]

I drilled 2 small holes in the chassis under the gear to allow the sand out and so far we've had no more issues with grit stuck in the gear teeth. It doesn't stop the dust/sand getting in there but it gives it an exit.

Wouldn't it be better to seal it off though? It's super easy...holes seem kinda drastic...

 

[Jeremy in WI]

I drilled holes in both my 3s trucks over a year ago and haven't had a problem since. Granted most of my runs are dirt and grass, I've spent at least a few hours of sand and gravel and it really does seem to work. I did not try to seal the holes so I can't put in my 2 cents on that, but there are quite a number of guys that stand behind that method. You almost just gotta try out one until it fails you and then try the other.

 

[Warby]

Wouldn't it be better to seal it off though? It's super easy...holes seem kinda drastic...

If a method works I stick with it. The holes are only about 3mm dia, only enough to allow grains of sand out. The holes do not interfere with anything and are too small to weaken the structure. I have tried sealing the housing with tape, in theory sealing it would be better but is was a hassle when it came to removing and refitting the assembly. The drilled holes method works for me.

 

[Rons RC]

I've found a way to seal them.. and so far it works really well...

With the module out, take some double sided tape and line the opening of the module.. if the tape is not wide you will need two pieces and cut notches in each one for the module opening... leave the plastic on the outside of the tape, so it can slide when installed..

Hard to explain so let me remove my module and show you.. I will post pictures..give me a little bit

I'm anxious to see the pics

 

[Surchaufeur]

Pictire of the "bent" teeth of your spur gear
Pls

 

[Warby]

I'm anxious to see the pics

photos are above

 

[Rons RC]

photos are above

Opps, Missed that. THX

 

[NewSensei]

If a method works I stick with it. The holes are only about 3mm dia, only enough to allow grains of sand out. The holes do not interfere with anything and are too small to weaken the structure. I have tried sealing the housing with tape, in theory sealing it would be better but is was a hassle when it came to removing and refitting the assembly. The drilled holes method works for me.

I used a 3mm thick self adhesive hobby foam cut into strips on the bottom to seal between the chassis and gearbox then filled the large cavity with hot glue. It's not a perfect seal but it does keep a large portion of even dust out. I've no more issues getting it out than before the "seals" and now I'm not cleaning dirt (or dust) out of the case every time I get in there.

I've never seen anyone drill holes in their transmission to allow dirt to escape on a real vehicle and speaking from a strictly engineering sense, letting dirt in in the first place is bad news, especially if you are still running plastic (which I am) as it's like letting sandpaper hang out for a bit as it passes through and sand blasts your gears (even metal will get fatigued by this eventually)...It is your truck of course so I'm not saying you should do this, just that it works well and doesn't harm the "easy" (if you can call wrenching that thumb plate up and praying it out easy which is how it is stock) removal of the power pack

 

[Warby]

I used a 3mm thick self adhesive hobby foam cut into strips on the bottom to seal between the chassis and gearbox then filled the large cavity with hot glue. It's not a perfect seal but it does keep a large portion of even dust out. I've no more issues getting it out than before the "seals" and now I'm not cleaning dirt (or dust) out of the case every time I get in there.

I've never seen anyone drill holes in their transmission to allow dirt to escape on a real vehicle and speaking from a strictly engineering sense, letting dirt in in the first place is bad news, especially if you are still running plastic (which I am) as it's like letting sandpaper hang out for a bit as it passes through and sand blasts your gears (even metal will get fatigued by this eventually)...It is your truck of course so I'm not saying you should do this, just that it works well and doesn't harm the "easy" (if you can call wrenching that thumb plate up and praying it out easy which is how it is stock) removal of the power pack

I'm not saying your method won't work. It will. I was just sharing my solution to the issue. I found my solution to be easier and quicker after trying the sealing method and it works too. Sharing it caring. There's more than one way to skin a cat. bla bla. I wouldn't compare a toy RC to a "real vehicle" though.

 

[NewSensei]

I'm not saying your method won't work. It will. I was just sharing my solution to the issue. I found my solution to be easier and quicker after trying the sealing method and it works too. Sharing it caring. There's more than one way to skin a cat. bla bla. I wouldn't compare a toy RC to a "real vehicle" though.

These are definitely not your kid's toys for sure, there are some comparisons to be made but obviously these are much less complex compared to a real car. It's all good, I too just wanted to share...and be a goof

 

[Surchaufeur]

photos are above

I mean picture of the metal spur gear with a bended tooth

 

[Warby]

I mean picture of the metal spur gear with a bended tooth

Sorry I was responding to Ron Keele comment

 

[razorrc]

I wouldn't drill holes in my chassis, but I will say that many 1/8 race buggies designed for loose outdoor dusty conditions have a fully exposed spur gear from underneath the car. Not the way I would fix it, but pretty common for Mod 1 gears.

Example TLR 8ight-X: