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Post by crazynski on Mar 2, 2024 17:23:43 GMT -7
As bad as AW may be at quality control. They have no problem resolving issues, and/or replacing whatever you bought.
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Post by spereira on Mar 2, 2024 18:05:45 GMT -7
I’m not complaining about a specific AW car that was “bad.”
I’m a newbie, and I’ve found it difficult to work on them - I’m not surprised that I mangled some things, but I find the design of holding the pickup springs in place sub-par, and I also find that the brushes do not keep their tiny nubs in the tiny holes that are supposed to hold them. These are design issues, not quality issues.
smp
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Post by skillet on Mar 3, 2024 2:32:11 GMT -7
Pinion pullers for inline and pancake are a must for me. Also toothpicks, use them for all kinds of stuff...
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Post by ecbill on Mar 3, 2024 7:34:19 GMT -7
AW shoes can be a real pain. Trying to retain the launched shoes has a lot to do with why I work on my cars inside a mini cookie sheet. A shallow box could also work, but the magnetic aspect of the cookie sheet is useful for other things.
Filing or grinding the tails of the AW shoes makes it easier to install them, reducing the likelihood of launching the springs.
Dave once shared that he puts a little dab of superglue on the bottom of his springs on Tjets to keep them in place. Probably not the best idea for 4gear or Xtraction cars but perhaps a dab of dielectric grease might help hold them there.
To help keep the brushes from popping out during arm install, I take the idler gear out, get a fingernail up under the front of arm pinion and pull up. This changes the angle of the arm shaft, making it less likely to pop out the rear brush. Sometimes arching the gear plate slightly helps too.
Some guys will drop in the gear plate at an offset angle and rotate it into position. Makes it easier to get the arm in without upsetting the brushes. This technique can take a while to master.
As you noted Tjets types are easier to work on. TFX are similar to Tjets with the added feature of a snap in rear axle.
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Post by spereira on Mar 3, 2024 8:25:57 GMT -7
That's funny. I purchased one, and it has run so crappy no matter what I did to try to get good contact between the shoes and the track. I finally just put it away - and you notice that I did not even mention it. smp I had one that did that. It turned out the brush spring had pretty much melted in the holder. I was only running 20 volts so that really shouldn't have happened. Nothing melted on mine. I simply cannot get the car to have good contact between the shoes and the track. Maybe I'll buy another and see if there's a difference. I do love that they can take on the AW bodies. smp |
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Post by spereira on Mar 3, 2024 9:30:35 GMT -7
I had one that did that. It turned out the brush spring had pretty much melted in the holder. I was only running 20 volts so that really shouldn't have happened. Nothing melted on mine. I simply cannot get the car to have good contact between the shoes and the track. Maybe I'll buy another and see if there's a difference. I do love that they can take on the AW bodies. smp OK! Another DR-1 is on order. Here's hoping for the best! smp |
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Post by dynomike on Mar 3, 2024 13:07:25 GMT -7
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Post by spereira on Mar 3, 2024 13:15:23 GMT -7
This afternoon I dug my DR-1 back out of the pile and twiddled with the pickup shoes again (and again...).
At this point, I have it running the track at 2.5 seconds. This is improved, but I still see and hear some surging while it runs.
I'll keep at it - I may have bent up the shoes too much to bring them back in properly, but it'll give me something to be doing while I await my new one.
For comparison, my best 4-Gear runs 1.8 seconds, and the rest run at 1.9 to 2.1 seconds. The T-Jet has not yet been twiddled at all and it runs 2.9 seconds.
smp
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Post by spereira on Mar 3, 2024 14:41:12 GMT -7
OK. Just to make sure (sorry, I'm anal...) HCS AMG - Pinion Installation and Removal Tool : $9.95 HCS AMG - Wheel Hub/Gear Press and Wheel/Gear Puller Tool Package : $45.95 I agree that HC Slots is a great Seller. And, I've been looking at those tools, too. If I have what you said correct, I'll order this week. smp |
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Post by dynomike on Mar 3, 2024 14:59:57 GMT -7
You got it right. I might mention that Scale Engineering makes the press for HCS and all of SE's accessories fit it.
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Post by pete on Mar 3, 2024 15:01:52 GMT -7
The DR1 shoe will lift at brush barrel when it sits on the track. If your adjusting the shoe to sit flat on the track, you have to look at the barrel in combination, both areas need full contact. When the car sits on the track, the top of shoe radius should touch top of barrel radius.
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Post by spereira on Mar 3, 2024 15:43:33 GMT -7
Thanks very much for the tip, Pete! Much appreciated!
smp
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Post by spereira on Mar 30, 2024 8:17:04 GMT -7
Good morning folks,
Here I am again, agonizing about AW pickup shoes.
Back in the beginning of my adventure, I got a good deal on 3 AW dragsters. When they arrived, they were slow and screeched all the way down the track. I posted about this and the best advice seemed to be to work with the pickup shoes to obtain the best possible contact with the track.
I've been doing that. I have one of them working well and going down the track like all my other AW cars. another one seems hopeless, as no matter how patient I am or how I twiddle the shoes, nothing seems to improve its performance. The third one was the one I started working on and it's the one where I've lost shoe springs, lost a brush spring, etc., as I learned my early lessons about working on these 4 Gear Xtraction cars. Finally, I bought a 4 Gear Xtraction Pit Kit, and built up the frame and put the dragster body on it. Miraculously, the car made a few good runs down the track, and I thought that I had recovered another dragster - then it started with the screeching and hesitating just like back in the beginning!
Is it possibly something to do with the AW dragster bodies? The dragster "engines" do not use the front wheels on the frame, as the dragster body has the front wheels way out front. Again, I'm trying to fiddle with the pickup shoes to get them laying flat on the track, but so far no dice. Again.
Am I doomed here? I didn't think so, given that I have one of the dragsters working well. Any advice, tips, tricks, testing that you can offer will be greatly appreciated!
smp
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Post by Steve-E-D on Mar 30, 2024 12:15:23 GMT -7
Screeching sounds immediately calls out lubrication as a first thought. Where the lower end of the armature shaft passes through the bottom of the chassis I apply a small amount of engine assembly lube using a toothpick. Spinning the motor will draw the lubrication in to the shaft hole. I do this with the car assembled. Your favorite oil will work here too, but I prefer the assembly lube.
A needle oiler bottle is great for applying oil everywhere else. Under the armature gear on top of the gear plate especially.
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Post by pete on Mar 30, 2024 17:27:22 GMT -7
Maybe not much help, can you see any differance from the better car? Do the shoes look the same? when you turn the wheels do they feel the same? When you turn the wheels do they catch/ hitch on the turn? Eye ball the side profile of the shoes, do they have the same shape as the better car. Steves oil tip is a keeper.
Don't give up
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