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How do you clean your RC?


Carl160180

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Nitro or electric, just wanted to know how everyone cleans their RC? What techniques, products you guys use etc. Last time I gave mine a good clean I ended up totally stripping it down :o Want to know of a quicker/easier way of cleaning my savage after a good bash, was thinking jetwash but dunno how the electrics will hold up :S

So....... How do you clean yours?

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its best todo it when its fresh

As much as a muddy rc is nice to look at

a Clean is just as nice sometimes

My method

Cheap toothbrushs + Lots of washing up liquid + Lots of water + time = Done :)

Strip downs aren't always nesscary, just removal of engine and electronics to prevent water damage

Ziggy

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Sorry about the wall of text..... Once I start thinking about something like this and typing out the thoughts as they come I Kind of turn into Space core....

Need more in the way of Extreme 8th Scale Electronics that are well designed to be easily factory waterproof. Then could just pressure washer the lot after a run, Dry off and done.

Something along the lines of top of the Range EZrun\Xerun\MMM\RX8 whatever type Internals in this Older Style of casing only geared even more towards waterproofing.....

ezrun-150A-v2.jpg

EZRUN-150A_00.jpg

Basic description would be....

The Circuit Board, Sandwiched Between Heatsink And Plastic Case, waterproofed on both sides of the PCB with greased gaskets. Any wire that needs to go in or out soldered to a Part of the Board Extending outside the Casing\Gaskets like the EZrun

Only unlike the EZrun, the wires from the extra little PCB bit that sticks out at an odd side would need to be re-routed to be on the main PCB instead, so theres only 1 big simple PCB seal to manage, so the whole ESC will seal up once assembled like a well built Differential)

Screws must be greased/threadlocked at the point they enter the Heatsink, as this is a potential Leak contribution point.

So top to bottom

Heatsink

Grease

Gasket

Grease

PCB

Grease

Gasket

Grease

Clear Plastic Casing

Details would be....

Good quality Square silicone Rubber Gasket between Square Heatsink And Square Circuit Board, Little bit of whatever is the most long lasting tackiest Salt water resistant waterproofing grease available that is still PCB, Plastic, and rubber safe on both sides of the rubber gasket to ensure pressure resistant water seal.

Then PCB(board), Need to ensure edges of PCB will not allow water ingress, as they will be subject to the full force of water (Sewage) outside.

Then Gasket setup same as above Between PCB and plastic casing underneath that has room for brainboard and other internals.

Casing must be colourless and atleast clear enough to see colours through it, preferably clear rather than frosted, though only If strength is not sacrificed from clear Compounds being less durable than frosted compounds.

Then some Colour change Silica gell beads glued to the inside walls of the plastic casing. these will help keep the atmosphere inside casing moisture free, and will change colour as they saturate with moisture, and being visable through the plastic casing will warn when the seals are letting moisture in.

Perhaps a little liquid absorbant foam glued to the bottom of the casing and not touching brainboard internals, so if there is a catastrophic water seal failure (A drop or two of water) then it will hold the water safely inside itself, preventing free moving water from splashing up into the brainboard components. (Colour Change Silicone Gell will then Warn of Sealant Failure)

Then, when all layers are screwed together, Ensuring where the screws enter the heatsink from above, must be threadlocked or greased to complete water proofing.

Seal of Pressure vessel inside underside plastic casing must be ensured to be unaffected by changes of air pressure due to the contained air Expanding from the heat the ESC produces.

Not much can be done about the fan, besides maybe having it Corrosion X'd at the factory. A little Corrosion X would Do A Lot Of Fans. So Would Not Increase Price By much If Anything.

Don't think the External Capacitors Would Appreciate being submerged for long periods though, Unsure on this subject though ( Input! Need More Input! (short circuit reference!))

End result is an ESC that Should be able to continuously run happily submerged in water for days at a time. (Provided the External Capacitors are not affected by submersion)

Barely, if at all more expensive to produce than a normaly (Crappily IMO) cased ESC that is common.

Just as easy to open and service under warrenty ect as any other ESC, Due to the waterproofing method being waterproofing the casing, rather than the PCB itself

(will also avoid Mysterious Death syndrome that ESCs seem to suffer from when the Board itself is waterproofed)

And being only 4 screws to open, and the greased gaskets wont hinder opening, Upon Re-Assembly maybe wipe off most of old grease and re-grease gaskets, Replace entirely if old and degraded.

.....................................................................................................................

As for other parts, Some receivers are already WaterProof ( Flysky GT3B)

Servo's are usually easy enough to DIY waterproof, Easier than waterproofing ESCs for sure.

Batteries are mostly waterproof also, just wondering though, any corrodible components involving the Solder tabs or PCB inside a Lipo? (Both SoftCase and HardCase)

Past that, The next points of vulnerability to water/Pressure washing with water/dust/granitedust(Quarry Running)

Are mechanical, In the Bearings.

Rubber sealed, and just replace as needed I suppose. Full set of bearings for A Hyper ST is only

Edited by GorillaZilla
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Maybe I haven't gotten mine dirty enough yet, but so far all I usually do is put my Storm somewhere warm until the mud is dry then get a small stiff paint brush and brush all the crap off. Then give it a coating of GD85.

I wouldn't have thought pressure washing would do your bearings much good?

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I did a complete strip down and used Muck-Off bike spray to bring the plastic back to looking like new.

This time, I've broken so much that I've had to do another full strip down. Only this time I've got a load of new parts to go back on.

Bike-Spray is intended for mountain bikes, it leaves a thin layer of PTFE (similar to GT85) which means the mud and crap shouldn't stick very well.

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Used to strip my rascal and clean each component, about 3 hours in all.

With my trophy truggy having waterproof servos and electric, I put duct tape on the air inlet and exhaust to seal them and pressure wash it, coating of gt85 when done, comes up a treat!

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Dont know about GT85 but Bike Spray dries so doesn't attract dust.

I also recommend Muc-off bike cleaner - again all made for cleaning and avoiding mud on mountain bikes.

Muc-off: 1tr would last years: http://www.halfords....nk&iozone=PLPz1

Bike Spray: http://www.halfords....tegoryId_228374

DO NOT GET IT NEAR ANYTHING LIKE BRAKE DISKS!!!

Edited by Deadeye
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i generally leave mine, then the week after i give it a run up a tarmac road untill the dirt flys off. lol

When im feeling in the mood for concourse shizz i use a rag and abit of spit....works a treat.

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GT i believe leaves more a ""teflon"" Coating

Where as wd40 is a water repellant (hence Water Displacemet v.40)

Ziggy

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