S.O.S. FTX Bugsta Ruining My Fun

[SXFoxstar]

Ok the melodramatic title hopefully for you to take a look but a truly feel like this at the momemnt.

 

So I’ve had the Bugsta since I joined this forum and I am very fond of it. However as time has gone on and I have got more into the hobby, buying an MJX16208 and even an RC Boat. It made me want to upgrade the Bugsta. I got a banggood brushless ESC and motor, switched to Lipo and the first few runs were great. However the past 3 months it is just grinding the spur gear. I tried two hardened acetate ones but new one this morning stripped within seconds.

 

So here are my options:

 

1 Bin it (which I came close to this morning and still to my tiny MJX.

 

2 Reset it back to stock, non Lipo, slow but less breakable.

 

3 I am open to any suggestions that are not buy a new car as I stretched myself with parts and the other two vehicles enough as it is.

 

Any advice is much appreciated.

[ad456m]

So thinking out loud here as I’m not really familiar with the Bugsta but first things in my head are :

The mesh on the pinion and spur hasn’t been too tight or too loose?

 

Is the motor KV right for the model? If it’s too powerful it could probably eat it. 
 

Is the motor bracket square with the spur? The thinking is if it’s not straight the spur could wear or not mesh properly allowing shredding. A bent shaft on the spur could probably do that too. 
 

not sure of what else to suggest.

[SXFoxstar]

Yeah I made the mistake of too tight the first time but trialled various tightness, tried paper technique, tried moving it with my finger to ensure a slight movement. My worries is the motor is just too powerful but if that is the case then would a metal spur sort the issue?

[Nitroholic]

What motor did you fit? What size and what KV rating?

Also, what gearing are you running?

 

Be sure also you bought a spur gear with the right pitch. There are 3 different pitches common on 1/10 cars. 48dp, 32dp and mod 0.7. Can be hard to tell them apart sometimes, and using an incorect spur/pinion combo will strip the softer one very quickly no matter how well meshed.

 

While you are checking other stuff,  check to make sure the motor mount is not flexing and that there are not side issues like bearings failing in the driveline.

 

A metal spur is less likely to strip, but it doesn't necessarily mean all the problems just go away. You shouldn;t need a metal spur gear. If you do fit one, don;t use a brass pinion with it. That will just eat itself. A metal spur needs a hardened pinion.

[SXFoxstar]

So I have the 74tooth acetate hardened spur with model sport recommended 19toith pinion with this motor 

 

https://uk.banggood.com/Surpass-Hobby-F540-Brushless-Motor-60A-ESC-LED-Program-Card-Combo-for-1-or-12-1-or-14-RC-Crawler-Car-Vehicles-Model-Spare-Parts-p-1749052.html?cur_warehouse=CN&ID=6296131&rmmds=search
 

Any guidance is appreciated as I assume I’ve clocked up here somewhere.

 

thanks

[Nitroholic]

Well....when you look at the actual parts .... it gives you a PITCH value as well as the teeth on the spur gear. 48DP.

Is your pinion the correct PITCH. Nothing to do with the number of teeth, it's about the size and shape of the teeth. You could fit a 19T pinion with the wrong pitch, and it would just ruin any spur gear you fit.

 

Acetal spur gears should not strip on the motor you have. It's relatively low KV (3300) but it is also one of those finned cans, which usually mean it;s a 380core in a can that looks bigger than it is. If anything, it's underpowered for a 1/10 truck with big wheels, so that's not the issue.

 

so... either your motor isn;t mounted correctly, you have sloppy bearings in the driveline allowing the spur to wander, you have the wrong pitch of pinion, or else there is another physical issue like a bent motor shaft screwing the mesh.

I used to use the paper method to set the mesh until I got to the point where I could justfeel what was right and be pretty close. Only truck I built that had issues and needed a steel spur was an XL nitro Savage running twin .28 nitro motors through the same gearbox. I also had to replace it;s stock gearbox foir a single speed unit as it just smashed internals.

[SXFoxstar]

Thanks, I’m going to go back to the drawing board. I am pretty sure the pinion and spur combination are ok as it was the recommended combo from model sport. However I am starting to think I’ve been a muppet and put the old pinion back on sending £20 in spur gears to the bin. 

[Kpowell911]

What material in the spur gear? At a Bugsta scale, you’d only ever need a plastic spur and correct mesh

[SXFoxstar]

I’d upgraded to brushless motor so got a hardened acetate spur

[Kpowell911]

10 minutes ago, SXFoxstar said:

I’d upgraded to brushless motor so got a hardened acetate spur

Going to be brutally honest with you here, Ive been into RC for nearly 3 decades, Ive never heard of an acetate spur? Guessing its a steel/metal?

 

Im honestly putting your issues down to bad mesh. Ive ran 8S X Maxxs with plastic spurs and never stripped anything. Are you positive your pitch of pinion and spur are correct? More power doesnt necessarily require steel gears, just perfect meshing

Edited June 22, 2024 by Kpowell911

[SXFoxstar]

Yeah as I said I think I may have been a muppet and put the original pinion back on instead of the one recommended by model sport to accompany the new acetate spur. I’ll have another look and let you know if I need to join the muppet show 😆

[Nitroholic]

Acetal spur gear is basically a harder machineable plastic.

[SXFoxstar]

So double checked this evening and I hadn’t put the wrong pinion on. Therefore I’m assuming it has to be the motor moving on the mount causing bad mesh. I’ll look to thread glue it 

[SimplyChunk]

You've still not told us what KV your motor is.  When I click on the page i get 2 options.  3300Kv and 4370Kv.  4370x12.60 is 55000 rpm.  that may be a tad high for the stock drive train.  Also the bugsta comes with a slipper clutch.  Is it adjusted correctly?  If it's slipping more than it normally would that could put a lot of heat in the spur.  set the car up and hold both the rear wheels.  the front wheels should just come up slightly before the clutch slips.  If they don't come up at all the slipper is too loose if they come up too high the slipper is too tight

[SXFoxstar]

It’s the 3300kv version. Thanks for the advice

[SXFoxstar]

So I gave the car a refit. Replaced the slipper clutch used a stock spur and pinion. Set the ESC to the lowest punch and drove it with barely any power. It didn’t like it and the spur stripped. I think my issue must be the poor positioning of the motor despite some additional washers etc. So I’ve concluded for the safety of my bank account I am going to give up on the brushless banggood and either return to the stock brushed motor and or the stock brushless motor to give that a go as I agree I think the meshing is my issue now because I just can’t get it 100% lined up (I estimate I am getting it about 85%. I’ll let you know how I get on 🤞👍🏻

[SXFoxstar]

So switched back to stock motor, stock spur (as the metal one I purchased was not an exact match as it stated) replaced the slipper gaskets and I am now getting a slightly better run time, but the motor is still slipping the mesh. I’m thinking of gorilla tape to stop it moving otherwise I’m out of ideas. It is soul destroying.

[SimplyChunk]

2 hours ago, SXFoxstar said:

So switched back to stock motor, stock spur (as the metal one I purchased was not an exact match as it stated) replaced the slipper gaskets and I am now getting a slightly better run time, but the motor is still slipping the mesh. I’m thinking of gorilla tape to stop it moving otherwise I’m out of ideas. It is soul destroying.

Are you threadlocking the motor to the mount?

[SXFoxstar]

The holes for the screws allow it to be moved across I assume for minor adjustments. There is not an actual screw hole. Do you mean simply using thread locker as glue? I can try that but won’t the heat loosen it?

[bunnie]

Try this - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403869692351?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=pxu_jwags3i&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=MFNf8ay4TYy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[SXFoxstar]

20 minutes ago, bunnie said:

Try this - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403869692351?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=pxu_jwags3i&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=MFNf8ay4TYy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

Ironically I ordered that exact item but the spur has different indentations on the flat sides which means the slipper gaskets don’t  lock correctly onto it. I am discussing a return with the seller at the moment.

[SXFoxstar]

I have today come to the conclusion, I am going to try the thread lock approach. If I have another failure I am going to treat myself to a Tamiya Lunchbox kit and use the Hobbywing ESC and FTX parts in it 😆

[Kpowell911]

On 19/07/2024 at 12:49, SXFoxstar said:

I have today come to the conclusion, I am going to try the thread lock approach. If I have another failure I am going to treat myself to a Tamiya Lunchbox kit and use the Hobbywing ESC and FTX parts in it 😆

I hope youre getting on better with the FTX now, but I wouldn't recommend the brushless system for the Lunchbox..........

[SXFoxstar]

Haha thanks. No I’ve abandoned the brushless motor for now. Back to stock in the Bugsta. Still got mesh issues but going to try thread lock when I get a chance.

 

The lunchbox is if I give up 😆

[SXFoxstar]

Had a little bit more success on my lunch break today. Car ran for about 10minutes using threadlock. Not sure if it dislodged but got noisier towards the end and when I felt the motor I thought best to stop as it was hotter than I’ve ever felt before. I was doing some speed runs but only a few and nothing too long.

 

i am using a Lipo with a brushed motor, is this just a no no or should it be ok and it is just the mesh again causing me issues?