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C ars 3koB
MOTOR
TUNING
the complete story
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WITH THE FEBRUARY 1970 ISSU E OF M O DEL C A R S
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3
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4
ELTHAM MODELS
Ian & Ray Skilling
6
Model Cars
MOTOR
TUNING Book 3
• 1 9 6 9 /7 0 C o n te n ts
Prepared by 15. Winding 8
Dan Glimne 16. Pointers 14
for Mode! Cars
readers 17. Epoxying 15
18. Balancing (static) 17
19. Balancing (dynamic) 19
20. Endbell 21
21. Brushes and Springs 22
22. Assembly 24
23. Service 25
Concluding a three part series
15 winding
Learning to wind competitively will take time and lots of practise.
Therefore, I suggest that you get any old armature you can lay your
hands on, buy a couple of miles of cheap winding wire and start
practising until you feel that you have really mastered the art. Ex
periment with wires thick and thin, single, double and triple, put on
old Mabuchi coms and try the results. If you blow the arms, so what,
they were not made to be competitive armatures anyway. Just rip
off the old wind and try something else. The practise you get is
invaluable and will not cost you much more than time. Don't try your
hand on a serious tuning job until you can really wind.
The right equipment is important. For the serious tuner, a W INDING
M ACHINE is indispensable. Winding can be done easier, faster and
with more precision, which will show up in performance. The wire can
be 'packed' tighter, meaning more turns in less space, which in turn
makes for more power and less unbalance. Many of the winds I have
mentioned are impossible when winding by hand alone. Just try to
cram on 60 of 28 that way! With a machine, however. 75 of 28 can be
done on a 16D-armature.
There are not many makes on the market. Teddington's Mini
Winder is the one we use, with good results, as some of you readers
may have noticed from last year's National Championships here in
Sweden. Price is only 19/11, so buy one for your club today. Other
good ones are LaGanke and Cobra, both American, but I'm not sure
these are manufactured any longer. You might try sending to the
U.S. for these. Price is six bucks.
First a few mods on the Teddington machine: the inside of the
adaptor should be ground out slightly and the adapter epoxied to
one of the halves -see figure.
Now, as for winding, I will reveal a special technique we invented
a long time ago. A s of writing this, we have hitherto kept it silent
and we believe we are the only team - at least hore in Sw eden - to
use this.
8
When first embarking .. . and the file then inserted In
on simul winds, our the hole on the machine. A few
Teddington gadget was pieces of thick copper wire helped
modified as shown keep the file in place.
here: tape was wrapped
tightly around a
tile . . .
9
Left to right. W rap the wire end around the shaft and start w inding, slow ly and
evenly I m ust point out that I never w ind with the com o n , since this w ill only
beinthew
ayw
henw
eto lay the wire neatly. The first ten turns are com
(wind is 25 of 25). Put the spool pleted
on the file and lock with a strong alligator
clip. The arm is turned and the second pole w rapped with ten turns from the
next spool. Put this spool at the other end of the file and lo c k
About 1.65 to 1.70 inches per winding turn is the figure to calculate
with for an average arm, but if you have got a long or a short stack
armature, this should be considered. When in doubt, though, take a
little extra. That 3d. or so of wire is a cheap insurance against having
to rip it off and starting over again because one of the wire lengths
was too short.
Now, pick one of the spools and start stripping the wire insulation
at the end. This stripping should be done with a piece of fine emery
paper. X-acto or chemical strippers are not recommended, since
knives will easily scrape off too much and chemicals are highly
corrosive and therefore dangerous. With the emery paper, sand off
the insulation all around the wire, but see to it that the border-line
between insulated and stripped wire is a well-defined circle around
the wire.
Place this wire end at one of the poles, with the insulated part
sticking out about 3/32 in. from the pole. See figure. The wire end
is twisted tightly around the shaft. Then start winding, turning the
handle slowly with one hand and letting the wire run out between the
fingers of the other. The first two turns can be wound a shade
loosely, but after that you start pulling hard, and I mean hard. I've had
26-gauge wire snap right-off while winding.
Wind on 10 turns, making sure that the wire comes on tight and
even. A hard pull is essential for this. With these 10 turns on, put the
spool on the file and lock it with an alligator clip. The advantage of
the file here is the rough surface, which will make the clip stay in
position. Note that wire should be tightly stretched. See photosl
Loosen the locking screw and turn the armature so that the next
pole is available for winding. Don't forget to keep the wire on the
first pole tight! It is advisable to be two persons whenever doing this,
so that one person can keep the wires tight while the other handles
the locking screw and changes armature position. Now repeat the
process of insulation stripping and wind until you have your 10 turns
on this pole also. Put this spool at the other end of the file, locking it
as before.
The armature is again turned - tricky business, since the wire on
the poles must be kept tightly stretched - and the third pole started
upon as before. Mind the insulation business and wind on 10 tight
turns.
10
Left to right. Take the third spool and start w in ding the third pole. W h en this
pole has its ten turns, turn the armature so that the first pole is again available
and then change the sp o o ls on the file. Really, two perso n s should w ork with
keeping the wire stretched. Now just continue in this fashion, changing poles and
w inding until all the poles have been done. Remember to strip the insulation
off at this end of the w ire, too.
11
Left to right. A close-up of what the joints should
look like. Note that only a sm all amount of solder
is needed, and that this m ust flow out evenly on
wire and com ear. If you are not pleased with your
first attempts, let the com c o o l off and d o it over.
D o not solder all three joints
in a row: the com m ust be
allowed to cool off in between
Then, adjust the com in position, w rap som e copper wire around it to act a s a
heat sink, and solder. Remem ber to w ork quickly, as the extreme tem ps necessary
for this kind of solder can easily damage the com . However, d o n 't cut time short
and fake the job: of all the solder join ts in a race car, these three are probably
the ones subjected to m ost abuse. W h en the joints are O K . lightly bru sh off the
com with a soft toothbrush.
routine (the winding, not the cursing, I hope). Practice makes perfect.
So just keep on winding the poles as described here. Paper and pen
might be useful so you won't lose track of the turns.
When you have wound the last turn on a pole, the insulation
must be stripped off again. A s before, work with fine emery paper
and see to it that the bare copper stops (or starts, depending on
how you s ee it) those 3/32 in. from the pole. Then just cut off the
wire with a few inches of bare copper sticking out, and twist the
wire end around the shaft. Turn the armature and put on the last
turns on the next pole, then repeat the process above. The third and
last pole is again treated the same way.
Now you should have the armature looking like the photo. Good.
Remove it from the winding machine and put it in a vice like in photo.
Insert pieces of thick paper so that the vice jaws will not mar the
shaft. Then wrap the same tape around the stack and the wire, so
that the latter will stay in place during the next steps.
Untwist the wire ends on the shaft and sort them out, so that they
two and two come out from between the poles. Don't miss here . . .
when you are sure that you have the right wires in the right places,
check that the insulation really is stripped off all round, twist them
together two and two and cut off to about an inch length.
Now put on the commutator and adjust it into position. The twisted
wire ends are bent tightly around the commutator tabs and soldered.
When the solder joints are finished and perfect, snip off the loose wire
ends with a sharp pair of cutting pliers.
NOTE: those solder joints are critical. Use a well cleaned soldering
iron with enough watts and point temperature, heat the com tab and
the wire thoroughly while applying cleaning fluid, preferably of the
non-acid type, and then apply a small amount of the com solder and
make sure it flows out into an even joint. To prevent damaging the
com from heat. I suggest winding it with bare copper wire acting as a
heat sink. See photos.
If you instead wish a cross delta connection, the wires should not
be twisted together but instead crossed in front of the pole and
joined to their respective com tabs. Note risk of short circuiting, so
make sure the wires do not touch. Soldering is as before.
12
The next step is tying the com. Got som e strong thread and w rap it around the
com ears in a c r iss-c ro ss fashion as show n here. A little thread around the w ires
behind the com is also useful.
★ ★ ★ ★
13
16 pointers
Stripping: making a good job here is important. If any spot of insula
tion still remains on the wire, it can foul the whole com solder joint.
Also, I suggest stripping even wires with 'solderable' insulation for a
less messy job.
Packing: the tighter you can pack the wire, the less weight and space
that will be required, and the more performance added. A trick is
using a popsicle or ice cream stick (of wood), suitably shaped, for
packing the wire. Usually the wire is packed after each layer is
finished, but if you can arrange it, have a friend turn the handle on the
winding machine while you 'steer' the wire with one hand and pack
it in with the other. Caution: do not use pieces of hard plastic or
metal for this packing, since this will inevitably scar the insulation
Soft wood is best.
Wire: if you for some reason rip off the old wire and start on a new
wind, you must also use new wire. Winding while pulling hard will
really strain the insulation, so it might break and short circuit the arm
if you try using it again. Don't try to pinch your pennies here, wire
is only used once.
Sorting: Sometimes (clumsy winding, natch) sorting out and pairing
the right wires can be a nuisance. The trick here is tying one knot on
every wire end extending from one of the hollows between the
poles, two knots on all wire ends from the next hollow, and three
on the wires belonging to the third. Then, when sorting out the wires,
just take all those with one knot and twist together, then take these
with two knots and do the same, and so on. The knots, of course,
should be tied far enough out on the wire as not to interfere with the
com solder joints.
Left to right: W hen double w inding, w ind with both w ires (or all three in a triple)
at the same time Be careful w hen packing the wire, so that wire insulation is
not scarred. Star w inding. The three 'lo o s e ' ends of wire are tw isted together . . .
and then soldered and cut short. This is just a 'dem onstration w in d ', so no great
care ha s been taken in w in d ing the arm evenly.
14
W ith the arm h o t , h o ld it in p lie rs an d a p p ly the e p o xy all a ro u n d - rem em b er
n o w , sm a ll a m o u n t s are needed. D o N O T co v e r the so ld e r jo in ts w ith epo xy, but
g iv e ty in g thread a ligh t im p re gn atio n . C h e ck co m p o sitio n ! Before e p o x y in g the
a rm , both e p o x y a n d arm m u s t be th o ro u g h ly heated. T h is ca n be a c c o m p lish e d
a s s h o w n , b y h a v in g the arm sta n d u p rig h t in a hole an d the e p o xy nearby. The
arm m u s t be tu rn ed aro u n d often, to heat even ly. D o n o t heat the e p o x y for too
long: it m u s t still flow e v e n ly w h e n applied. The fin ish e d job. R e m e m b e r to keep
he atin g the arm , s o that the e p o x y w ill flo w in an d im p re gn ate the w ire.
U n e p o x ie d t u rn s of w ire 'd o w n in s id e ' ca n sh ift and u p s e t the balance.
Double winds: These should be wound with the two wires simul
taneously, even though it will be more work. Layering’ the wind
(winding one coil at a time) should be avoided, for the reasons given
earlier. Keeping track of two wires instead of one will require practise,
not to mention triple winds. I strongly advise using the knot trick
here, as sorting out 12 wire ends on the double wind (and 18 on a
triple!) will easily make your blood pressure rise.
Star winds: Wind and curse as usual, but now the finishing ends of
the wire should not be drawn up to the com but instead be twisted
together and cut off at the other end of the stack. See photo! This
"pigtail" (the twisted wires) should be soldered, cut off to the
shortest possible length and tucked in. The disadvantage of the star
wind is that the armature will obviously be out of balance due to the
pig-tail and therefore require that bigger holes be bored to compen
sate for this. However, we are projecting starting with the pig-tail,
wound symmetrically around the shaft close to the stack and epoxied,
and then proceed to wind as usual. At the com end the usual solder
work is done, with the difference that now only one wire end will be
connected to each com tab (for a single star wind). Commutator
advancing is the same as for delta connected winds.
★ ★ ★ ★
17 epoxying
The armature must always be epoxied, to prevent the wire flying
off at high R P M ’s. In addition to this epoxying, we also tie the com
wires as an extra safeguard. Use a thin line or wire for this, non-
metallic of course. Personally, I use thin stretchable nylon wire,
the kind that can usually be purchased in a haberdashery shop.
Common sewing thread will work fine, too. Just wind it on criss
cross between the com tabs as the photo shows.
For epoxying the armature, I do not recommend Araldite, though
this statement will probably get me a few enemies. Araldite, if sub
jected to very high temperatures, will crack and break the wire. We
have had this happen on several armatures. Instead, I recommend
15
Mini-Wheels' epoxy, which will stay together during racing - at least
we have never had this epoxy crack in our tests. (In a 24-hour, for
example, we ran an arm that was epoxied half with Araldite and
half with Mini-Wheels. The Araldite cracked.) If you cannot find this
epoxy in Britain. I suggest sending for it from some American mail
order firm.
The Mini-Wheels stuff is a 24-hour epoxy, but by heating we can
make it both cure quicker and flow out more evenly. Therefore, place
a small amount of mixed-out epoxy and your armature in close vicinity
to your hot solder iron. Use a piece of wood - not balsa - with a
shallow 5/64 in. hole in it to have the arm stand upright. Heat for
15 minutes or so, especially the arm should be thoroughly hot. Then
grab the armature shaft in a pair of no-knurl pliers and apply a thin
coat of epoxy with the help of a match or a toothpick. No great slabs
are needed, just a thin coat that will flow out and impregnate the
wire. Smear a little on the com tying thread, just enough to cover it.
but leave the solder joints free!
Too much epoxy is dangerous, it will act as a dead weight and a
heat trap, with consequent less performance and more heat. I assure
you that very small amounts are needed - see photos.
I am no fan of put-it-in-the-oven school, instead I recommend that
you place the armature near your hot solder iron where you can
easily keep a check on it all the time. The hot epoxy must not flow
out on the shaft or into the com segment slots. However, if you only
have put on that small amount of epoxy, it will usually stay in place
while curing. But check often, and turn the armature upside down
every two minutes or so for the first half hour. Then you can shut off
the solder iron and let it cool slowly while keeping the arm nearby.
Changes in temperature should be performed slow ly - the trick of
directly taking the arm from oven to refrigerator can cause dangerous
temp stresses on epoxy and insulation
Now the epoxy should be rather stiff, so put the arm away and let
it cure the rest overnight. Of course, should the need arise (like
working all night trying to meet the sign-up deadline at 8.30 a.m.).
you can always keep on heating the arm with the iron. I have once
prepared, wound and balanced an arm in 5 1/2 hours, but I would rather
not do it again, even though I managed to win that race.
NOTE: do not forget to check that the com sits in the position you
want. Finally, getting the epoxy to cure and then discovering that the
com is all wrong, as I have seen happen, is not very funny ... for
yourself.
it it it it
16
Ways of balancing. The worst method is this one
(top), from a Champ 507. with long slashes
ground in the pole surface. The Dyna method,
filing up notches (next down). The best method
of removing weight, drilling holes in the pole
surface (bottom). The arm here turned out
fairly well balanced after winding, so only two
small holes were needed
Now for balancing, with the method that at least 99% of the readers m us t be
familiar with - the Razor Blade Method. Check that edges of blades really are
parallel. Heating the lead epoxy on the arm. Shift between placing the arm with
the lead epoxy top and bottom, so that it w ill not flow out too much.
18 balancing (static)
Now the armature is wound and epoxied. but we are not out of
the woods yet: it has to be balanced first.
Why balance? Well, when doing the armature, we have usually not
quite managed to get the wire and the epoxy on evenly, with the re
sult that the armature will be heavier on one side. Only once in my
nine years as a racer have I seen an arm that turned out perfectly
balanced (static), but unfortunately, it was not mine. Anyway, you
can see that happens very seldom, so chances are your armature will
need a little work.
If we put our unbalanced arm in a motor and have it run. centri
fugal forces will try to force the heavy side away from the shaft,
causing vibrations, friction and heat. Friction and heat have already
been discussed in general and it should be obvious that these are bad
for performance, but let us consider vibrations. Vibrations - any
vibrations - in a car are detrimental, since they will spread every
where in the frame. And you can easily imagine what kind of road
holding you will have with the rear axle trying to jump up and
down . . .
(You should watch worn gears, bent axles and out-of-round
wheels, too, since these can cause serious vibrations. Ideally, gears
and wheels should also be balanced for maximum performance.)
So it is clear that the armature should be balanced, and the obvious
way is to either remove weight from the heavy side or add weight to
the light side.
For static balancing (we will discuss dynamic in a moment), the
tried and true method is to place the armature on a pair of razor
blades stuck into a piece of balsa. Blade edges must be parallel and
horizontal. When the arm is placed on the blades, it will turn until it
17
rests with its heavy side down. Note, however, that a nick on the
edges or wear damage on the shaft can also cause the arm to stop in
certain positions and fool you. To avoid this, try the armature several
times in different positions in different places on the blades. If the
same pole (mark them A, B and C for easy identification) always
'hangs down', your arm is obviously out of balance.
NOTE: an even better method, especially with small amounts of
unbalance, is to lean the wood piece with the razor blades slightly
and have the armature roll down them slowly. If the arm rolls with
the same speed, the static balance is OK. But if it rolls in a 'calypso
rhythm', work is needed. Let us start with method A , removing
weight from the heavy side.
There are different ways of doing this, as the photos will show.
The old Champion balancing, grinding off big slices, is the worst. It
will short circuit many plates and make for higher core losses due to
eddy currents, as explained earlier.
The Dyna method of filing notches will short circuit less plates, but
still leave a rather long scar in the pole face.
The best way of removing weight is by drilling holes, since the
least pole area will be disturbed. All motors of quality (Champion has
switched to this method on its new series) have this kind of
balancing.
However, drilling holes in the hard pole surface without slipping
accidentally into the wires is not easy. Experience speaks. Therefore.
I recommend the beginner to use the notching method instead, by all
means use holes.
Having determined which of the poles is the heaviest, the armature
is clamped in a vice with this pole up. Use inserted pieces of thick
paper or similar, so that the arm will not be marred by the jaws or
the vice. Now grab a thin round file and start working away, holding
it as in the photo (less risk of driving the file into the wires). Please
note that the notch must not necessarily start on the middle of the
pole face (cross-wise), but rather on the exact part of the pole that
is pointing down.
NOTE: always, however, file on the middle of the pole face, length
wise, or you might risk further damaging the dynamic unbalance.
Should the notch threaten to grow too big, it will be better to make
two smaller notches beside each other. But don't forget to check the
balance often, so you won't remove too much!
If you use holes, these should be about .05 to .10 in. in diameter
This will depend on the amount of unbalance. If the hole is somewhat
to the side of the pole, don't drill it too deep or you might cut a few
wires.
If you consider it for a second, employing method B and adding
weight to the light side is really much smarter. Notching or drilling in
the poles means less magnetic mass, and though the armature will
run faster when balanced, we have actually lowered torque. Method
B means more (dead) mass, but provided the unbalance, and thus
the mass needed is not too great, we have made an overall gain by
retaining torque.
The method has its limitations; it cannot be used on 'fullhouse'
winds, as there must be space for the weight we are going to add.
Otherwise the method is a simple one.
For best results, we should start while epoxying the armature.
Mix up some epoxy, same as the one used on the armature, and put
it beside the solder iron for quick curing. Then get out some lead
sheet and start filing on it, until you have a nice collection of lead
18
Below. If u sin g b ra ss plate At left. Bend clip to fit
thicker than .015 inches, a and solder it in position.
notch w ill usually have to be It m ust be soldered both
cut so that the brush holder to brush holder and plate
w ill not be seated too high. for maxim um heat c o n
duction.
The brush holder m ust be filed dow n in bottom and then soldered exactly in
position. U se square tubing for a jig. Note that this step really is important, or
tim ing can be seriou sly out of w hack. Lastly, solder the post protector in p o s i
tion. Y ou can easily w h ip up your ow n from b ra ss or steel tube. For bullet-proof
in g , the endbell m ust bo modded: the ring around the bearing (thin arrow) m ust
be removed for bullet-proofing the bearing, and the ridges that originally held the
brush holder (thick arrow) m ust also be removed. U se sharp X-acto knife and
flat file.
★ ★ ★ ★
19 balancing (dynamic)
A s yet, we have discussed static balance - the armature is in
balance while resting on the razor blades or in the motor. If we run
it, though, we will in all probability still experience vibrations from
dynamic unbalance.
19
I mentioned that after winding and epoxying, the poles are not
equally heavy. Static balancing, as discussed in the preceding chapter,
will correct this. What it will not correct, however, is the weight
distribution of the poles. One pole might be heavier on the com side,
another towards the opposite side. Obviously, we again have some
kind of unbalance, and this is called dynamic unbalance. Everything
is OK as long as the arm is motionless, but when it starts to turn, it
will try to whirl, as the term is. The whirling will again cause vibra
tions and friction with subsequent slowing down and heating up.
NOTE: total unbalance can be seen as the sum of two unbalances,
static and dynamic. We can remove the static unbalance, but this
still leaves the dynamic kind.
A s for ourselves, we cannot do anything about this with our
primitive equipment. To detect and correct dynamic unbalance, it
takes an experienced operator and a machine worth hundreds or
thousands of pounds. Luckily, there are a few balancing firms that
will do the job for us - against payment, of course.
The nearest firm for British readers would be Model Racing Car
Centre at 390 Brockley Road. London, S E 4. Their price for a balanc
ing job (using holes) is 10s.
Across the Atlantic, we have the famous Thorp of Pomona, who
does all the balancing for the U S . pro teams. The address is John
Thorp, 143 West Commercial, Pomona. California 91766. They charge
you $2.50 but will make an absolute perfect job and in addition true
up the com for you.
If you decide to send your armatures for dynamic balancing, don't
forget to include a cheque or money order for the correct amount plus
postage back to you, and your name and address. Make sure your
armatures are carefully packed up, so that they will survive the trip
without damage.
NOTE: dynamic balancing is, of course, superior to static, so I
strongly recommend it for your racing arms. A good knowledge of
static balancing is always an asset, though, if you are faced with
the problem of quickly fixing an armature overnight.
A few last words on balance, before we leave the subject. A
balanced arm might become unbalanced with time, because of centri
fugal forces, thermal expansion or shocks - like from hitting the floor.
Therefore, it might be necessary to rebalance the armature when it
starts losing its zing. And if your armature is dynamically balanced,
solder your pinion, don't hammer it on!
4r * ★ *
20
20 endbell
And now we have reached the third and last main unit in the
motor, the endbell.
A good endbell must meet three requirements: it must provide a
stiff bearing area for the armature, it must not break down from heat,
and it must provide a good current conduction. I may be fastidious
when it comes to this, but my choice is either a white Mura or a
Champion endbell. The grey Mura is good and will stand up to most
E C.R A. racing, but for the fast commercial crowd, the white version
will give added security.
The heat is the worst problem in motor building today, as any
24-hour racer will testify. (Lars has still got scars from our last
enduro.) The usual breakdown of an unprepared endbell will be that
the material melts so that the brush holder and the spring will sink
down forever in the plastic. To avoid this, bullet proofing' was
invented by soldering the brush holders to a metal plate, and a few
other refinements. This has the advantage of distributing the heat over
a greater area for quicker heat dissipation
All endbells should be bullet proofed for maximum security. If
you're the lazy type, you can buy ready-made parts from Mini-Wheels
or Champion. However, knocking up your own bullet plates is not
difficult.
Get brass sheet of a suitable thickness, anything between .015 and
.040 in. are used. Cut out two plates that will fit exactly on the
endbell and drill holes for the spring post and the screw. See photos.
If you are using brass thicker than .015, you must also file a notch
across the plates, or the brushes will ride too high.
Next step is to file down the brush holders as per figure. Then
comes the tough part, soldering this modified brush holder to the
plate in exactly the right position. This will need patience and many
resolderings, in all likelihood. The brush holder must be exactly
centred, or you will have difficulty controlling the timing, as I pointed
out earlier. Also make sure that the brush holder will be close to the
com, for maximum brush stability. About .012 in. between the com
and the brush holder is the ideal.
The next step is the clip, which must fit tight against plate and
brush holder. If necessary, reshape to fit, then solder it in place. The
clip should be soldered to both the plate and the brush holder.
Lastly, solder the post protector over the hole for the spring post,
and clean up the job.
NOTE: use high-temp solder for the bullet plates. The endbell
assembly can actually get so hot that common solder will melt.
The endbell must be modified to accept these plates. Get an X-acto
knife for cutting down the edges around the brush holder, and after
wards file the area flat.
21
F ig u re 25: M o d d in g the b ru s h holder. File
dow n (sh a d e d are a) until o n ly 1/64 in.
re m a in s b e lo w b ru s h hole.
Check that the brush will easily slide through the brush holder,
otherwise deburr the edges with a square file. With the complete
bullet plates on, check for alignment by sticking in a piece of 3/32 in
square tubing through the whole assembly.
Variations on a theme: if you wish, skip filing down the brush holder
and instead cut a slot in the plate so that the unmodified brush
holder can protrude down into the Vee. Solder as before.
To have even more efficient heat dissipation, your bullet proofing
plates can be done 'elephant ear' size, sticking out a good bit from
the endbell. This is dependent on how much space you have in the
chassis. It won't look pretty, but it's efficient.
A rather primitive form we invented about a year before 'real'
bullet proofing became the vogue, was to solder a piece of braid to
clip and brush holder. This piece is allowed to stick out a good bit
and will dissipate heat surprisingly efficiently.
Concerning the bearing, use either a Mura or a Champion bearing,
according to the endbell make. A Mabuchi bearing will quickly de
velop an oval hole, so I cannot recommend it.
Bullet proofing the bearing is frequently done. Either remove the
outside edges around the bearing hole screw on the plate and apply a
few quick dabs of solder, or reverse the bearing and solder it to the
plate from the outside. See photos. A s with the case bearing, polish
ing the inner surface to a high gloss is advisable. Bullet proofing the
bearing is usually only done on can drive' motors.
★ ★ ★ ★
23
The other end of the shunt wire soldered either on top of the dip or around the pickup
wire tab. By all means, do make a better solder joint than the one here. Remember to use
a long enough piece of shunt wire, so that it will not stretch when the brush is wearing
short. The other method of bulleting the bearing. The plastic ring is cut away, as in photo
and the bearing soldered in the plate. Only a few quick spots of solder are necessary
Shunting the brush: the shunt wire is jammed between the brush slot and the spring . , .
between practice and race, but this is up to you. If you are going to
put away the car for a few days. I advise you to unhook the springs
★ ★ ★ ★
22 assembly
At long last, we are now ready to assemble the motor. Check
everything for absolute cleanliness, no metal dust on the magnets,
nothing in the com slots, etc. Take the armature and put on the
washers - don't forget the fibre washer on the com side - and care
fully put the arm in the case. Check that there is a slight clearance
between armature and magnets. Then put on the endbell and screw
it on tight. Spin the armature a couple of times to check that nothing
is binding. Now install brushes, shunts and springs.
Solder the lead wires on each side and connect the motor to a
power source. Have it spin a 'fast idle' (R P M about 15,000). Run the
motor like this for about 20 seconds and then put a drop of oil in
each bearing. Increase revs slightly and run the motor like this for
1-minute periods. Total running-in time is usually about 15 minutes.
W ARNING: do not let the motor run free at anywhere near max
R P M 's. since burrs at the com segment edges can easily crack the
brushes.
Putting on the pinion: sand the shaft end lightly and cut up a few
small notches in it. If you have a drill blank, this can only be done
with a motorised tool and a carbide disc. Heat the shaft with the
solder iron and apply a thin coat of solder at the shaft end. Then
give the pinion hole a few quick takes with a round file and put it
on the shaft end. Now apply the cleaned end of the iron against the
pinion and start pushing. After a few seconds, the solder will melt
and the pinion slide into position. Heat for a few more seconds and
then let it cool, and you have your pinion soldered on.
At a recent race, I saw another method: put Araldite inside the
pinion and slide it on to the shaft, then heat with a match and you are
ready to race. When you want to remove the pinion, heat with an
other match while using a pinion puller. However, I am not sure that
I would use this method myself.
* ★ * *
23 service
Your motor will need constant care, supervision and service for
maintaining top performance. Brushes and springs must be changed
between every race, also springs between practice and race for max
power. Never use excess o il! This is a common fault, but excess oil
will just dirty up the case and the com with subsequent slowing
down.
Every now and then, you will have to disassemble the motor and
clean it. Use liberal amounts of kerosene, pipecleancrs and rags on
the case and endbell. wipe carefully afterwards and make sure no fluff
from the pipecleaners is left. Check com solder joints and resolder
25
these if necessary. If you have access to a low-R P M . power drill,
insert the arm with the com end in the chuck and true the com
with a pencil eraser. Clean with a fine cloth and make sure the com
slots are free from dirt by running a toothpick along them.
Every time you disassemble the motor, the shaft must be carefully
sanded so that no solder will remain and mar the bearing. The endbell
bearing must be changed every 3 or 4 races (sprints), since it will
wear out quickly. Never remove the magnets unless absolutely neces
sary. If possible, try to remagnetise before every race, for maximum
zap in your motor.
And with that, my article on motor tuning draws to a close. (At last,
you must be saying.) Give your motor lots of maintenance and
tender, loving care, and it will be faithful to you and win many races.
If anyone has any problems or simply wants to know more, just
send a letter to M odel Cars. I will try to answer those questions of
most general interest in the magazine.
Good luck !
* * ★ A
26
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