Nasty noises on the 501 : ( and maintenance issues
 

Well my 501 wasnt very nice to run today, i had a few noise issues that appeared to be coming from the diffs. To eliminate the probs i tried the 1 way, then swapped back and finally replaced back with the 1 way lol. I then checked the rear diff. ( i was a busy guy as i was also running the rb5 in 2wd ...5 races and 4 heats per car and 2 finals lol so not much time spare lol ) which was the usual diff moan lol.

So far iv found that the new ceramic diff balls havnt really made the diffs any quiter or smoother. When i stripped the diffs down they wasnt particularly bad and the diff rings had only slight markings that you couldnt really feel, just see where the balls were running. I checked all the belts and the pulleys.. Hmm only last thing .. the slipper.:rolleyes:

With the rear wheels held tightly, i then span the motor up via the tx and the noise was the same squeeling that iv heard on both jmmy's and stu's. cars. Does anyone else have slipper squeels... they sound like metal binding and squeeling. i think the pads will also want replacing now.


I have also decided to relpace the diff rings as a precaution, hmmmm Hobby company are quoting theyre usual 6 - 8 weeks so i guess im going to go abroad again. has anyone replaced these yet. If so, where did you get them from?

Lastly i also noticed the pins in the axles(the pins that hold the axle to the dogbone with the cross piece and grub screw )were all out of place slightly, the grub screws that hold them in were still tight but the pins all seem to have moved. They were rubbing against the hubs slightly , so be warned and check yours.

Is there anything else i need to look out for?

Thanks

Col.

Col I have found that the Slipper pads do need a scuff every now and then to freshen them up, this seems to cure the problem for me (600 wet and dry does teh trick).

As for the diff rings there is a knack to building Tamiya diffs that are nice and smooth, I know that this doesnt apply as much as it does in TC racing but here it goes anyway.

Required: 600 grit wet and dry, High quality silicon diff lube (best I have found is the Schumacher stuff) and patience!!

Take the diff plates and one of the diff halves (the one without the sticky out bit) insert the plate into the diff half and rub on the wet and dry (wet the wet and dry first) till you have taken the shine off the diff plate, now only using the lube on the inner face put a very thin coating on it, assemble the balls into the diff and then tighten, using a diff setting tool make sure that there is no slip in the diff, now back it off 1/4 of a turn at a time until it just starts to slip.

This is the abriged version, for maintenance make sure that every surface in the diff is spotless and grit/dust free, this is the only real way to have trouble free runs every time with these diffs. (Oh and rebuild after every meeting!!!)

Col if you need diff plates I have some here, Got mine from RC mushroom, but also available from RC-Champ.

Thanks yet again lol.

Iv just ordered the diff rings from hk, the daft thing is they didnt list it under the 501 spares category, it was a generic enter the part number and they listed it lol.. Hopefully they will be here soon. :cool:

With regards to diff maintenance, i will be honest and say that i had left the diffs for 4 meetings inc running in the wet.:rolleyes::eh?: Poor car lol. They always sounded scratchy from new and i do run them quite tight. I have been told they dont really need to be as tight now that im running ceramic diff balls. My car is usually meticulously cleaned after every meeting anyways and there is virtually no dust dirt on the outside of the diffs as i always run the undertray on.

The slipper noise was really strange like a whine\scratch noise, iv also ordered more replacement pads as the 4.5 novak thats in there does need to slip a bit or else iv almost got a wheelying 4wd lol. Has yours ever sounded like that??

I'll have a go at cleaning up the pads before i replace them like you have suggested, and will post back in a week or 2 to let others know how i get on.

Is the diff silicon grease you mention, readily available? i have a range of greases but i think i used associated blak diff grease the last time.

Thanks again...;)

Col.:cool:

I just ordered my spare Al piece ( see here http://www.oople.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3178 ) from Tamiya USA site and should be here in less than one week. Not sure if anyone outside of the USA has ordered from them or how long it takes.

I don't think you can order from Tamiya USA if you are outside the USA. I got a couple for woodys since he bent one second time out. There is a new stronger version coming soon apparently.

Hi Col, yes the Schumacher grease is readily available from all good LHS or direct: http://www.racing-cars.com/products.asp?recnumber=17318

Are you coming to Bury on sunday Col? If so I'll have another look at it. My belts were very loose but I'm rebuilding the car now. It's not been rebuilt for ages and the diff was very dirty on the outside. I'm gonna make some diff covers also and see if they help. but the diff is still smooth anyway so I'm happy.