At Stephen’s request I will describe the way I break-in motors.
as far as I’m concerned there is no right or wrong way to do it. i guess whatever works best for you is what counts.
first, i need to give credit to Mr. Mike Pawl who led me to the ‘Get Slotted’ website for breaking in motors………
http://www.getslotted.co.uk/default.aspx
i just expanded and added a few of my ideas to their motor break-in procedure.
i usually start with about four motors of the same kind. i will use Ninco as an example, but the Slot-it, Scalextric, scale auto, and other motors follow the same procedure. i do a few extra things to the SCX motors which i will describe later.
the Ninco motors come with a wrapping that i remove to have access to the air vents. even with a new motor i spray motor cleaner(i happen to use pure performance) through the top air vents of the motor. you will be surprised how much gunk and grime comes out of a new motor. i spray the cleaner through the motor until the run-off is clear. i let it dry for a few minutes then take a microbrush applicator and apply the smallest of smallest amounts of trinity’s formula 2000 comm drops on the commutator just to provide a lil’ less friction of the brushes on the commutator during the break in procedure on the voltage box. i use a voltage box that i obtained from action-electronics.com to break in the motors. it was fairly reasonably priced at around $25. it is not the best voltage box in the world but it does a pretty good job for the motors we use. i will run the motors in at about 3v for four hours and then raise it to 4.5v for an hour and maybe 7.5v for another hour. it varies depending on when i remember to change the voltage. 🙂 i usually don’t go above 7.5v.
after the run-in procedure i will usually place the motor, in the chassis I’m going to use for the club, and get the rpm measurements of the motor along with the rear wheel rpm from the kelvin light bench. sometimes i will get the rpm of the motor alone, but i have found that the motor that gives the highest rpm will not necessarily give the highest rear wheel rpm, so i usually just get both measurements at the same time.
once i decide which motor to use i secure the motor in the chassis with goo and also goo-in the bushings for the rear axle. i then put some fine cut rubbing compound(3m, one of my favorites.) onto the crown gear and then place Liberal amounts of a mixture of Colgate regular toothpaste along with Colgate’s total mint fresh stripe tooth gel all around the crown gear making sure to enclose the rubbing compound. i have found that this mixture of toothpaste stays around the gear very well and after about 30 minutes turns into a globular substance with is fairly easy to remove with a q-tip.
i run the gear in at about 3v, 4.5v……sometimes up to 9 volts during the 30 minute time interval. i have found the frequency works much better for me than duration so i will go through that procedure for a new motor not less than three times before a club race. the Ferrari f-40 that i use for the club race has been run in at least 10-12 times since i started in the club. because i clean my motors after every club race i have to remount the motor and go through the whole procedure again. Mr. Farr-Jones has taught me to think of things not in a quarter of a millimeter like i was thinking, but in 1/1000’s of a millimeter as far as gear mesh is concerned. also, i must give credit to Stephen for telling me about the toothpaste in the first place. 🙂 after the gears are run-in i oil them excessively, to the point where they are swimming in oil with premium gear oil first and then encase this with hob-e-lube white grease with teflon. the white grease keeps everything in place. i have read many times that it’s not good to over lube, but i’m hard-headed. i know there is no such thing as ‘zero friction’ but i want to come as closely as possible.
then i oil the bronze bushings with Glidex 2 and off i go.
i just have to keep my fingers crossed that the car will be competitive in the club. sometimes i think my time would be better spent practicing to improve my driving skills, but since i enjoy the tuning as much as racing i sometimes find myself having to push myself away from the pit station and go practice.
since the SCX motors have removable brushes i always take them out and clean all six sides with alcohol(to make sure the brush inserts back into its holder without binding) and take a microbrush applicator and go through the brush holders to clean the commutator. then i spray the motor with pure performance along with the springs and put everything back together and follow the same procedure as above.
i always clean the motor after every club race. and i think this is advantageous for me since i have so much oil over the place. 🙂
anyway, this is my procedure and like i said I’m sure other people have their own preference, but this seems to work for me.
i think everyone in the club has something special to offer. there are so many people who have taught me so much to include really everyone in the club but especially…..Stephen, for his many tidbits that cut many 10th’s off your lap time,…. Michael S, for his infinite wisdom on the balance and handling of cars,…. Mike P, for his great tuning tips. that is why i always sit at his table. you can’t go 20 minutes without learning something from him…..Dennis,when he talks people listen…. Gary W, with his track construction knowledge, showing you the in’s and out’s of the various tracks……..Rene, for showing you how to be humble as a champion. hope i get to that level one day….Russel, for giving me that wax tip on how to keep your car looking good. most important 🙂 Nigel, for his passionate aggressive style of racing which keeps you on your heels and makes you a better racer. i guess i can name everyone in the club, but i think it’s time to end this letter.
~Daniel Snipes
