Faint

After about 10 - 15 minutes of using my rc car I start to smell something like burning rubber. Is this just the brushes fading away? I think it is normal but I really need a second oppion.

xrayaustin

iTrader: (12)

anything that smells like something burning is never a good sign!!

tfrahm

iTrader: (2)

If you are running 10-15 minutes STRAIGHT, without letting things cool off, you are killing the motor...

Borrow a temp gun from a nitro racer and check the temp of the motor. you normally want to keep it at or below 170 degrees. The worst I've ever seen was a stock sedan motor that came off the track at 230 degrees after a 5 minute race -- the motor was never the same (magnets lose strength from heat, etc.)...

Faint

What if I got a motor cooler and and cooled my motor before running it?

A. Rhodes

iTrader: (32)

The motor coolers are designed to bring down the motors ambiant temp., not the temp while running. The effects of the motors cooler are gone in 30-60 seconds once you start racing. You can add a fan(s), or cut some coolng holes, but your most safe not running your motor for that long at one time.

Faint

Thanks for all your help so far but one more question. Couldn't you switch out motors in between runs? I understand the ESC could get hot but regardless I just want to know.

Edit - Also would a "rebuild" fix the damages from running the motor too long?

tfrahm

iTrader: (2)

When/If a motor had been overheated, the impact varies....

Some Magnets are much more tolerant than others (Reedy MVP's always seem to get HOT, but once they cool down, the magnets are as good as ever)...

The most common "damage" is that the brushes get hot and turn a purplish color -- when that happens, they are ruined, as the lubricant in the brush has been cooked out and the copper and silver components have been "annealed" (the metal actually changes it's characteristics)... Over heated brushes MUST be replaced.

Similarly, the comm will turn colors , ranging from copper to brass to red to purple. As with the brushes, this can harden the copper. The heat cycles can also make the comm out of round, as the copper surface and the phenolic center core will expand/contract differently from the heat. Carefully skimming of the comm on a comm lathe can "mostly" revive an overheated comm (the copper may be permanently hardened/changed by the heat). Skimming the comm will be "good enough" for most casual use -- hard core racers would find the results unsatisfactory, however...

hurley081182

iTrader: (15)

you smell the rubber from your tires you are going so fast...lol

Faint

That is what I thought at first. I must have looked so werid sniffing an RC car