Is my gear mesh good?
 

Hey guys, I am running stock 18/86 gearing with a mamba max esc and vxl motor in my slash. I believe my motor is getting a lot hotter than it should. I was hoping there would be knowledgeable people who would be able to tell me if my gear mesh may be the problem, based on these pictures. Thanks in advance!

http://i633.photobucket.com/albums/u...y/DSCF4327.jpg

http://i633.photobucket.com/albums/u...y/DSCF4328.jpg

http://i633.photobucket.com/albums/u...y/DSCF4329.jpg

http://i633.photobucket.com/albums/u...y/DSCF4330.jpg

someone with 500 posts should know how to set gear mesh???:confused::confused::confused: there should be just a noticeable amount of play between the gear at every corner. the spur gear isn't 100% similar all around. in some spaces you can too much or too little depending on how tight or loose it is. just noticeable play. some people use looseleaf paper between the gears and press together. you should be able to rock the spur gears back and fourth while the pinion is help still.

Check your gear mesh with a piece of paper...

There should be a little bit of play in the gears.

There should be a little bit of play at the tightest spot. Not all gears are 100% round.

Cut a trip of notebook paper about 3/8" wide and 4 or 5" long. Run that thru the mesh as it sits. All this is going to tell you is if you're too tight - if you see it tear the paper or perforate the paper, mesh is too tight.

I set mesh roughly and then find out where the high spot on teh spur is - its easy to feel it. Then I set the mesh for this spot. If you set meash in a low spot, you'll be tto tight everywhere else.

Always re-check it after tightening screws - some change due to tightening, some don't.

here is a great trick find a piece of computer paper and put it between the gears untighten the screws to the motor and get the gears to be tight be not stuck together and then tighten the screws and your gear mesh should be perfect it always works for me

I've used a dollar bill in place of a piece of paper.

+1

Since when did the ability to post meaningless drivel in a forum directly correlate with the any kind of mechanical inclination. :ha:

In all seriousness though a piece of paper works well. I usually will set the tightest portion of the gear mesh with a noticeable play by feeling vs. visually.

that is ok to

How hot is your motor getting? Normally if the mesh is not right the gears will strip or melt far before the motor gets to hot. So I am sure it's not your mesh that is causing the excess heat. Your gearing could be the reason, or particular running conditions (high traction low ventilation). So as long as you have followed the above advice, then I am sure your mesh is just fine. Maybe go to a lower gearing, or maybe your battery is to much for the motor (if your running a 3S or 4S lipo). If you put larger wheels on, then that would be the same effect as a higher gear ratio. As long as your motor is below 200C then you should be fine.

true but a 4s with a slash :weird:

I am running a 2s maxamps 6500. I will try the paper thing out tonight. So the width of the paper is an appropriate amount of room? :). Is running my vxl slash on short grass a bad idea, or is that only with the titan? I'm using stock tires :)

Looks good to me and yea you should try to use the paper in the gears that will tell you if it is good or not.

[QUOTE=SirJangly;6088678]Hey guys, I am running stock 18/86 gearing with a mamba max esc and vxl motor in my slash. I believe my motor is getting a lot hotter than it should. I was hoping there would be knowledgeable people who would be able to tell me if my gear mesh may be the problem, based on these pictures. Thanks in advance!

I had this problem last week when i installed a new pinion gear on my touring car, the paper trick definately works i also visually check and feel for gear play and i also listen for anychanges in sound. at first i was wondering why the car war running so loud (gear noise) and i realized that i had the gears meshed too tight ( it got tighter after i tightened up the adjustment screw). so i had to re adjust and after about 8 times i got it right. the paper trick definately works.