I have to desolder wires that came on a lrp sxx v2. The 12awg that it came with is too heavy for pan car so need a smaller gauge. The manual said to try not to hold heat to the esc for more than 5 sec at a time and i was wondering if there were any tips for easiest removal. I have a 40w iron with a big tip but didnt know if it was too hot. I have a smaller iron but not sure it will work well on all the factory solder on the esc

You want that 40W to transfer heat quickly. Get some solder wick or braid or a desolder tool (basically a syringe to suck up the excess solder).

I use something like alligator clip to "absorb" the heat before it reaches the ESC board

Worked, thanks for advice. Used a solder vacum and came off easy