troy84

Can damage be caused to a brushless ESC by soldering a different connector to them? Im switching my sons mini 8ight from ec2 to ec3. Did the same to the battery. Now it acts like its cogging. Please help someone. I know everybody went to facebook but there has to be someone on here that could help us. They are dying to play with these this weekend.
Troy

faqcya

iTrader: (1)

Most likely you have a poor solder joint. If you did not resolder the wires that are directly on the motor the chances of damage done to the motor are very slim.

EbbTide

iTrader: (39)

There can definitely be damage if you held the iron on the wires too long and let the heat soak into the ESC. Generally you want to keep the iron on for no more than 10 seconds. Preferably around 6 seconds. That could be part of the issue though you'd have to try a known working ESC with that motor to see if you find the same issue.

But cogging is normal when running a sensorless system which if I'm not mistaken the Mini 8ight are all sensorless from the factory. Now if it is just cogging and not moving at all that would be an indication of an issue. But if it only cogs at low speed and smooths out with more throttle input then that's pretty much normal for sensorless systems.

troy84

Thanks guys for the quick replies. Both are possible. The soldering iron didn't seem to get hot enough. I had to keep cleaning the tip. 2 different irons. Cheap ones. maybe cheap solder too. I'm going to do a connector swap on another battery tonight after work and see. They have 2 cars exactly alike. But one ESC still has ec2 connector still on it at the moment.

What kind of iron do I need to get and what kind of solder. The solder seemed to do ok, but it seemed like the wires were not hot enough for the solder to soak in or stick to the wire. I Finally started using a torch with a soldering tip and that worked a little better. Had wires tinned and all.

Thanks again both fort the help. Sometimes kids don't understand how it is to keep these R/C cars running. LOL

troy84

And be patient with me. Been awhile for me being on forums. But I'm gonna need penty of help and been here a lot. LOL

Kelseyrc

iTrader: (7)

You will want to get an iron that can get up to around 750*F so that it will be easier to melt the solder without damaging your electronics. I use a TrakPower TK 950 and it is one of the best RC investments I have made.

Also be sure that you solder is 60/40 rosin core, if you use acid core solder you will cause damage over time due to corrosion.

EbbTide

iTrader: (39)

Well I'll give you a few general pointers for soldering, but I'd really like you to go to this Solder Bible and read through it. It explains EVERYTHING you need to know about soldering for this hobby.

General tips: Iron needs to be between 650-750f. If you feel you need it higher you're doing something wrong. Use flux in conjunction with rosin core solder. Flux always helps the heat flow easier especially with wires. Use a wide chisel tip, at least 3mm wide for most wires and solder posts. Use good solder, preferably 63/37 as it has a more exact melting point which helps avoid cracks in the solder and cold solder joints. Don't hold the iron on longer than 10 seconds. Some exceptions are when just tinning bare wires that are not connected to any electronics. Remember, solder flows toward the heat, keep this in mind when tinning wires and it will help you get better coverage.

troy84

Solved the problem. Found a piece of solder slag between 2 wire terminals on ESC. Just sitting there wedged. Picked it out & retest car. Runs great.
WHOOPS. My bad. Thanks for help guys. Having fun with this hobby.

faqcya

iTrader: (1)

I'm surprised it wasn't sparking.

troy84

I know right? May have been. I didn't see it until the next day. Had the positive battery wire and the black wire to the motor shorted. I'm blessed the ESC still works. If the esc would have went bad, How would I know what kind to buy in its place??? Surely they are not all equal.

EbbTide

iTrader: (39)

If the need arises for a new ESC, there are a couple of options from Hobbywing. One of the best ones to use would be the Hobbywing Justock ESC. Its pretty cheap and can even run a sensored motor if you upgrade in the future. Lots of things you can upgrade on the Mini-8ight actually. Which is bad news if your kids find out lol. I remember racking up a nice bill for hopups on my old Mini-8ight

troy84

Thanks, I will check that ESC out. They already know about the mods. and are fighting over who will get what color. We went Sat. & let them play on and old R/C track and one broke the a-arm guide pin bracket on the left front. Just put a-arms on it where he broke the left front a-arm. I guess those brackets are next. I kinda wander if the LF axle may be binding and popping it out. TLR has adjustable ones or the other guys like rpm or gpm look like they have a plastic bushing. I don't think we need adjustability right now.