The best quality hardened pinions I've used are those made by Monster Mike at RC Monster and they're $10 -

http://www.rc-monster.com/proddetail...=5mmmod1pinion


I can understand your wanting to run in the wet. I'd never do it, but here to get into dry enough conditions to run it may be only a day or two wait, where you are, I suspect its a lot diff. You can make it happen and prob do a better job that what you were running. Lots over here have found 'waterproof' to only be water resistant.