My SCX-10 is a motor killer... Need some ideas!

[HYPEracing]

My SCX-10 had smoked every motor I've put in it in under 10 mins per run.

I've used up two stock axial 27 turns, one axial 20 turn, one atomic 35 turn, and one integy 35 turn. I know these are all cheapie motors, but I'm hesitant to put any thing nice in it until I figure this out.

My gear mesh is set with printer/copy paper, and I've had it checked by a buddy at the local hobby store. It's good to go.

My rig is running a small (4.5") set of 2.2's. They have 3oz's of weight in each wheel. I'm going by what I've read and thinking that this is not too much weight.

I am running integy aluminum axle housings front and rear, stock drive shafts and stock tranny. The drive train is super smooth, with no rotating resistance. My rig probably has less than an hours run time since new. With the motor out, the drive train spins freely, and very smooth.

I am running rock armor steel bumpers front and rear, as well as a winch setup. My guess on weight is 7-8 pounds over all.

I'm running a stock 87 tooth spur, and a 15 tooth pinion.

It's so bad that I actually just bought a new stock sxc-10 to take on trail runs...

What am I missing here?

[pvo_srt4]

what ESC are you using?

[three2won]

2s or 3s? Any under or overdrive gears?

[Jfrisch01]

Mine does the same just did it to a holmes motor, running
1.9 pitbull growlers
Sidewinder 3 esc
Overdrive gears front/ stock rear
Mips
2s lipo only

Correct mesh and everything is well greased and clean just cant figure it out

[k7zpj]

I would pull the motor again to check to see it there is binding. But this make the suspension go from all the way extended through all the way compressed. It is possible to have the drive lines binding up at some points in the suspension travel and not others.

I would also make sure the spur gear isn't wobbling so that it makes the mesh too tight during certain parts of the rotation. Check the mesh every 1/4 turn of the spur gear.

[HYPEracing]

I'm running a sidewinder 3 ESC, and it's set to the custom crawler drag brake. I'm also running 2S packs. I've run the suspension through it's motion and no binding, and I've also checked the spur, and it's not straight as an arrow, but the mesh doesn't seem to change any noticeable amount.

[redsawacs]

know what a motor sounds like when you take it out of a car and apply power to it completely unmounted from the transmission? If you run your rig on a flat surface, full throttle and it doesn't sound almost like that, you have a bind somewhere or a mesh issue. If it whines loudly driving at top speed on a flat surface, you definitely have binding issues.

What are your motor temps when they stop working?

Then again, it could be the ESC but I highly doubt that.

[Dostradamas]

With that heavy of a Wraith & 35T I had to go down to a 11 or 12 pinion with the 87T spur to keep the heat down.

Another way to check for binding in the drive train is to remove the motor (or move it over so the gears are clear of each other,) and roll it around on the floor with your hand.
You can work the suspension up & down while going forward & back.
If there is binding you will feel or hear it, then you can get to narrowing down why it is binding.

Heat is what kills brushed motors.
Overgearing and binding are the # 1 and 2 culprits.

If after 5-10 min of full trigger in easy terrain you cannot hold your finger on the can for 1-2 seconds you are overgeared IMO.

[HYPEracing]

Suspension has been flexed and no drive line binding is present.

I crawl a lot with it and I smoke them in my rock garden. It's maybe 6 feet long, and 2 feet wide and made up of softball to basket ball sized rocks. Nothing that will stop the rig, and all part throttle use. It's part throttle use, under load, but not bound up, and they get hot enough that the labels melted off the integy, the other motors let smoke out, and had very low power after.

By hot I mean after 2-4 mins you don't want to touch it, it is way way over 160. No guesses but I got an instant blister off the 27 turn, and the integy, and atomic were just as hot.

[RaleighRCer]

On thing to check is the length of the motor mounting screws. I had some that were too long and they rubbed inside the motor, burning up 2 motors before I figured it out. It's something else you can check.

[novarider]

Originally Posted by HYPEracing

Suspension has been flexed and no drive line binding is present.

I crawl a lot with it and I smoke them in my rock garden. It's maybe 6 feet long, and 2 feet wide and made up of softball to basket ball sized rocks. Nothing that will stop the rig, and all part throttle use. It's part throttle use, under load, but not bound up, and they get hot enough that the labels melted off the integy, the other motors let smoke out, and had very low power after.

By hot I mean after 2-4 mins you don't want to touch it, it is way way over 160. No guesses but I got an instant blister off the 27 turn, and the integy, and atomic were just as hot.

That is way to hot. Something isn't right. If you remove the motor can you push the truck and it roll freely? You can also try doing a factory reset on the ESC. Maybe a setting is wrong or something?

[Undefined]

Sounds like your timing is screwed per your SW3..if your motors are getting that hot within 4 mins in that kind of use.

I personally think its an ESC issue.

Sent from a whiskey downer beer pounder's shop

[Dostradamas]

Gear down to an 12 tooth pinion and I bet you will be amazed at how cool it runs.
Sounds like a heavy rig that is over geared.
With that many different motors it is not likely a motor timing issue.
I have never had an ESC cause motor heat issues.
One way to check if it the ESC would be to remove the truck from the equation.
Pull the motor & mount it so it can run free for a while, if the ESC is somehow causing the overheating & smoking of your motors it will do it outside the truck with no load.

[TacoCrawler]

Originally Posted by RaleighRCer

On thing to check is the length of the motor mounting screws. I had some that were too long and they rubbed inside the motor, burning up 2 motors before I figured it out. It's something else you can check.

good point.

I've seen this occur before.

If the screw hits the rotor's windings...
and damages the protective coating
the motor can short.

Also...
the paper trick for gear spacing can be a fail.
Most plastic spur gears are not truly round.
So I recommend rotating the spur on the pinion
and look for the high (tight) spot
Then space the gear mesh at that high point.

I don't use paper...
as thicknesses variables will offer different results.

Once the high spot is located on the spur.
mesh the gears so that there is a slight rocking motion
between the gear teeth.