Underwater exploration

[Alexg89]

So yesterday i decided to do the balloon trick and put my receiver in it.

It seemed to work alright and obviously once it got too deep it would cut out

well here i have a video of everything working just fine but once it ends i ran into an issue..

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1dZ..._QRmw2nRx8218r

Also dont mind the beginning where my buddies Honcho caught fire lol

I had steering but the truck would not move.. for a brief moment it would drive forward but once i put more then 1/8th throttle to it it would cut out again.
same thing happened in reverse

after about 20 minutes i was able to get it to kinda work but i had to have the wheels off the ground.
Im guessing the motor go water logged? or did a piece of debris get in the motor?

Its a 35t rc4wd motor, has an axial ae-5 and a 3s lipo on it if any of that matters

Thanks for any help!

[Alexg89]

even opinions would be nice lol

Has anyone had an issue with motors being water logged or would it be an Esc issue?

[Peaker]

I have played 4 wheeled submarine for a log time, and i have yet to drown a receiver and or what else i have had in the balloons.
This have always worked fine for me, if we look aside of my dabbling into brushless that have stopped for me as soon as the motors got submerged.
And then worked again as soon as the car got out of the water.
But the brushed motors, i have driven them up to 1 inch of water over the roof, actually my Honcho i drilled holes in the roof so it would not trap air in there and float down river when i plunged in.
I have been using a 8 channel airtornics radio and spectrum 3 channel, both had no problem maintaining radio connection when the car was under water.
Staying out of the water now, it is quite hard on the equipment.

I am mostly inclined to think you have a ESC issue here, i use the WP one from holmes that have worked just fine for years.

[Alexg89]

Originally Posted by Peaker

I am mostly inclined to think you have a ESC issue here, i use the WP one from holmes that have worked just fine for years.

Thats what i was thinking also.. thank you for your input, i figured the brushed motors were pretty well off when it came to this stuff so i will check into it

[Peaker]

I once killed a brand new 35T on the first drive.
Headed to out usual spot,, drove into the 1 - 3 inch deep river, drove around there for 10 minutes or so ( like so many times before )
Came out of the water, drove a few feet and my comms set them self on fire to a degree where putting them on the lathe was in vane.


I am leaning towards the new WP brushless motors, only problem are my ESC ( a MMP ) are not water proof, but it will have to make do until i can afford one of the new WP controllers.
Also still need to fab up a WP box for my car, ATM my receiver and BEC are in a pice of plastic tied up with a zip tie and not sealed with anything to actually make it waterproof.


So no watersports for me in the near future.

The old days.

[Steve g]

Did you seal your wheel vents to keep out water or do you have the CI waterproof foams?
I had an ae5 that acted just like you described when I first got my used wraith. Previous owner was driving in a river, probably was submerging it also. I had to redo all the bearings, new foams, and he got me a new esc. Unfortunately the same esc, but it ran the truck for 2 hard years before being upgraded to brushless. And I've gotten it plenty drenched myself. Guess some aren't as well built as others (like a lot of things).
Anyways thumbs up on barefoot in the woods. Me and my son go everywhere barefoot, as long as the wife isn't around...

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[mewalsh100]

I just avoid anything more than a little stream crossing when i’m out casually trailing. Aside from all the potential issues with electronics, the water just wreaks havoc on bearings, universals, shocks (water in your shock oil), axle gears, etc.

If you’re not prepared to do a full tear down and service after playing Submarine Captain, just avoid it. Just my .02 cents.

[the Jeffro]

Originally Posted by mewalsh100

I just avoid anything more than a little stream crossing when i’m out casually trailing. Aside from all the potential issues with electronics, the water just wreaks havoc on bearings, universals, shocks (water in your shock oil), axle gears, etc.

If you’re not prepared to do a full tear down and service after playing Submarine Captain, just avoid it. Just my .02 cents.

I completely agree, I do only small water crossings try to keep it around 1 inch at most. People always say this or that electronic is WP but non of the the bearings, gears, universals, etc are WP and do require lots of maintenance.

Simply put, if I want a boat I will buy one, my truck is a crawler JMO

[GLwagon]

My personal experience has been, yes 2.4ghz is only good for about 6-12" of water. We haven't cared enough to test 75mghz, but should go a lot deeper.

I used to worry about receiver boxes & similar, but in the end opening up the cases and generous amount of Dielectric Grease directly on the circuit boards & all connectors has been enough for submarine use.
The use of conformal coatings is another option as well but Di-Grease is still needed for connectors.

My Water proof Hobby-Wing & Castle ESC's do great underwater.

Every servo I have gets taken apart and the boards, & case orings covered with Di-Grease

Brushed motors do not fair well underwater, but a $10 motor is one option or go brushless & keep the motor bearings oil/greased regularly.

My tires are vented on the outside & I have a mix of closed cell & cheap foam inserts, they last long enough.

Gear boxes & axles are packed completely full & excess grease is squeezed out during assembly, If it is full of grease dirt & water can not migrate in.
Hub bearings & bearings on input & output shafts need to be oiled often/regularly.

My LiPo's take it well, but I stand them up to drip dry at the end of running, and also put into a storage charge.

At the end of the day, a spray down with clear water from a hose, air/blow dry & spray down with WD-40 all over the drive train to prevent rusty parts.

We run water almost as much as land some days...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1V4VLWR3Go

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYV3uwKE23o

as examples...

[Alexg89]

Well come to find out the new axial ae-5 i had put in crapped the bed

I went and bought a Hobbywing 1080 and everything seems to be running well...

i have yet to dip it off in any water just because i tore down the axles this weekend and they were looking real rough so i tore them down and packed them full of grease

Also my new 35t Rc4wd motor that has maybe 5 runs on it decided it was going to break.. Im guessing a piece of rock got in there and broke the magnet up .. heres a picture of that too

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hv...brTuollSV1Jg5F

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Zq...BkMkVb8XwvhQjT

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Qi...Ha1WfrLrXPfIIX

[indybama]

I need to tear my axles down as well, but i cant get the rear straight adapters off. Guess i need to break down n buy aluminum one n just cut the stock ones off?

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[Alexg89]

They were a pain in the tail thats or sure .. my rear axle is actually a front axle with tie rod lock outs.. its strange but the knuckles were a PITA to get off

[indybama]

Lol, i pryed n pryed with a lil flat head screwdriver with no luck. Was affraid i was goina break it lol, n thats my only set of axles at the moment. Just bought a set of 10.2 axles this mornin. So i may order a set of aluminum adapters n cut these off lol

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