Gear Mesh?

[Bansh88]

Wraith, stock motor. What kind of gear mesh? Tiny bit of play? I'm familiar with Nitro gear mesh, not electric.

[Deerhurst]

im not too familiar with nitro meshes if they are any different.

for 48p gears you do want a little play. much less play then a 32p gear.

[k7zpj]

Originally Posted by Bansh88

Wraith, stock motor. What kind of gear mesh? Tiny bit of play? I'm familiar with Nitro gear mesh, not electric.

Here is an easy way to set the mesh right on 48p gears on the Wraith:

Take a narrow strip of inkjet/copier paper and put it between the pinion and spur gear.

Press the gears together and tighten down the motor screws.

Once the motor tighten down, you should be able to pull the paper out and the gears will rotate as you pull.

If it comes out without rotating the gears then you need to press harder as you tighten the motor screws. If you can't get the paper out then the mesh is too tight.


For 32p gears you can double up the paper and get the correct mesh.

[DJOHN]

For the stock gears in the wraith, 48p i believe, you can also set the gear mesh tight with a pinion gear one tooth more than you plan to run. Tighten the motor up with that pinion on it. Then remove that pinion and place the next tooth smaller pinion on. Gear mesh should be good to go then. Later.

[Meatwad]

Pitch doesn't matter, a tick of play is needed. That tick can be relative.

[Charlie-III]

Originally Posted by Meatwad

Pitch doesn't matter, a tick of play is needed. That tick can be relative.

+1....it's a "feel thing" to get it correct.

Additionally, some gears are NOT concentric, thus as you rotate the gears, the mesh gets looser & tighter. Once it's all locked down, recheck in ~6 spots around the spur gear to see the mesh. You "almost" don't want to see the gears move relative to each other, but you don't want them too tight.

Too tight can wear on the motor bearing/bushing as well as make the motor run warmer.
Too loose can lead to stripped gears.

[Meatwad]

True about the feel. I really learned feel on my old nitro savage, the tvp's didn't allow one to see the gear mesh or put a slip of paper in easily. "My" tick works for me.

[GOATN]

I always used the paper trick, until I got the "feel" for it. Never really had a problem.

[ochevys54]

been using the paper method for 20 yrs... always perfect and never had any stripped pinions or spurs

[5VoltDetonator]

I like using the paper, good mesh every time. But more importantly I think is to allways put some blue locktight on the set screw that holds the pinion.

[Bansh88]

OK. Same as Nitro.
I was thinking about Loctite. Will do!

[ik632]

For a newb the paper trick is a great way to learn how it should look. Once you do it a few times the "feel" method is good. I basically tighten it down so they are bottomed out, and then pull the pinion back just enough so that when I hold the pinion stationary and jiggle the spur back and forth I can feel just a touch of play. And by a touch, I mean very very little, you just want to feel that there's a tiny gap. I do this for 48p and just a little more snug for 32p.

[Sethmetal]

Some gear are not concentric?

That might explain my latest issue. Installed a 48P 87t team associated spur and an 11T Novak pinion.

It is nice and low. Super creepy slow. But, it is much louder now. Not the motor revving higher, but the gears. I put a little grease on the teeth and that's wasn't it.

I set the mesh with a little play by the feel and see method.

I flipped the truck over and observed a "lump" in the drivetrain. As it idles, the rear axle will occasionally jerk. I tried compressing the suspension and it still occurs.

Is this likely an inconsistent pinion or is there something else to look for?

[Charlie-III]

Originally Posted by Sethmetal

Some gear are not concentric?

That might explain my latest issue. Installed a 48P 87t team associated spur and an 11T Novak pinion.

It is nice and low. Super creepy slow. But, it is much louder now. Not the motor revving higher, but the gears. I put a little grease on the teeth and that's wasn't it.

I set the mesh with a little play by the feel and see method.

I flipped the truck over and observed a "lump" in the drivetrain. As it idles, the rear axle will occasionally jerk. I tried compressing the suspension and it still occurs.

Is this likely an inconsistent pinion or is there something else to look for?

The issue is more likely the spur gear which is plastic. There are a number of reasons for this, but in general, an inconsistency in gear mesh as they spin is due to the spur.

Also check for dings/etc. in all the gear teeth. You may have a damaged/bent tooth that is creating the "lump" you see.

You may be able to find it by spinning the spur by hand (while it's engaged with the pinion) to see if you see if it's a common spot on the spur when it "lumps".

[Meatwad]

I've found that it helps me to disconnect the drive shafts from the trans and slowly pull the throttle to eye what's going on. If there doesn't seem to be anything serious going on, let it wear itself in.

[G-FORCE]

Originally Posted by Charlie-III

+1....it's a "feel thing" to get it correct.

Additionally, some gears are NOT concentric, thus as you rotate the gears, the mesh gets looser & tighter. Once it's all locked down, recheck in ~6 spots around the spur gear to see the mesh. You "almost" don't want to see the gears move relative to each other, but you don't want them too tight.

Too tight can wear on the motor bearing/bushing as well as make the motor run warmer.
Too loose can lead to stripped gears.

This is the method I have used since 1981. You can shorten the process buy finding the tightest point and set it on the tighter side of ok. If its too loose 180° from that point I would try another spur and repeat the process. Hope this helps.

[happymachinist]

Originally Posted by Sethmetal

Some gear are not concentric?

That might explain my latest issue. Installed a 48P 87t team associated spur and an 11T Novak pinion.

It is nice and low. Super creepy slow. But, it is much louder now. Not the motor revving higher, but the gears. I put a little grease on the teeth and that's wasn't it.

I set the mesh with a little play by the feel and see method.

I flipped the truck over and observed a "lump" in the drivetrain. As it idles, the rear axle will occasionally jerk. I tried compressing the suspension and it still occurs.

Is this likely an inconsistent pinion or is there something else to look for?

Is the noise just a constant gear wine?

I've found that the more drastic the tooth difference between two mating gears the louder the wine due to the geometry of the gear teeth.

I went to a 11/60 on one of my summits, it's drastically noisier than the other with stock 14/60 gears. I assure you both are meshed correctly.

As for the jerking axle, attention is probably needed.


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