6S users please check in here.

[JPriami]

I've been experiencing heat issues with the flex cable & stuffing tube on 6S.
First bit I noticed was there was rainbowish discoloration on the stuffing tube when i took the tray out of the boat for some work I was doing. That discoloration is a sign of high heat.
It also got so hot it began to melt the plastic holder at the back of the tray near the transom. This was noticed before my modification of moving the strut and tube btw.

I grease my flex cable every one to two runs so there is no way it's a problem with not maintaining the cable with grease.

Anyways i would like for all the 6S runners to check the tube for discoloration or at least put your fingers on it right after you run to see if it's really hot.

The reason being is I experienced my flex cable sizing up today and not turning. Luckily my setup is over powered what happened was the boat stopped but the motor tried to spin the cable and ended up spinning the collet over the end of the cable. I sent the rescue boat to go get my boat thinking i lost the prop the way it was acting. Then got it back to find the driveline was binding. After the boat cooled down it spins freely.
There could be a potential problem with the driveline sizing up and that could fry your eletronics IF this is happening.

[shctexas]

There's some good news! :sarcasm1: I appreciate the heads-up. I'm just about to complete mods and anxious to run it. I'll watch for the stuff tube issues. After all of your success and now this!

[dag-nabit]

I asked this over on the other forum, but will post here for discussion as well.

I thought I read in another post you replaced the teflon liner with a new one from a different manufacture. Were you still running the original liner, or was this latest heating issue on a new liner?

Kevin

[JPriami]

I had heat issue with the stock liner and today on the first run with new one.
I'm wondering if the stock traxxas cable is swelling up too much.
Got couple pics I'm gonna post in just a few

[JPriami]

Top cable the stock traxxas flex. The bottom an aeromarine cable.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/Jpriami/Traxxas%20Spartan2/6f597c46.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/Jpriami/Traxxas%20Spartan2/f681310d.jpg

There are a bunch of those shinny spots on the stock flex cable all the way down it.
Keep in mind that cable was greased right before the 1st and only run.
Also compared to the cable below the stock one the wires wound around are a slightly smaller diameter. And the cable seems to have more give to it if you grab and pull on it a bit you feel it separate. I'm wondering if it's so much flex it's swelling up too much and causing a bind, plus the expansion from heat of binding.

[dag-nabit]

Top cable the stock traxxas flex. The bottom an aeromarine cable.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/Jpriami/6f597c46.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/Jpriami/f681310d.jpg

There are a bunch of those shinny spots on the stock flex cable all the way down it.
Keep in mind that cable was greased right before the 1st and only run.
Also compared to the cable below the stock one the wires wound around are a slightly smaller diameter. And the cable seems to have more give to it if you grab and pull on it a bit you feel it separate. I'm wondering if it's so much flex it's swelling up too much and causing a bind, plus the expansion from heat of binding.

You know, I was thinking that same thing, but since I don't have a whole lot of experience with flex cables I didn't say anything because I just didn't know if it was reasonable.

I was wondering with the big props, and plenty of power you are pushing with, if the the cable was maybe torque "twisting" (trying to corkscrew??) or as you have pointed out "expanding" the windings.


Kevin

[GeoVW72]

The point of the way a flex cable is layed is so that the coils tighten up under power and don't expand, cork screwing is definitely something I can see it doing though. I have also noticed that the one I have has a slight kink in it.

The one concern that I have is where all the gunk keeps coming from when I clean the cable off.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_nneVYSYZjrY/TW3MqG0hAoI/AAAAAAAAAKI/MySWsnYeJ9U/s288/IMG_20110301_130333.jpg
I have cleaned it out many times and blue grease keeps magically turning into brown gunk :laugh:
New liner that shows no wear and it was cleaned 20min after running it, I'm thinking that the assembly lube is still in the inner core and may be creating some wear/heat and causing the cable to expand. I think that the cables need soaked in a solvent to get the assembly lube out.

I have a few runs on 6s without any major heat issues, although I have always ended up with a bit of water in the bottom of the boat

[dag-nabit]

The point of the way a flex cable is layed is so that the coils tighten up under power and don't expand, cork screwing is definitely something I can see it doing though. I have also noticed that the one I have has a slight kink in it.

The one concern that I have is where all the gunk keeps coming from when I clean the cable off.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_nneVYSYZjrY/TW3MqG0hAoI/AAAAAAAAAKI/MySWsnYeJ9U/s288/IMG_20110301_130333.jpg
I have cleaned it out many times and blue grease keeps magically turning into brown gunk :laugh:
New liner that shows no wear and it was cleaned 20min after running it, I'm thinking that the assembly lube is still in the inner core and may be creating some wear/heat and causing the cable to expand. I think that the cables need soaked in a solvent to get the assembly lube out.

I have a few runs on 6s without any major heat issues, although I have always ended up with a bit of water in the bottom of the boat

I kind of figured as much, that only makes sense. But since so many other things have gone sideways on the Spartan, I thought it might be possible something else was overlooked at the manufacturing level.

As for the grease turning color, on my SV's the blue grease always turns a greenish/brown color after I run. I assume because of emulsifying with water.

I'm not saying you don't have some other issue happening, just mentioning that discoloration of the grease seems to be the norm in my experience.

Kevin

[Brushless55]

You know, I was thinking that same thing, but since I don't have a whole lot of experience with flex cables I didn't say anything because I just didn't know if it was reasonable.

I was wondering with the big props, and plenty of power you are pushing with, if the the cable was maybe torque "twisting" (trying to corkscrew??) or as you have pointed out "expanding" the windings.


Kevin

they make left and right cables, and the one on the spartan is correct
it will not come apart in the wrong direction :thumbup1:

[Brushless55]

sounds to me like another crapy part from Taiwan

[JPriami]

yeah I feel it is another crappy part. I am thinking of taking the stub shaft of and putting it on my aeromarine cable. I dont have a torch handy at home tho to heat it up to make the loctite release

[JPriami]

Just tried to run again with the stock cable. It's junk! It must be cork screwing because everything was in check and greased. It got hot as hell in less than a min. Caused everything to heat up trying to turn it too.

[JPriami]

I've been leaving about 1/4 gap for shrinking. Is it possible that's too much now and it's doing crazy stuff?

[dag-nabit]

I've been e-mailing Jan at Kintec racing about the Flex cables. He is planning to stock upgraded cables and liners for the Spartan but doesn't have an oem stock one to measure up.

I offered to measure one up for him, but haven't heard back yet. I will understand if he isn't comfortable assembling one if he can't do the measurements hands on.

I'm sure OSE would do the same if we let them know there seems to be a need for better cables.

Kevin

[dag-nabit]

I've been leaving about 1/4 gap for shrinking. Is it possible that's too much now and it's doing crazy stuff?

Put a teflon washer between the dog nut and strut to protect stuff, and try a bit less gap to see if it works.

If the smaller gap is too tight, the wear should show on the thrust washer and you can increase the gap again.

Kevin

[JPriami]

I'm gonna email him

[JPriami]

Might have to try that too. I'll have to make a washer. Don't have any on hand.
I emailed Jan. Said i could send them my stock cable.

[Jeff Wohlt]

AND...the reason cables break when you know you have not over powered it IS they rust from the inside out. Why...look at the gunk you keep getting. Once they get wet they can hold water at the core until they let go....another + for the wire drives!

[martin]

AND...the reason cables break when you know you have not over powered it IS they rust from the inside out. Why...look at the gunk you keep getting. Once they get wet they can hold water at the core until they let go....another + for the wire drives!

Do the wire drives work in curved stuffing tubes, If yes is it a case that you have to remove the liner to give more clearance to give a gentler curve to the wire drive + useing a thin enough wire shaft so as for it to run in a curved tube ok. Thanks Martin.

[Jeff Wohlt]

Not too gentle but yes. You can use a smaller stuffing tube for wire. Very easy to use.

[martin]

I take it that the wire is piano wire ( music wire ), Can i ask what the strut shaft is made from ( the 3/16" part ) & how the two are joined. Thanks.

[Jeff Wohlt]

Mine are SS shafts and I use loctite. Thousands sold. You caqn get them from Octura but I drill mine deeper and the bore is key to holding power.

[JPriami]

well if you start making them that will work in a spartan you'll have people buying them Jeff. ;)

[martin]

well if you start making them that will work in a spartan you'll have people buying them Jeff. ;)

Bit of change of subject, Could you talk me through how you set up the T180 esc useing the programe card. Havant actually got the card yet but an completally new to useing the card. What do you need to put into the card for say the setup that you use as an example. Thanks Martin.

[Jeff Wohlt]

Spartan is not a problem at all.

[Jeff Wohlt]

Just get me a shaft length total and then the stub length...I assume another 4mm shaft?

[JPriami]

Total length of flex and stub shaft all together 15 ¼”
Length from end (where collet goes) of the flex to start of the stub is 11 ½” And the flex is .150 diameter
Stub is 3 ¾” long total
From where the flex goes into the & stub begins the shaft diameter of the stub is .195 for a length 2.60” then it recesses down to .187 diameter for a length of .700” then the rest is threads for .400”.
Also the end of the flex where the collet goes is soldered.

[JPriami]

Bit of change of subject, Could you talk me through how you set up the T180 esc useing the programe card. Havant actually got the card yet but an completally new to useing the card. What do you need to put into the card for say the setup that you use as an example. Thanks Martin.

You want go know how the card works like hooking it up or what info to enter in the card?

[martin]

You want go know how the card works like hooking it up or what info to enter in the card?
Both would be very helpfull as ill be useing a 4082 motor & T180 esc in one of the HK deep v hulls. Thanks Martin.

[JPriami]

Martin,
Depends on what 4082 you plan on using. different KV motors have different winds to them. Y or D wind. That will tell you what degree of timing you set for the motor on the ESC. And you can select what number of lipo cells you will be running on the esc. Also a LVC cut voltage. Seems like there is something else I cant remember. Oh yeah running mode. Forward only or forward and reverse.

The program card will have two ports. One for the esc and one optional for a battery but if you have the esc plugged into you packs the bec will power the program card.