Help: FE Mean Machine Mystery

[catboat]

Hi all –

I’m new to this forum, however, I’ve enjoyed reading all your posts for quite some time now…I’ve got an interesting problem & I’m hoping you guys could offer some insight.

The issue:

I’m running lipos in series and I’ve noticed that the Left side battery always runs cooler than the Right side. This has been the case w/ more than 1 set of lipos. As a test, during my last run, I swapped the original Left battery (cooler running battery) and put it on the right side & took the Original Right battery and placed it on the left side.

Results of test:

The Original Left battery (which was now on the right side) got significantly hotter (than the other side) and also puffed up.

My setup:

Hull: FE AeroMarine Mean Machine
Motor: Feagao 9xl w/water-cooling jacket
Prop: Octura x442 Sharpened/Balanced
Speed Control: Castle Barracuda 80/125A* w/aftermarket water-cooling
Batteries: 2 Turnigy 5000mah 2S1P 40C in series
Age of Batteries: 1 month old charged 4x
Charger: FMA Cellpro 4s, charged batteries @ 4A
Ave run time (of last run): approx 6-7 min
Ave speeds: 44-47mpg
Speed Control Settings: normal mode (not racing mode)

*Not sure if my controller is 80A or 125A

Last Run Temperatures:

Right battery: 134 ° F
Left battery: 125 ° F
Speed Control: 150 ° F
Motor: 169 ° F

I originally thought it was a battery problem, but as I mentioned earlier, this has happened with more than 1 set of batteries. Could the problem be with the controller?

Any ideas, thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your input.
Sak…

[Diegoboy]

Welcome to the board!
Just a question, Is the "hot side" the negative to the ESC?
Also, is the ESC the 80 or 125? (I'd guess 125) Does it have 2 Capacitors or 4?

[Rumdog]

Why is the motor so hot? How deep are you running the strut? Seems like you may be draining the packs too much. Does the esc have a LVC?

[Diegoboy]

Does the esc have a LVC?

All the Cuda ESC's do

[catboat]

Welcome to the board!
Just a question, Is the "hot side" the negative to the ESC?
Also, is the ESC the 80 or 125? (I'd guess 125) Does it have 2 Capacitors or 4?

Sorry for the delay in my response...I was getting pics to post for you.

1) Regarding the "hot side" it's in fact the negative side (black wire).
2) If the capacitors are what I think it's got 4. Does that mean I have a 125A?

Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks again.
Sak...

[Diegoboy]

Yes, It's a Cuda125. (very good ESC)

Electrons flow from negative to positive in DC current. The hot side being the Negative side tells me that the setup is asking for more current from the 1st battery in the connection. I don't usually run in series, so I'm not sure if this is the norm. I just got the exact same pair of batteries from Kintec Racing (delivered in 2 days from ordering) I intend to run them in series in my Viper. I'll let you know if I see the same thing.

[Diegoboy]

Swap your deans connectors for 5.5 bullet connectors. Maybe the deans are acting like a funnel, choking the current between the batteries. Just a guess.

[catboat]

Why is the motor so hot? How deep are you running the strut? Seems like you may be draining the packs too much. Does the esc have a LVC?

Hi Rumdog --

1) Regarding the hot motor - currently I've only got 1 cooling pick-up (from the rudder)...I picked up this boat used & that's how I got it. The Cooling is going to the speed control and then to the motor. I'm in the process of adding a 2nd pick-up line that would be direct to the motor. That should lower my motor temps...

2) The strut is about parallel to bottom of the hull. See pics.

3) Regarding the batteries & esc... I believe I have the LVC set to 3.8v per cell. I'm typically running until I notice my speed starting to reduce. On average, when I get home and recharge...my batteries are at approx 15% capacity.

In trying to solve this problem let's assume your correct, & I'm running the batteries to low...How would that explain why 1 side is always hotter than the other. I could be wrong but I would hope that both sides would be equally hot.

Also, what do you think about my other temps?

Let me know what your thoughts are based on my pics and answers..

Thanks.
Sak...

[catboat]

Swap your deans connectors for 5.5 bullet connectors. Maybe the deans are acting like a funnel, choking the current between the batteries. Just a guess.

Thanks for your suggestions. I'm definately will to try anything.

Another question for you...

1) Could it be something wrong with my speed control?
2) Am I pushing the limits on my Deans given my setup?

I can't thank you enough for giving me your input...

Sak...

[Diegoboy]

No, I think your ESC is fine. You're not at the limit of the ESC.
As for the deans, I used to swear by them, till Meniscus noticed them choking my amps recently.

[catboat]

Diegoboy
I'm going to change all my connectors & let you know if that does anything. Thanks again.

[D&D]

Yea, in the first picture with the ruller, it looked as though your strut was actually lower than the sponsons of the boat. At least print them up flat with the sponsons or even raise them an eighth of an inch. Good luck.

[Fluid]

You have several problems:

- The Deans connectors are not appropriate for your setup. They are really a maximum 50 amp connector and will add a lot of resistance to the overall system, increasing heat and reducing performance and run time. Their resistance increases a lot with use as they oxidize.

- You are running the boat for too long. How much mAh are you putting back into the packs? If it is more than 4000 mAh then you are really running too long and are risking battery damage. This is contributing to your motor heat, and 165F has probably damaged the magnets and the motor will begin to damage other components like the ESC. Adding more cooling will do nothing, the motor is too low a wind for that long of run time. I assume you are measuring the heat on the motor endbell, not on the cooling jacket.

- The strut should be at least 3/16" above the bottom of the sponsons. The CG should be about 9" to 9.5" ahead of the transom.

Your speeds aren't bad for that prop and motor, just a few changes and you'll have a better running, more reliable cat. Watch out for that motor though, it may need to be replaced.


.

[steveo]

how is the drive line is it free and coud you get an interior pic

[rcflysal]

What is the standard bullet connector size

Hi
I hear 5.5 gold bullet connectors are standard, others say 6MM are the best to use. Is there a common or standard size that boats using 4S to 6S or 8S are using?

Sal B.