converting nitro to FE, confused on hardware and parts....

[crudeau]

Hey all,
So I was recently given an aeromarine scorpion 32" nitro hull. I'm looking to not only get into the boating hobby, but make this hull brushless. I'm more looking at it as a project. I know I have to do some fiberglass and other work, but that's why I took it. I'm not looking to really sink any money in this boat. It's more of my first attempt and feel for it. I've always been more of an r/c car guy.

So I did my homework and asked around and think I have found my setup that I want...

Tacon Brushless Motor LBP4074/2Y-2150KV For 1/8 Buggy/Monster RC Truck
max amps 120, 3-6s lipo

Sky-wing 200A Water-Cooled Brushless Motor ESC for RC Boat
Constand 200amps, max 210amps, Bec 5amps, 2-6s or 6-22.2volt

for batteries I am unsure if I want 2 2s packs or 1 4s back. The 2 2s would be 2s1p 40c 4800mah

prop will be from hobbypartz.com just no idea which one yet.

Servo will probably be a traxxas waterproof deal. And a spektrum reciever for my dx3.0


No the problem I'm having is figuring out the hardware. I am assuming that I want to ditch the antennea mount and get another turn fin on there. I think my rudder is fine and has a water pickup for the motor water jacket. I want to add another water pickup somewhere for the esc. Not sure if you can do that, but i feel like I have seen little copper pipes that just clear the hull and are cut at an angle to scavenge water from under the hull.

The stinger is were I'm confused. It doesn't seem water tight and I looked on hobby parts and they seem to be the same as what I have. So I don't get if I have the right thing on my bought. They guy that glassed the flex shaft tube did a horrible job so I don't mind replacing it. my flex shaft runs from the couple all they way out to the prop nut.

VBP42-009.jpg
I was looking at getting this. To me it looks like that is a whole assembly and the prop shaft and such is all there. Plus its got a prop which I may be able to use with my boat. I was thinking I can then get the flex shaft and tube from them that is also for the vanquish and put that in my boat.

But am I looking at it wrong? Is the flex shaft suppos to connect the motor coupler all the way to the prop shaft?

here's my boat and what I'm working with.....
IMG_0125.jpgIMG_0163.jpgIMG_0162.jpgIMG_0161.jpg

[steveo]

as far as a stinger goes which alot of people use it would be good to know where the stuffing tube exists the hull your kind of limited as far depth of prop adjustments go unless you gut it and install strut flood chamber, i like to use a strut with standoffs so i can move the prop up and down if need be to dial in the boat leaves about a 1" gap between the transom and strut

[crudeau]

makes sense. So do I have what I need? I tried to see in your picture but couldn't tell. Does flex shaft go into the coupler and prop? I'm confused by some of the parts I'm seeing. More less meaning that I don't need to buy a strut, whats the difference between strut and stinger. I feel like on some boats I see the flex shaft goes from the motor coupler all the way to the nut that holds the prop on. Some other pictures, it looks like the flex shaft goes from the coupler to the stinger/strut. Then from there the flex shaft has a square end that fits into another shaft on the prop. Is that maybe the difference between direct drive and whatever?

More or less I'm confused on wether or not I have to buy anything for the rear of the boat. Besides another turn fin. My head is having a hard time grasping how the flex shaft is water proof. I think I will follow your idea of the spacers, buy my strut doesn't seem to have any adjustability. one bolt holds it to the bracket.

[Chenige]

Steveo, pic is not clear. between the transom and the strut it looks like the cable is unsheathed. Is there a brass tube that goes from the rear of the motor to the strut with the cable inside it?

[crudeau]

on my boat there is. I have the same brass tube he does, it's fiberglassed into my boat. But my flex shaft goes straight out the back and the prop bolts to it. From steveo pics I can see his flex shaft, but the prop side seems like a thicker piece. I still don't understand how water does just flow right into the boat. Look at the size of his brass tube and flex shaft. What am I missing, why doesn't water just flood into the boat.

[Chenige]

The larger tube is glassed into the boat. A smaller diameter tube goes from the rear of the motor thru the larger tube and out the back into the strut. The driveshaft slides into the smaller tube from the motor coupler into and out of the strut where the prop is bolted on.

Where the smaller tube goes into the larger tube just rear of the motor the area is epoxied in with a plywood filler. ie a round plug that fits in the larger tube with a hole for the small tube to go thru. This keeps the water out of the boat but allows adjustment of the small tube.

[steveo]

that was an earlier pic there is a stuffing tube that ends at the transom and the teflon liner continues through in the strut were the is another piece of 1/4 brass

[steveo]

that was an earlier pic there is a stuffing tube that ends at the transom and the teflon liner continues through in the strut were the is another piece of 1/4 brass, the teflon is more forgiving than the brass which allows me to move the prop up and down

[crudeau]

So I must not have the right hardware them. I don't have anything that looks like a stuffing tube. My flex shaft fits real tight into the strut, but there is no tube in the one that's fiberglassed in.

IMG_0166.jpgIMG_0164.jpgIMG_0165.jpg

[crudeau]

the only idea I had was that if you look in the third picture, there's a whole in the middle of the strut, do You pump grease in there? either way I have a feeling that I need something. Just not sure what it is. I'm thinking maybe my strut is fine, but the flex shaft and tube are wrong. I also can't adjust it because it's epoxy to the bottom of the boat where the tube goes through. I've been looking through the boat build section and my drive line looks different. Everyone has this nice thin mounts that hold the shaft in. So now I'm really at a loss as to what to do.

[steveo]

you dont really have to change what you have there really as long as you know what size flex cable it is, unless you wanted something new and shinny

[crudeau]

i don't care if it's shinny. I will clean up the fiber glass a little bit.
IMG_0167.jpg

So I just saw this...
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/inf...mble-shaft.php

So I guess my shaft is fine as a one piece. But I still don't understand the waterproofing part. If you had this boat would you just glass in a motor mount and call the driveline done? I have no boat knowledge at all so I need any insight I can get. My concern is that nitro boats can run wet, FE cannot. Since I have to do glass work because of the exhuast and hatch, I want to do it all at once. So if I do need to change something, I would want to do it at that point.

[Steven Vaccaro]

Steveo is correct it looks like you have everything but the motor and electronics. You are going to have to figure out what size your cable is first. Then measure the prop shaft.

With that motor you picked will be in about the 4 minute range for runtime.
I would suggest the 4082 leopard 1600kv motor with the seaking 180 esc. A octura m445 prop and (2) 3s 35c 5000mah packs running in series.
the boat will be in the 50 range for 5 plus minutes.

[Steven Vaccaro]

i don't care if it's shinny. I will clean up the fiber glass a little bit.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]55940[/ATTACH]

So I just saw this...
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/inf...mble-shaft.php

So I guess my shaft is fine as a one piece. But I still don't understand the waterproofing part. If you had this boat would you just glass in a motor mount and call the driveline done? I have no boat knowledge at all so I need any insight I can get. My concern is that nitro boats can run wet, FE cannot. Since I have to do glass work because of the exhuast and hatch, I want to do it all at once. So if I do need to change something, I would want to do it at that point.

From the looks of it, it seems like a 3/16(.187) cable to 3/16" prop shaft.

As long as there are no major holes in the transom, it should be relatively water tight.

[crudeau]

ok. I have to get a battery for my digital calipers to measure it. So I don't have to worry about whatever that nylon or teflon stuffing tube is? Just through some grease on the shaft every now and then kind a thing. That's more of what my worries are is the water coming through the tube. Maybe over the weekend I will through it in the bathtub. Just so I can see for my own eyes if water comes in. lol.

I will look into your motor/esc suggestions. My picks were passed on cost. I'm looking to go cheap china stuff. Then in the future upgrading to better gear. you think If I do my combo with 2 3s packs will be any better run time?

Do you think I need to add a water pickup? Or just route the router water line to the esc, esc to motor and then back out to the lake.