how many spartan owners here?

[Finest Racing]

Here is my boat stand now modified to hold more boats. It is stackable. Great for storing in the garage or transporting. The last picture is my PVC contraption that will be attached to my tug boat. I hope it will work, to make the rescue a little easier.
Boat Stand 01.jpg
Boat Stand 02.jpg
PVC Boat Rescue.jpg

[Spartanator]

That is the same thing that happened to me.... Then it flipped and killed my ESC a day or two later... Nice stand!

[dag-nabit]

I went out with the Spartan Sunday. A whole lot of chime walking. I was fine tuning and then it stopped. Turns out the prop came off. I ordered an upgrade for the shaft.

Use a drop of blue loctite on the threads. Even if you have a nylon insert type lock nut they can still back off. I have never (touch wood) lost a prop since I started using loctite.

When you use loctite, it is easier to remove the nut if you warm it up a bit before backing it off.

Kevin

PS nice work on the boat stand

[Spartanator]

I did us loctite, blue to be exact... I think the Saltwater may have gotten to it...?

[Finest Racing]

Use a drop of blue loctite on the threads. Even if you have a nylon insert type lock nut they can still back off. I have never (touch wood) lost a prop since I started using loctite.

When you use loctite, it is easier to remove the nut if you warm it up a bit before backing it off.

Kevin

PS nice work on the boat stand

Thanks for the tip. One thing that I have a lot of is Loctite. LOL Thanks. I lost two props that day. The Motley Crew shaft broke and I lost a new M445 and then the Spartan prop. Uggg

[Spartanator]

Does not sound like a good day for props....

I decided to order a stock motor, sticking on 4s with a P220. I will run lipos in parallel (4s2p) at 6500mah for each SPC... I think this is the end of the speed line for my Spartan, wish I would have never started it! lol,

If you are reading this and are about to buy a Spartan don't think you can run 6s, much less 5s without problems... Stay with the 4s, dual cooling, motor jacket, quad tabs and .187 cable with a P215---talk about conservative but I bet you that you will have far less issues... Only if I could have rad the future, gotta get to 88MPH....lol

[Banzee]

I am a spartan owner , sk180 , leo 4092 , jeff 0.187 flex , 5" rudder dual input , splash guard ......

[Hultman]

I have two. More fun than you should legally be allowed to have !!!

[Aleksey72]

image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgMy Spartan boat modified

[Aleksey72]

Video for upgrade , http://youtu.be/bRDFpNr4UYc

[Pheyd]

I picked up a Spartan and I love it..No problems, other than water getting inside after runs (i'm pretty sure its from the stock water jacket). Ordered a bunch of new parts, cant wait for it to get here.

I know with the stock rudder people have drilled out the pickup as well as the port on top of the rudder to allow more water flow. I just picked up the dual pick-up rudder and wondered if the same drilling should be done to it for more flow?

[Spartanator]

I picked up a Spartan and I love it..No problems, other than water getting inside after runs (i'm pretty sure its from the stock water jacket). Ordered a bunch of new parts, cant wait for it to get here.

I know with the stock rudder people have drilled out the pickup as well as the port on top of the rudder to allow more water flow. I just picked up the dual pick-up rudder and wondered if the same drilling should be done to it for more flow?

I left dual PU rudder as is....

[jj2003]

For my son and I, this was the boat that started it all. Since then we've built two CF Fightercat's, a 45' Speedfreek and working on two larger hull's now. Ran it stock on the Nihm batteries for a while. Then to lipo's. Blew the original ESC and motor. Sent in a claim to Traxxas and they sent us a newer ESC and motor at no charge and then sent the original's back. Only mods were trim tabs, a Jeff Wohlts flex, Monojeff's decals and paint. Jr still loves this hull and won't part with it!

NOV 5 019.jpgNOV 5 020.jpgNOV 5 021.jpgNOV 5 022.jpg

[jj2003]

Just a couple more;
misc 023.jpgmisc 026.jpgmisc 030.jpgSPARTAN PICS 001.jpg

[patte6596@rogers.com]

Thanks for your info. You really have the bug. Too cold here in Ontario
Canada. Keep up the fun. Can't wait for warmer weather. P.S. I'm still
running 11.1 lipos, stock motor, and ESC, and a X442 CNC Machined Sharpened
and Balanced Prop. Burned two Castle Creations Hydra Ice 200amp HV 50.4Volt
Water Cooled ESC $339.15 each. Went back to Stock motor, and ESC. Your Spartan has nice paint.

[SpartanDriver]

I also have two love them both, they are just too much fun to run and modify, Running 4s with a 3blade 1.6 50mm CNC. using a 200amp Mystery 200A water cooled ESC, Leopard 2000kV. She moves as fast as I want her too.

[rude5150]

Loving my Traxxas Spartan. Tp 4060 2040kv and swordfish 220 esc on 4s.

[dmitry100]

So...... how many Traxxas batteries have you guys had puff on you on a 6s setup? My Spartan is only a month or so old... and 2 out of 4 brand new batteries are puffed... Traxxas wants me to mail them out to them-- and then wait weeks till they get around to doing anything. Was hoping for a bit better of customer support considering the amount of money I spent with them. I even bought a EZ Peak charger with dual balancing, etc to charge them up-- same issue.

[SpartanDriver]

If batteries are puffing may want to check the brand. I have no problems with my 3sp2 sets or 4sp2 sets from Traxxas but several years back I had troubles with only the low price lipos, I puffed 4 batteries and now they are weights for both my boats
when charging new batteries, charge them one at a time on first charging, then get a motor and discharge them, then recharge them on the EZ peaks. It is a pain doing it but will pay off later.
Note; lipos are nasty when they start to discharge into the amps they carry a very high discharge. If your prop is to big for the motor and esc to handle it will heat everything up including wires, which will generate heat to the batteries.
I replaced to hulls do to back feed-to the batteries from prop overload, and shaft binding. Keep those shafts lubed. Dry shaft hot everything lol

PS: The boat does not come with grease on the shafts you may want to check that as well

[Spartanator]

So...... how many Traxxas batteries have you guys had puff on you on a 6s setup? My Spartan is only a month or so old... and 2 out of 4 brand new batteries are puffed... Traxxas wants me to mail them out to them-- and then wait weeks till they get around to doing anything. Was hoping for a bit better of customer support considering the amount of money I spent with them. I even bought a EZ Peak charger with dual balancing, etc to charge them up-- same issue.

I had 4 TRX packs swell up. Do yourself a favor, get some SPC packs. HobbyKing has given me better support than Traxxas and I am in Texas....

http://spcracingbatteries.com/

[dmitry100]

Have you ever managed to successfully return them to Traxxas and get replacements ?

[Spartanator]

I returned them to Traxxas. They said it was my fault and wanted me to do their power up program. I asked them why it was my fault and they couldn't give a final answer. They just kept telling me it was user error. I said keep your trash, I'll buy something that can actually work in a boat.
I used them in a stock Spartan, the ONLY upgrade was trim tab adjusters and a non-leaking water jacket.
Really though, you shouldn't use batteries under 45C in a boat. I like 60C+.

Now I am beginning to think they include the stock motor jacket so it can leak on the lipos to cool them down.

[dmitry100]

Dude, I think they don't seal the catch for that very reason. I attach 2 air bags to the hull just so that it doesn't sink like the Titanic.

The boat is *!***!***!***!**... for the kind of money I paid anyways w/ all the lipos and stupid $100 charger that did nothing to help the lipo issue, etc.

I just spent $1k on a Carbon Twin Cat... with like 60-70c batteries from Revolectrix.

Won't be going back to that Traxxas junk again.

Did they ask you to do the whole salt water bucket process before shipping them out?
I feel kind of uneasy about shipping out puffed batteries-- thinking to put them into some sort of lipo guard bag or something when I do.

How long did this whole return process take?
They asked me to ship them out to them... on my dime... and also mentioned that they don't have them in stock either. Lol.

So much for customer service They puffed like just days after I got them too... so its definitely a problem on their end.

[Spartanator]

I had a 32" CF Catamaran built for me, was too fast for where I run so I sold that as well. At first they asked me not to salt water them but I reminded them that I will not be legally responsible for any deaths and or damages. So I salted them up. I sent them in (my $) and they got back to me in a two weeks saying that it was user error. Mine puffed right after I started using them. Traxxas has some good ideas but they get screwed up on the assembly line, not sure d it's due to the accounts or what.

The Spartan is great for running around on 4-5s after you get it sealed up and a few other issues taken care of.
Between the two Spartan projects I had, I threw away a TON of money. I could of had 2 Lehner/MGM powered Catamarans built. The Spartan was my first boat and I worry that it will run others off from the hobby.

[tlandauer]

Dude, I think they don't seal the catch for that very reason. I attach 2 air bags to the hull just so that it doesn't sink like the Titanic.

The boat is *!***!***!***!**... for the kind of money I paid anyways w/ all the lipos and stupid $100 charger that did nothing to help the lipo issue, etc.

I just spent $1k on a Carbon Twin Cat... with like 60-70c batteries from Revolectrix.

Won't be going back to that Traxxas junk again.

Did they ask you to do the whole salt water bucket process before shipping them out?
I feel kind of uneasy about shipping out puffed batteries-- thinking to put them into some sort of lipo guard bag or something when I do.

How long did this whole return process take?
They asked me to ship them out to them... on my dime... and also mentioned that they don't have them in stock either. Lol.

So much for customer service They puffed like just days after I got them too... so its definitely a problem on their end.

That is unfortunate. ( dealing with their Customer Support)
The salt water process takes a few days and in the end you will see corroded plugs and the balance pins just all corroded fell off. lol... It is a mess, my batteries' cases ( some hard & some soft cells) all split opened.
It is noble of you to think of using lipo bags, but that's your dime... Unless there is a chance that they will give you partial refund or credit, if I were in this position, I will junk them in salt water and try to forget this unpleasant experience.
just saying....

[dmitry100]

Hey Garrett... Where did you buy those double fins? >> https://forums.offshoreelectrics.com/...1&d=1391997541

What kind of improvements have you seen after putting them on compared to with the stock ones?