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Thread: Traxxas Villain EX brushless build

  1. #1
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    Default Traxxas Villain EX brushless build

    So as most you know I love the old FE boats and converting them to new electronics. I have a brand new original kit version of the original Traxxas Villain IV boat NIB and was going to build it all custom with new electronics. But I was sourcing parts for the build and could not find the newer Villain motor mounts, so I purchased a whole Villain EX from Ebay to use the motor mounts. Once the EX arrived I thought to myself why not just rebuild this EX and leave the original Villain NIB? So here we go! Custom Villain EX brushless build!! Boat was in decent shape when it arrived but it has yellowed a little due to age, might not see how much in the pics but it has yellowed. So this is how I got it and tonight I stripped to a bare hull, and epoxied in the switch and antenna holes in the hatch. It will get a good cleaning and a fresh coat of white paint. I will be doing the new paint and decals like the original IV version.
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    Last edited by emspjay; 03-31-2019 at 07:42 PM.

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  3. #3
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    So I got it painted and got some original Villain IV Decals put on it. I don't think I am going to put the dark blue lower hull decals on it. I found a picture online of a real 1:1 Villain IV with light blue upper hull sides (First picture). My main question right now is should I apply a clear coat over the decals and hull now? Do you guys normally do a clear coat over your base paint and decals?
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    Got all my new stuff so I can start the fun part or the build!

    DSCN4189.jpgDSCN4190.jpgDSCN4191.jpg

  5. #5
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    Got the new full ball bearing drive line installed. Slowly making progress.

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  6. #6
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    Got the new motors, radio tray, and servo in. Was originally going to make a new servo tray but to save time I used the original one. This is not going to be a speed demon or show queen so why waste the time. ESC's will be mounted on the sides of the hull up by the batteries. Ordered my new props and connectors from the OSE store today.

    DSCN4197.jpgDSCN4198.jpg

  7. #7
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    Got the ESC's in and plumbed. What a plumbing nightmare. I just got the stock single inlet teed off to the ESC's and then motors with an exit on each side. Not very worried about heat with 3550 3500KV motors on 2S each with 45mm cnc props. Just got to get the RX in and everything set and put the props on! Just want this boat to be fast enough that is not boring to drive but not too fast that my dog won't try and chase it (My dog hates the Zonda! it's too fast and she gets bored).
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  8. #8
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    Nice work man,
    I have one, and it looks best when 15-20 mph. Still over a scale 100mph , but better than scale 400 and bouncing all over. Lemme dig up a video..

    Here it is
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jesse J View Post
    Nice work man,
    I have one, and it looks best when 15-20 mph. Still over a scale 100mph , but better than scale 400 and bouncing all over. Lemme dig up a video..

    Here it is
    Thanks Jesse! That is a good looking boat in the video, very nice paint! It sure does porpoise a lot at speed. I wonder if you can play with the drive angles to help that?

  10. #10
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    Now that I see the vid was in Montana, I remember it was one of the first test runs.
    I think I had it running better after moving to Houston. I’ll keep looking.
    "Look good doin' it"
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    All done! New radio system in and all set up ready for the maiden run! Hope it goes well when I get the time and weather!
    DSCN4223.jpgDSCN4224.jpgDSCN4225.jpg

  12. #12
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    Hey Jason,
    For the NIB one I got from you, I’m going to stick with brushed titan motors for low end smoothness and single esc.
    I don’t think I’ll be using the resistor esc...
    I’m also gonna use some stainless steel u joints with the outdrives. I’m goin the classy route!
    Do you have the dimensions handy for the bearings? I’d rather not load up the hull with oil that inevitably leaks from the stuffing tubes. I would like to eliminate the shoe box look...
    I’ll get my own build thread going once I get underway.

    Here is the video when I had her running good
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    Hey Jesse,

    It's running real good in that video! Can't wait to see the build of the new one! I should probably upgrade my u joints as well. The bearings are flanged 4x8x3mm and the k&s tubing is 11/32. Courtesy of gsbuickman in his thread in the link below post #10.

    https://forums.offshoreelectrics.com...hlight=villian

  14. #14
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    Did my test run today with 2s battery on each side. Ran really good not fast but not slow, had a bit of porpoise so I need to play with the drive angles. But I am happy with it. If I run it on 3s per side I think it would be really fast!! I'm going to play with the drive angles before I try some 3s packs in it.

  15. #15
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    Kinda glad it needs some tweaks?
    Thanks for bearings link. Got them and slowly moving forward.
    Ready for your vid of success
    "Look good doin' it"
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jesse J View Post
    Kinda glad it needs some tweaks?
    Thanks for bearings link. Got them and slowly moving forward.
    Ready for your vid of success
    Thank you! The vid might be awhile. Burnt up the starboard ESC on last nights test run, got some weeds wrapped around the starboard prop (and it's not even the bad part of the season for weeds, so mad). I ordered another ESC last night and a spare but they are the cheap china ESC's and take a few weeks to get. And then I go out of town for work the whole month of June.

  17. #17
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    So almost 5 months later.... I installed a new starboard ESC a few weeks ago. I ran it today and burnt up the starboard ESC again and I don't think I hit any weeds today!! The Port ESC is the one that runs the receiver, the starboard is just ESC, and motor, (power pin to RX is removed on the Starboard ESC). Pulled it out of the water and both motors and Port ESC were cool to the touch but starboard ESC was HOT!! and making funny beeping sounds. I only got one water pickup that splits into two and then into the ESC's and then the Motor's and each has its own exit. Both motors and shafts spin freely with no binding, props are 45mm ABC counter rotating (spinning in). The only thing I can think of is I don't have the Starboard prop spinning the right direction but I'm sure it is, (I can't test now with the one starboard ESC Burnt up). I don't think the boat would run as fast and strait as it does if I had the starboard motor spinning the wrong direction. Both runs I got about 5-8 minutes run time until the Starboard ESC burnt up. Please lets hear everyone's thought on this!!

  18. #18
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    “I only got one water pickup that splits into two and then into the ESC's and then the Motor's and each has its own exit”
    I have never run a splitter because I know that water is lazy, it takes path of least resistance. I would run two dedicated water lines, and I bet your starboard power train chills out.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jesse J View Post
    “I only got one water pickup that splits into two and then into the ESC's and then the Motor's and each has its own exit”
    I have never run a splitter because I know that water is lazy, it takes path of least resistance. I would run two dedicated water lines, and I bet your starboard power train chills out.
    I was thinking the same thing but why would the starboard motor also be cool to the touch since it gets it's water after the ESC?? I'm going to look deeper into the starboard drive, maybe something is binding causing more load that the motor can handle but the ESC can't??

  20. #20
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    If you are still on 2s, you probably don’t have enough load to heat up the motor. And if you are driving around in a scale way, that would heat up the escs faster.

    How about trying a blow test? Unplug the water lines just after the Y and blow on each... just to see if the starboard side has a blockage in the line. To me it is the simplest explanation... but we need some empirical evidence.
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  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jesse J View Post
    If you are still on 2s, you probably don’t have enough load to heat up the motor. And if you are driving around in a scale way, that would heat up the escs faster.

    How about trying a blow test? Unplug the water lines just after the Y and blow on each... just to see if the starboard side has a blockage in the line. To me it is the simplest explanation... but we need some empirical evidence.
    Jesse,
    Yes still on 2S each side, I double checked both drives and found stuff that I needed to adjust in both (Starboard side was WAY to tight on the gear mesh). Ran it again yesterday and everything on both sides was cool after the run and I was running it at WOT for most of the time as in the first two runs. I will run it again hopefully in the next few days, hope it might be alright now. One thing I noticed is this is WAY too much power for this old boat but it is FUN!!! LOL!! At WOT it pretty much bounces violently from side to side to the point I would think it would roll over but it doesn't, it just keeps going. The props are counter rotating and spin in so I think it is weird that it does that. The only thing I can think is I need to adjust the drives to get the bow up higher because it must be hitting the chines on the hull and causing the side to side bouncing.

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