Trinity Reflex NT

[Darkside]

NOW THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKIN' BOUT!!! Pics, pics and more pics!!!:D

popsracer: good to see your car and to see you posting here since there really isn't a reflex thread over on rctech. Yes, I'm the same Darkside from over there. Its just that I spelled it like I meant to over there(Darkseid). I don't know what you mean, "as we can see its run every weekend", your car looks great to say that its being run every weekend.

Chris: All I really did with my wiring was leave myself just enough wire outside the box so that I could remove the upper deck if I need to. The rest of it is simply zip-tied and stuffed into the reciever box along with the reciever. Its nothing really complicated. You can see from the pics, the route that I took the servo lead, like I said, nothing really complicated.

[ChrisMi6]

I'm running a Hitec DCX reciever with my Jr XR3, for my radio. And I don't know if I have any more room in the reciever box to stuff the extra wires in. What reciever/radio are you running? On a side note, did you like my car?

[popsracer]

Darkseid;

If you look closely at the bumper and the front body posts you can see the battle scars from racing. I've actually got 4 Reflexes in the family.

#1 is mine, #2 is my Stepson's, #3 was bought for parts and #4 is waiting New in the box for my 8yr old Son to move up into Sportsman Nitro.

ChrisMi6;

What I did to Reflex #1 was to heat the receiver box with a heatgun and bulge the sides wider slightly to give me a little more room. I also cut a slot in the side of the box to access the crystal without pulling the receiver. I used a T-Maxx rubber plug to seal the hole. (this was really TOO much work) For yhe wires, there is also a little room between the switch and box to stuff some of the wires. Use tiny zip-ties to keep them together.

For Reflex #2, I installed the V1R receiver tray and that was a little easier. When I finally build Reflex #4, I will probably buy another receiver that will fit the NT box better.

[ChrisMi6]

So, do any of you run a centax in your Reflex? (I think i might need some set-up help with shimming)

[Darkside]

ChrisMi6: I use a Novak XXtra reciever along with my Hitec Lynx3D w/Spectra module so I can run crystal free. The XXtra make for a really tight fit in the reciever box, but with a couple of zip-ties and some manuvering, the reciever and all the wires fit in the box. "And on a side note"...yes I like your car!LOL:D

popsracer: Who makes that throttle return spring you have on your car? Do you notice any extra drain on the battery because of its use?

[Darkside]

ChrisMi6: By the way, I also don't use the little guard that snaps into the exit hole of the reciever box. By the time I had all the wires entering and exiting the box, the guard simply wouldn't fit on anymore.:eek: :cool:

[ChrisMi6]

Thanks for the reply. Do you guys know of any small 3 channel FM recievers that are compatable with a JR radio?

[helotaxi]

Why 3-channel? You only need 2. If you must have 3-channel, I use the Futaba RF133. 3-channel and pretty small. It works with JR, I have an R-1 and 4 of these RX. I'm a big fan of the XXL Novak Rx myself. The thing is tiny. Two channel but that is all you need for this car.

[ChrisMi6]

I need a third channel to plug in my AMB personal transponder. And yes, I do know that you can use a splitter off your on/off switch, but I prefer to have it plugged into my receiver so when I turn it off, the transponder turns off too. PLus then I use that to re-charge my receiver pack during the race day.

[Darkside]

ChrisMi6: The Futaba R113F is a nice sized 3-channel reciever. Its the reciever that came with the Futaba 3PDF I had a few years back. It actually has a smaller surface area than a XXtra, but is a little taller. All in all though, it would fit well into the RFX reciever box.

Only downside is, its been discontinued.:( On the bright side, I believe that Futaba has replaced it with an upgraded model, the R123F receiver. Its the same size, and would fit the receiver box well I believe.

Only problem, its kinda pricey. But so are most first party receivers.

[ChrisMi6]

Is the receiver JR FM compatable?

[helotaxi]

Yes. All brands will work together. It was the 113 and the 123 I was thinking about. I use them with my R-1.

[ChrisMi6]

Thanks guys for all the help!

Racing season can't come fast enough.

[Darkside]

ChrisMi6: yes, the brands will work together as long as your using the proper crystals. Receivers are just receivers, its the crystals that count.

What I mean by that is that HiTec and Futaba are on the negative shift of the radio band. While every other radio company on the market are on the positive shift. (thats why when you look at a XXtra receiver, you see the brands seperated) So basically, if you find yourself out buying extra crystals, make sure you don't buy any from Futaba or Hitec. But, you can buy any from KO, Air, Mutliplex, and of course JR.

But other than that, any brand of reciever will work with any radio.

[helotaxi]

I'd heard the same thing about the pos and neg, but I pretty much switch to whatever and I've never had a problem. JR x-tals physically won't fit in the Futaba RX. You can use Futaba x-tals in the JR TX though. I don't know what the truth is on a lot of this stuff radio wise.

[Darkside]

helotaxi: well I know I tried to use my Hitec Lynx 3D w/spectra module with a KO reciever crystal just this past weekend and they wouldn't work together. But the Futaba crystals I use work perfectly.

[helotaxi]

I use 27MHz and Japanese X-tals, I wonder if that matters? Most all of my RX are Futaba and my TX is a JR R-1. I have 2 JR SPCM RX and 2 XXL as well. My X-tals are a mix of JR and Futaba. Maybe I've just been lucky.

[Pacoson]

Hey, Sorry to change questions but..........
Got a reflex with a mt12 and my problem is.

While draging a HPI SS with a stock 15 killed me off the line.
Now I know I've got your attention cuz this should never happen. hehehe.

I'm not too sure if the low Idle screw is good.
full throttle the car has a small line of smoke. and I can run WOT and only reach 230 deg

but just running 1/2 to playing around it spikes to 260+
(not good) is this to lean? what should I be looking for to set the low Idle screw for best performance?

Thanx
Jon

[KingWillie]

I'm using a Futaba 3PJS and the Novaak Synthesized RX. I've had no problems with the combination. Actually we run two of them. It's kind of handy just change the crystals on the the TX and turn a screw/switch on the RX. I drilled holes in the RX box on the NT and put KYOSHO crystal covers over them in order to be able to access the screws. Never had any problems we use 27mHz and 75mHz.

[ChrisMi6]

Originally posted by Pacoson
Hey, Sorry to change questions but..........
Got a reflex with a mt12 and my problem is.

While draging a HPI SS with a stock 15 killed me off the line.
Now I know I've got your attention cuz this should never happen. hehehe.

I'm not too sure if the low Idle screw is good.
full throttle the car has a small line of smoke. and I can run WOT and only reach 230 deg

but just running 1/2 to playing around it spikes to 260+
(not good) is this to lean? what should I be looking for to set the low Idle screw for best performance?

Thanx
Jon

I run a MT12 in my second reflex. The low end needle usually peaks power around 3.75-4.75 turns out, with the high end about 4.5-5.25 turns out. The mid-range needle should be flush with the carb body. 260 isn't too hot, but its slightly on the verge of being too hot. What type of clutch are you running and what glow plug, and weather conditions?

[KingWillie]

The jetting may be somewhat of a problem, but more than likely the gearing and/or clutch make the difference here. If your gearing is much higher you should be at a disadvantage at the start, but as soon as the MT gets into the midrange you will have the advantage. Also your clutch may be engaging at too low an rpm for the MT.
Lets not forget the HPI RS43 SS is running a motor made for them by some famous Italian builder and it does have an output, advertised, of over 1 HP and the size of the engine, 0.15, will be an advantage off the line with its higher torque output down low.
I have an MT-12 I run in both a V1R and a Reflex. When we run it in the Reflex we use a clutch which we have shaved 1/8" of the material off the inside of each shoe approximately half way up each shoe. This allows the clutch to engage at a noticeably higher RPM and thus closer to the power of the MT. It is not as easy to handle when it engages here, but it is much quicker off the line and does not change the performance at higher RPMs. The first time we modified them we took 1/4" off and the clutch must of engaged at like 10,000 rpm or something ridiculous like that so be careful if you do this. This will make a dramatic difference to how you come off the line. If you don't like this approach there are Centax type clutches out there which you can adjust at what rpm they will engage, very nice.
:cool:

[ChrisMi6]

Yeah KingWillie is right about everything he said. And to run a centax you'll need a sg crank engine.

[adlawoo]

I got a MT12 and cannot get the allignment of the spurs/pinion right..Is that normal? It is off by maybe 1-2mm, that's why my 2nd gear spur slightly rubs with the clutch bell. The MT12 is already moved all the way to the left of the mounting holes and was thinking of using my dremel but then my concern will be the belt after that..Any inputs please....many thanks!

Is this car really don't roll freely easily?

[Darkside]

adlawoo: if what your saying is that the car's drive train isn't very free, don't worry it will get better. I haven't even gotten to run mine yet(its about 6 degrees and snow on the ground here in Kansas :rolleyes: ) But what I have done is rotate the drive train a little everyday since I've had the car, and its definitely more free than when I put it together.

Now if its warm where your at, then just run the car and it should free up after a few runs.

As for the engine, the other guys should be able to help you with that since they use the MT12. But one things for sure, even if you lengthen the holes, your engine will hit the left side support plate before it hits the belt.

[adlawoo]

Thanks Darkside! Right now here in NYC is very cold and real feel (wind chill) is -6F. And been just looking (Reflex) at her for almost 2 weeks - it is just the weather outside, but were still burnin nitros here -- just off roadin' only..

[popsracer]

Pacoson;

Check for a broken or weak clutch spring. This is a common problem with the RFX clutch.
Novarossi engines will run good at 220-240F deg. My Picco's like to be 260F or they complain.

adlawoo;

You may have your flywheel shimmed out too far. Remove a shim or use a thinner one. This will move the whole assembly back and should clear your clutchbell then.

Darkseid;

Team Losi throttle return spring kit, comes with 2 springs and brackets. Less than $5 usd. I also use a small rubber band on the carb slide. (beauty supply shops)
I have both Futaba receivers and the newer one is slightly smaller, but not much. The NEW Hitec HFX03 receiver is nice and small and the price is right, but I have the Futaba in my RFX now.

[Darkside]

adlawoo: well since your stuck inside just like I am right now, then definitely use the "play with it" method. Basically, just.....roll the car around. Roll it on a table, roll it on the floor. If someone ask you why your playing with you gas car like its a toy, just say "I'm....ummm....checking the brakes, thats all" :D But, by the time you make it outside, you will notice it freeing up.

popsracer: thats what I figured. I always hear people talking about the Losi return spring, but no body ever list the part no. for it!:eek:

I guess I'll hit Losi's site and see if I can scope out the part number. The little styling rubberband on the carb slide is also a good idea. I'll have to employ one or both of those.

[adlawoo]

Popsracer;

About the shim(thinness)...that's the one I installed and tried to put the bearing (flange facing the bell, not facing the SG nut) inside the other way - solved the problem...but then can I don't know if I can do that (bearing installed the other way)? Thanks Pops!


Darkside;

Doing that "play with it" method, once every other day and thinking when I can drive this baby and feel the difference. If you still need the part no. of the return spring, here it is part no. A-9409 Throttle Return Spring & Eyelet ....$3.00

[Darkside]

adlawoo: thanks for the part no. I did manage to find it on Losi's site though. I guess I could have tried that a while ago huh!?!:rolleyes:

For now though, I think I'm going to stick with the small "hair styling" rubberband. I just put it on yesterday. I have it doubled over for extra strength, then wrapped around the carb opening and the ballstud on the slidecarb. It seems to work well, I just hope it doesn't sacrafice too much in the battery life department.

Around here we run 5 minute qualifiers and 15 minute mains and I use a 1100mah NiMH reciever pack. So I figure I'll be okay.

[popsracer]

Darkseid;

The spring on the servo will pull it back in case of a power failure and the RuBr on the carb is if you pop the linkage off. I run 2 digital servos on my car and never had battery problems before. A 1100 Mah pack should be good for aleast an hour of total run time with Digital servos. I've ran a 30min Main w/qualifiers and practice with no problems.

adlawoo;

What ever you do to change the spacing, just make sure that the clutchbell does NOT rub on the flywheel or you will have a major glitching problem.

[Darkside]

popsracer: well, the rubberband I have on here now will serve both purposes. Because I doubled it over, its strong enough to return the servo to neutral incase of battery failure or if I lose the ball stud.

Well if your doing okay with two digital servos, I should really be okay since I don't use any. The steering is handled by my analog KO 2173 and it is as close to a digital as you can get without the extra cost.(it even does the little buzzing thing where its constantly making sure its centered) and for throttle, the analog Airtronics 94102 isn't going to suck up too much juice.

So I'm sure I'll be cool in the battery department.

[sebtarta]

Hi I was wondering if Hitec servos work with Futaba receivers. If so great, if not which other brand of servos work with Futaba, besides JR.???
Good luck, :)

[helotaxi]

All servos are compatible with all RX. The only complication is the old Airtronics stuff has two of the wires switched. All the stuff made in the last few years work together. Futaba uses a small tab on the servo plug to keep it from being plugged in backwards, but that is only the plug not the wire order or the internals of the servo.

[sebtarta]

Great thanx, i found out about it later.....
Good luck, :)

[Darkside]

man, you want to know how close I am to getting to run my car?

Well heres an idea....theres snow on the ground and its frickin' -2 degrees here in Kansas right now!:rolleyes: :eek: :D

The thing that makes it so bad is that the week before I finally got my engine, it made it up to 70 degrees two days in a row.

O'well....the wait continues...

[sebtarta]

Dark I know what you mean, here in Boston is freezong too. Its so cold that you dont even want to leave your house. Its sad, but at least I am reading the magz. and catching up with all the new things coming out.
Good luck, :)

[KingWillie]

Well it's finally too cold to race in Virginia also, we are at 13F degrees. Cold for us in the Richmond area. Hurry up Springtime!

[Darkside]

sebtarta: thankfully, we have a couple of indoor carpet tracks to help me pass the time till warmer weather hits.

I still hate waiting to run the RFX though. I gave up waiting for a warm day and returned the foams to a sealed plastic bag with some paragon to keep them fresh. I think they were starting to get a little dry just sitting there on the car.

[popsracer]

Guys;

Really, I feel for you. Out here in {B]SUNNY[/B] CA, there is usually some place to race EVERY weekend, all year long.

Bad last two races for me though. 2 weekends ago I hit a car at the end of the straight (he didn't call it) and broke my steering servo. (plastic gear, no spare). Then last weekend my 23 month old Picco 15RE finally decided to give up. I just bought a new Picco XP12 and am also going to pick up a new Ofna, Picco 7 port tomorrow. Both too good of deals to pass up.
Also just bought a CRC, STS MT12 for $80 from a friend. This ones going in my 8yr old Son's Reflex by the end of next month. My next race with the Reflex will be on the 9th. This weekend I'm racing my Super Nitro at the local 1/8th scale track.

[Darkside]

Whats up guys. The weather is tempting me here. Its expected to get up above 65 here tomorrow. That just might be warm enough for me to safely break in my new engine. I'll probably have to pre-heat the engine though, so I'll have to take my extention cord and my wifes hair dryer with me!:D

Still not sure if I'll try tomorrow, but its going to be a nice day...so....:D

[PJCruz]

I fired up my Reflex today after many months of "storage." After I finished building my Reflex back last summer.. my local ONROAD track closed.... which left me with my reflex, a Losi XXX-NT, and a T-Maxx.. The offroad track was 10 min away.. so it's been on the back burner since...

Today, I made a "nitro day" of it and took out my trucks and Reflex.. and got them started. The reflex doesn't have a receiver in it currently.. so I just used my hand to adjust the throttle on the starter box.. GOSH!! It's been so long since I've done the on road thing.. My Mugen MT-12 took a while to start.. but finally turned over and AHHHH!!!!!

It was such a sweet smooth sound. Very soft, smooth.. kinda like a Benz v8 ;-)... and when I gave the throttle a tug.. OH!! you could HEAR the 1.12 horses in this beast.

Anyways, my Reflex is stock.. with a MT-12, an RB polished X-12 pipe, and Multiplex servos. Word has it a new LHS is "opening" a parking lot track nearby... so out with the rubber tires and get that rx pack charged. =)

I have an aftermarket front sway bar set (blade type I believe), that I haven't installed yet (actually I think it was for the V-One-R).. What are you Reflex racers running these days for hop-ups? The car seems ready to rule already.. but y'know ;-)

Pete

[sebtarta]

Hey Pete I envy you. Well here in Boston the weather is not helping, after the 2 weeks in a row of cold and not very nice wind-chill, it decided to add a few degrees to the temperature outside. But that brought the rain.....or in this case the drizzle. So still my cars are not allowed to be outside until its dry.

I also want to fire up my Reflex, it has the RB x12 with the RB x12 pipe in it too. (NICE CHOICE EH :D) But well, when ever you let friends borough things from you they return them broken, so my friend fried the 550 motors in my starter box.....never said a word knowing that I would get mad :mad: . But it gets me even mad when they dont say anything. SO now I am not able to fire the Reflex just to make sure its still alive......and I am looking to replace the 550 motors but cannot find any parts for the Ofna Starter Box.

Does anyone know where I can get any parts for Ofna??? I am loosing my mind here. Well, hope everyone had a nice weekend.
Good luck, :)

[PJCruz]

Go ahead and pick up some torque-y 19 turn mod motors.. and drop those in.. RCnitro had an article on 'beefing' up starter boxes... the motors pretty much fit in... and really haul.

Probably a touch more than the OFNA motors.. but better I'm sure.

[Darkside]

Well, I didn't get time to get out and break the car in. I got back from the carpet track too late. Its killing me too, that I didn't get the chance. Hell, its dark here and its still 61 outside.

The forecast for Lawrence, Kansas tomorrow you ask???......rain, snow, and ice!

Happy...Happy...Joy...Joy!!! :rolleyes:

[KingWillie]

Well we had a race down here in Richmond this past weekend, although it was a cold one. Team Ten Year Old finished second in the Sportsman A Main. His Reflex was so beat up at the end of the main; loose left rear tire, front pulley split and fell apart, front belt off and rear tires worn down to the rim. He had a two lap lead over second place halfway through the main, but lost out with a few snafoos. He could barely get it to make right hand turns above a crawl with that loose left tire and no front drive. Oh yeah, I started this to tell you about the SIRIO 0.12 ROAR legal engine he was running. The thing could out accelerate everything else down the back straight, 220'.
We have it tuned on top to 6 and 1/2 turns now and we're still getting plenty exhaust smoke and it screams. Temps are about 230. Also I noticed alot of Sirio engines in the pro class open events. Must have been a good Christmas...........:cool:

[Darkside]

KingWillie: I have heard how much of a monster that Sirio engine is on the straights. At the 1/10-scale IFMAR On-Road Worlds, Cyrul's Siro was said to be the fastest engine on the back straight at the whole event. Pretty impressive.

After having all my diff oil leak out the back diff through the outdrives, I rebuilt it, but this time I pack thick black grease(the same stuff Trinity includes with the kit) around the black O-ring in the diff and around the outdrive shafts. This seems to be doing the trick. 4 days later and no signs of leakage around the outdrives. I figure this will get me along for a while until I get the Kyosho diff halfs which I hear don't leak at the outdrives.

Now, if I can just get a chance to drive the car.:rolleyes:

[popsracer]

Guys;

I too bought the V1R diff cases (tighter fit) but still was having some problems with the outdrive leakage.
The solution, buy the Kyosho 5mm (#92052) O-rings and install them inside the diff cases (either brand) instead of the black RFX ones. Make sure to use the shim between the O-ring and the large gear. You can remove the shims on the 4 small gears instead if there is some binding.
This and with some sealer at the gasket, has cured my diff leaking problems.

See you all at RC-Tech,

[sebtarta]

ITS SNOWING PLEASE STOP SNOWING!!!! I want to run the car once in for all!!! :D:)
Good luck, :)

[Darkside]

popsracer: thanks for the tips. I know I will have to remove the shims at the small gears, because I tried putting just ONE of the shims behind the big gear and the diff binded so badly I could hardly turn it!:eek:

I'll definately try what you said.

[popsracer]

Interestingly, I did not have a binding problem with the Front Diff. I am convinced that the final solution to the leaking was the Kyosho O-rings in the diffs instead of the ones supplied with the RFX. The Kyosho O-rings are Orange (silicone) and I believe that they swell slightly to make a better seal.
I would also recommend a drop of thin CA to "Seal" the guide rings on the aluminum pulleys. This will make the rings less likely to separate from the pulley. (you got time to kill right !?)

Other than that everything else is minor.

[helotaxi]

When assembling the diff wet the O-ring with a drop or two of diff oil or AE Green Slime. The Kyosho O-rings are a good step, too. Wetting the O-ring will lube it and keep the outdrive from abrating the O-ring as you push it through and the lube will form a seal is not dry keeping the outdrive from wearing the O-ring as it rotates.

[performula]

How is the fit and finish of the Reflex? From what I understand, the first kits were a little harder to work with.

[sebtarta]

Originally posted by performula
How is the fit and finish of the Reflex? From what I understand, the first kits were a little harder to work with.


I've got he 1st generation kit, and I did not have any problems with the fit and finish of it. In fact it was easy and the stock setup was very nice too. The 2nd generation of the kits are even better, the parts are better quality and all.
Good luck, :)

[TopKatz]

I agree for the most part with sebtarta. The majority of the parts were fine in my kit. However one of my pullies(inner front) had some extra material in it that definitly caused me some problems while I was building. I know that others have had simaler problems with them.

However this is the sort of problem that can be found in any kit. An example would be last night while I was building my NTC3 kit one of my bearing spacers that go in betwen the bearings in the knuckles had lots of extra material on it. I had to sand it down for about a half hour to get a nice fit.

My point is to not wory about this internet rumor... the car is a incredibly good deal, and a very high end car. Im sure you will not regret getting one if you decide to do so!

[Darkside]

I too had no problems assembling my kit. My kit was a kind of "inbetweener" it wasn't quite first generation(no extra suspension pieces, but had TRC white wheels), but it wasn't exactly second generation(extra suspension pieces and black TRC wheels in kit) either.

Mine came with the extra suspension pieces, but still came with the white TRC wheels(just the way I wanted it). So I got lucky. In case you couldn't tell, I'm not a fan of black wheels!;)

Anyway, its a pretty easy car to put together.

[KingWillie]

The only problem I had assembling Team Ten Year Old's Reflex was the receiver box fit was a little off. Not a big deal, but I still think it could have gone together like my KYOSHO did. We've been abusing the Reflex now for about 9 months straight and the parts which we have had fail in non-impact situations have been few, but there were a couple. First problem is the belts, they just plain ol' suck, get KYOSHO Team belts they will give less resistance to roll and they last much longer, the other piece I have problems with is the front wheel drive pulley, e.g. last pulley before the diff.. This pulley has come apart twice in races now and I've finally replaced it with original equipment and if it goes again I'm putting Kawahara pullies on it. Other than those two nitpicks the thing has been solid as can be. Holds it's set up all day long in a race situation, accelerates nice and straight even fitted with the SIRIO engine, shifts great and handles well. I still like my V One R GRP better, but it's a personal choice thing. Of all the kits I've assembled now, six in total, the KYOSHO stuff has been the best quality and best instructions. :cool:

[rc4me2]

anyone know who might carry this yet?

ultimate hobbies had them but sold out in a week or two

thanks

[performula]

What do you mean by "team ten year ol's"?

Where can this kit be bought online with an engine, the regular version, not Team only?

[dc]

My RFX has done me well the only real problem I've had has been the front knuckles they pop off the pillow balls. Went throught 3 sets for the race season. :mad: Got the centax cluch and no shims and no instuctions this is frustating hopefully Trinity will send them asap.

[KingWillie]

Originally posted by performula
What do you mean by "team ten year ol's"?


My son is the Reflex driver he was Ten Years Old when he started his Racing Team he is now 11, his Team is called Team Ten now and he has Spring season sponsers for Team Ten from; Line-X, Zoom-a-Lube, NAPA autoparts, Colgin's Auto repair. They chip in 20 to 80 bucks a month to get their names on his car, shirt and banners hanging from his E-Z-up. Enterprising young guy, he's trying to gain enough experience to race in the regionals, doesn't expect to win just wants to race. ;)

[Darkside]

KingWillie: I believe it was popsracer who suggested this...

... he said to put a drop or two of CA around the pulley fences to keep them from seperating like that. I think he said that solved his problem.

[NitroJoe]

Hey kingwillie how did u fix ur reciever box mine reciver too is too big for the box how did u modify this? cut the edges or something :(

[KingWillie]

NItroJOe, dremel tool to reshape the radio plate just a bit.

Darkside I think I remember that, thanks.

[popsracer]

I think that my biggest complaint about the RFX is the Receiver box. 1/8" more in thickness would have made stuffing the wires inside MUCH easier.
Here is what I have tried different on our 3 RFX's with the RX boxes.

RFX #1) Stock RX box, Heated and stretched/bowed wider to relieve stress on the receiver plugs. Hole cut in outside to access RX crystal.

RFX #2) V1R RX tray installed on car. Some surgery was done on tray and upper deck to fit cleanly.

RFX #3) (in progress) Am going to cut Stock RFX box out on the backside, something like the MTX-3 box. This to keep the receiver wires/plugs from getting pinched inside the box. I'll probably cut a access hole for the RX crystal too.

[KingWillie]

We have cut holes in the RX box to access the Novak XXtra Synthesized receiver screw. Works great, we squared the hole and used the KYOSHO crystal covers to keep dirt and things out of the box. This was a good idea saves lots of hassle.:p

[TopKatz]

The best fix for the RFX reciver box is a micro RX like the xxl...

[Darkside]

I was actually plesantly surprised at how relatively easy it was to get my XXtra into the reciever box. It took a lot of planning and a whole lot of wasted zip ties from testing, but in the end, it worked out.

Now that the wires have been in there for a while and have assumed the shape of the box, it slides in and out smoothly so that I can change the freq. if needed.

It moves so smoothly in and out now that I added a layer of foam to the top of the receiver box just to make sure that it wasn't bouncing around in there.

[Darkside]

I just took a close look at my car and realised something.

It seemed to be a pretty easy thing to get to the 2-speed adjusting screws while I didn't have the engine in the car. I could just rotate the 2nd gear and drive train independently until I lined up with the holes. But with the engine installed, its a little more complicated I see. Mainly the problem of knowing whether or not I'm adjusting both screws or just "screwing" with the same one each time.

So please excuse this 2-speed rookie question, but whats the easiest way to adjust the 2-speed on this car. I'd hate to think that moving the engine, so the gears can rotate independently, each time is the easiest way. And how can you be sure that your dealing with both screws and not just constantly tightening or loosening the same screw?

Thanx

[sebtarta]

Darkside - Hi, how is everything? Well the way I do it is by taking the rear tire out, and the 1st gear out too. Then I get hold of the 2-speed shoes and adjust them. I place them back on the shaft and make sure they are correct in term if they spin freely and they have the same gap all around the bell. Once that is done, I put everything back together, and of to the track once again.
I find this the best way, as I make sure the shoes are even and all. The way you mentioned I did it once, and :D:D:D the 2-speed worked so bad I thought I broke it. I messed up with one screw and the hole thing was out of balance.
Hope his helps.
Good luck, :)

[sebtarta]

Darkside - Hi, how is everything? Well the way I do it is by taking the rear tire out, and the 1st gear out too. Then I get hold of the 2-speed shoes and adjust them. I place them back on the shaft and make sure they are correct in term if they spin freely and they have the same gap all around the bell. Once that is done, I put everything back together, and of to the track once again.
I find this the best way, as I make sure the shoes are even and all. The way you mentioned I did it once, and :D:D:D the 2-speed worked so bad I thought I broke it. I messed up with one screw and the hole thing was out of balance.
Hope his helps.
Good luck, :)

[Darkside]

sebtarta: sounds good to me! Thanks for the advice.:cool:

[popsracer]

Darkseid;

MUCH easier to adjust properly when the shoes are in your hands. You may have to trim the shock mount on the arm slightly for the gear to clear (don't need it anyways).

Just put the finishing touches on the Reflex for my 8 yr old Son. It is replacing the HPI Nitro-2 that he has been racing. I was going to cut the receiver box to fit, but I ended up swapping in another Rx and it fits just fine. (New, Hitec HS003FM) Cut a small window to access the crystal from the side.

[KingWillie]

Popsracer, my club is going to force my Team Ten Year Old to race in the Nitro pro circuit here. The club rules differentiate classes based on the type of suspension your car runs. All pillow ball suspended cars must race in the Nitro Pro circuit after one season in Sportsman no matter what the age. I guess it's about time as he is finishing in the top three in sportsmen all the time now. Nobody said a word when he was running the old KYOSHO MKII Spider. Does your club have any such rules?:rolleyes:

[Darkside]

Popsracer: well it looks like you made it unanimous! Disassembly is the best way.

Now I know!:D

[helotaxi]

Originally posted by KingWillie
Popsracer, my club is going to force my Team Ten Year Old to race in the Nitro pro circuit here. The club rules differentiate classes based on the type of suspension your car runs. All pillow ball suspended cars must race in the Nitro Pro circuit after one season in Sportsman no matter what the age. I guess it's about time as he is finishing in the top three in sportsmen all the time now. Nobody said a word when he was running the old KYOSHO MKII Spider. Does your club have any such rules?:rolleyes:

That's pretty arbitrary. We never had enough guys running gas for it to be an issue when we had an on-road club on base here. Largest turnout was 9. Most of the guys here were electric types. Basing your skill level and thus your racing class on the equipment you run is kinda dumb. Some people can't drive and will never be able to compete in the "pro" class and forcing them there because they run a pillow ball car will have two possible effects neither of them good. First the driver that is not competitive will get discouraged and quit racing. Now you have fewer member in your club. Second forcing slow drivers into the faster class will clutter the track for the faster drivers and upset them because they are being slowed down by lapped traffic canstantly and slow drivers in the way of much faster drivers causes crashes and costs money. Do they make you move up for having a PCM radio? What about a good engine?

I'm not the best driver. I've never had a track handy to put in the time to get better. When I was racing regularly I was decent (I was getting better) but I would have been in the way of any "Pro" class driver. I race mostly for the fun and enjoyment of spending time with friends that have a common interest. I like to be competitive but I place the fun above that. It really irritated me when someone was totally out of their league and got in the way of the race. I can attribute several broken parts on my electrics to such drivers. To their credit they eventually got better to the point they belonged in that class, but they were moved up too quickly. Team Ten year old sounds like he is ready. Go Team! There are others who I am sure are not. Some, such as myself, are there solely to have fun. I make good money and I should be able to buy the gear I want and race it. I am also very busy. I don't have the time to practice regularly. The progress your son made in a year may take me 4, heck I may never get to that level. I don't care if I do. I'm there to relax, it's my hobby. Forcing me to move to a "Pro" class because I have been driving for a year and I own a newer car is dumb. Sportman is for people just like me that don't care about moving up and have no national aspirations. We race for fun. Pro is for the competitive drivers that want to race at that level. Novice is for the newbies. Novice should have a time limit. One year is about right. After just a few races true novices will show noticable improvement. Give them a chance to hone their skills and get comfortable driving. After a year (season) they should be ready to move to sportsman. If they want to move beyond that, it should be their choice. Someone who is dominating the sportsman class week after week should be nudged toward the Pro class but to force them and using their equipment as a determining factor is not right.

(waits for applause to die down)

Thank you

(steps down off soapbox)

[sebtarta]

ANYWAYS...............:p

I was doing some research and found this conversion kit for the V-One-R(R).

http://www.rchub.com/gfx/3racing/V1R/300/KV036-m.jpg

V-One-R First Gear Ratio Conversion Kit (http://www.rchub.com/cgi-bin/plugins/MivaEmpresas/miva?plugins/MivaMerchants/merchant.mvc+Screen=PROD&Store_Code=rchub&Product_Code=KV036) Kit includes 2 24T pulleys, lightweight pulley spacer, and M3 198 and 384 belts.


It basically increases the number of teeth in the pulleys, creating a higher top speed. I find that my reflex looses power at top speed, specially when I see my HPI catching me in the straight. And yes I have the 44T/20T combo. Does anyone think this would work?
Good luck, :)

[KingWillie]

Helo, it gets better, the guy who is winning most of the sportsmen races is doing so with an HPI RS4 SS he is quite a bit older than the rest of the group and they can't force him to move up as he runs a non-pillow ball car. All the other kids with pillow ball suspended cars and one season under their belts are being moved up also. Fortunately it seems to be a good group of racers, several of which won't spend much time in the middle of the pack.
Our Pro group are mostly quite fast, one guy qualified 27th in the country for the 1/8th scale worlds. Anyway, funny how the rules get interpreted. Nobody every looked at these guys until the lap times were close to the Pro guys one weekend. Did I mention they left me in the Sportsmen class as I havce not completed a season yet. Hehehehehe. :D

[helotaxi]

sebarta- Did you read the thread about that in the V-one forum on this board. I did a fairly extensive comparison of gear ratios there. You can run that conversion, but you will sacrifice all bottom end acceleration. Those gears are more than 25% bigger than the ones they replace. That is a huge jump. I'm not really familiar with the gearing options on the Reflex (Serpent rather than Kyosho clone tranny.) but I think you would be better going to the largest pinion and smallest spur on the second gear and leaving the belt ratios the same. With the regular Kyosho tranny gears on the V-oneRR the car will top out at 59-60 MPH with a TR turning 40k RPM. Unless you are running on a HUGE track that high-speed conversion is going to slow you down. Mugen team drivers did a similar type experimental conversion at the Worlds to the MTX-3. None of them made the A-main. They were fast on the straight once they managed to get up to speed, but in the infield they were just not competitive. I don't know how big your track is, but the track here is pretty big. My V-one with a TR and stock gearing just barely tops out on the back straight. If I went to the conversion, I'm pretty sure that I woul never hit 2nd gear.

[popsracer]

sebtarta;

Trinity has a 22T second gear pinion availible. Try the 19/22 with whatever spurs you prefer for large tracks. SOMEONE makes a 23T pinion that fits, but availibility is scarce and the Factory drivers keep them for themselves.

KingWillie;

I'm hoping that Michael will progress more now that he has a better car to drive. His current driving skills are just below the Sportsman/Intemediate level. The HPI is quite a handful and very unforgiving at full tilt, while the Reflex is very stable and inspires confidence at higher speeds. I am hoping this confidence will allow Michael to progress up to the next level very soon.

All of the club races are seperated by Driving skill (claimed), Novice/Rookie, Sportsman/intermediate and Expert/Pro. It is the drivers responsibilty to enter in a class where he/she can compete on an fairly equal level. Obviously a Novice in Pro class just won't work and a Pro/Expert driver in Novice class wouldn't be allowed either. At some tracks Foam tires are ONLY allowed in the Expert/Pro classes.
For the most part, anything is OK as long as it does not give one an unfair advantage over the other racers and believe me the racers WILL complain.
Good luck to you and "Team Ten Year Old",

[sebtarta]

Hey guys thanx for the input. I dont think I'll do it either way, its to expensive and also in terms of weather here in Boston you cannot do much of it. Ans yes I read it in the V-One forum.....they had intresting things there.

Hey one big question, I am planning to move to California, where would be a good place to live around the San Diego area, but that also have RC tracks and all close by?

I am getting tired of Boston so I wanted to try something new, and Cali is my option as it has a more relaxed living than the east coast, and it seems more fun too.

Good luck, :)

[KingWillie]

Originally posted by popsracer


All of the club races are seperated by Driving skill (claimed), Novice/Rookie, Sportsman/intermediate and Expert/Pro. It is the drivers responsibilty to enter in a class where he/she can compete on an fairly equal level.


As it should be, I've been voicing my concerns over our system and have actually started to attend the meetings.
By the way everyone the Region #2 Roar Fall regionals for 1/8th and 235mm are being hosted by our club VORRA in Richmond, VA, sometime in September I think. SHould be pretty cool next year 2004 we get 1/10th scale 4wd.

[popsracer]

Hey one big question, I am planning to move to California, where would be a good place to live around the San Diego area, but that also have RC tracks and all close by?

sebtarta;

There are some guys i know that live in SD/CA and they have races twice a month I think. There are also races not too far from SD just about every weekend.

Log onto R-C Tech Forum (http://www.rctech.net/forum/index.php) for more info on local So CA races.

[sebtarta]

Hey thanx, yeah I was planning in Going to San Diego after some reasearch I did in terms of living and all, then also having the RC being a major factor of it.

Well here in Boston we had more snow, so not much here to do but just clean the car every once in a while, taking the 'dust' off it.
Good luck, :)

[popsracer]

Be thinking of you guys when I'm racing this weekend :D

[Darkside]

Thanks for thinking of us popsracer:rolleyes:

:D

[popsracer]

Well Michael did pretty well the first time out with his Reflex. Got second in the Main and only because he hit a board and popped a steering ballcup. Took 2 laps to get it fixed.

For me, I qualified 2nd overall in expert Nitro, but had to drop out of the Main during warm-up. My car was Glitching badly (or so I thought). Turns out that after I got home, I found out my battery pack was bad. Wouldn't hold a charge anymore. Bought a Brand New pack the next day, and it was bad too! Hope this weekend goes better.

See ya,

[helotaxi]

Who makes these battery packs so we know who not to buy from?

[Darkside]

pops: I think it might be time to leave that company's batteries alone!:eek:

:D

[ExtremeDuty]

Hello, fellow Reflex racers!

Been reading Reflex NT threads for a long time until I decided to
get a Reflex NT.

I can't wait the moment I finish putting Reflex together...:)
Since I'm on super tight budget, the Reflex will have all the
equipments from my 2 year old HPI super nitro.
6 year old throttle servo, fairly new (1 year old) steering servo,
novak mini receiver, and HPI .15 SS engine.

I wasn't able to race my super nitro anyway due to inhumanly
tight local parking lot temporary tracks.

Someday, I hope to get a Sirio engine.

[popsracer]

Originally posted by helotaxi
Who makes these battery packs so we know who not to buy from?

My original pack was a Trinity Nickle Metal Hydride and it lasted over 1-1/2 years being charged at 1amp, 3-4 times a month. I bought the NEW pack at the local on-road track (only $16) and they are RD Logics packaged. I exchanged it for a second one, but so far after 4 hours of cycling it still won't take a full charge (1000 Mah) so it's probably time for a refund, and I'll just buy another Trinity pack ($39).

ExtremeDuty;

Use the Yokomo GT4 side exhaust header to install the HPI .15SS into your Reflex. The Trinity side exhaust headers WARP and leak at the flange (from experience).

[ExtremeDuty]

Thanks for the tip, popsracer...

For now, I have to use the exhaust system on my super nitro,
which is in-line system from horizon hobby. Can't remember
the name but I had to get a cheaper one...:o
If it doesn't fit well, I will follow your recommendation.

Today, I went out for servo savor/horn shopping. I just couldn't
believe that Trinity decided to include ones only for KO servos.
I have futaba/hitec servos.

I remember reading that there has been several different batches
of Reflex? When I checked mine, It has black rim wheels and only
1 set of suspension arms. Is this the first batch?
It really doesn't matter though....The E-bay price was awesome.
Cause I was the only bidder :D

[Darkside]

popsracer- If you take a look at Towerhobbies, you can get that Trinity pack for $27.99. I know you might want to support the local hobby shop and all, but thats a $12 difference in price between what you said they cost there and what Tower charges.

Extremeduty- No, on the contrary, your kit is one of the latest most up to date kits. The ones with the black wheels and one set of suspension components is the one where I guess Trinity feels they got everything 'right', because they haven't moved on with anymore running updates since they reached that point.

[Darkside]

Can anyone who uses them, tell me what the part number is for the Kyosho orange O-rings that go inside the V-One diffs. The ones that everyone says don't leak like the Trinity ones do. I'm ready to replace the Trinity stock O-rings now, but I have only seen the Kyosho O-rings in a set with the diff gears.

Is there a way to get them by themselves? If so, hit me with a part number. Thanks.

[NitroJoe]

hey popsracer the rdlogic hump pack batt dont work? i just ordered like 2 and hearing you say that doesnt make me jumping for joy i got the hump packs :(

[ExtremeDuty]

Originally posted by Darkside
Can anyone who uses them, tell me what the part number is for the Kyosho orange O-rings that go inside the V-One diffs. The ones that everyone says don't leak like the Trinity ones do. I'm ready to replace the Trinity stock O-rings now, but I have only seen the Kyosho O-rings in a set with the diff gears.

Is there a way to get them by themselves? If so, hit me with a part number. Thanks.

You can download V one series manual in PDF format from Kyosho
Japan web site. I got it from Japanese web page.
Also, try to search "V one" at towerhobbies.com.
You can browse all the original/spare and options parts.

[Darkside]

Extremeduty- I checked out Tower and never ran into them by themselves. I'll give another check and see if I see them there.

Thanks for reminding me about the downloads on Kyosho's site. I totally forgot about that.

[Darkside]

Extremeduty: Well I found the part number for the O-rings in the exploded diagram I downloaded and confirmed it in the V-One R instruction manual I downloaded from Kyosho's website.

Thanks again for reminding me of that.

[popsracer]

Guys;

The part Kyosho PN is 92052. Tower has them in stock last time I checked. Come 8-10 to a bag.

I returned the first RD Logic pack for another. It took about 4 hours of cycling to finally get the pack up to 1000Mah. I don't know how long the've been sitting in the shop, but I've NEVER had that problem with any other brand of packs. Someone without a digital charger probably would never have known of the problem.

ExtremeDuty;

Sorry, but the HEADER from your HPI will NOT fit the Reflex. It takes a special bend in the Header to clear the Pulley and Belt. The Yokomo GT4 Side Exhaust Header clears and is reasonably priced. DO NOT buy the Trinity Header, they warp and will leak at the flange gasket. (more expensive too)

[ExtremeDuty]

Hey, guys
Did you also have a problem fitting the rear long shaft with ball bearings?

The front shaft had enough clearance but this rear shaft was so
tight with bearings... I had to hammer it in.
Now I have NO idea how I would get it out when it's time for
belt change. I mean I had to use a hammer really hard.

Oh, for the front shaft, I had to grind one side of pully (that goes
in between the front shaft mount) to make it fit between
the pin and E-clip. I ended up removing up to 1 mm material from
the pully.

I was sooo mad due to these problems last nite.

Question:
Is there a good aftermarket belt tensioner for rear belt?
From my experiences with HPI super nitro, the rear belt needs a
belt tensioner to prevent skipping from hard braking.

Have a great evening!

[Darkside]

Extremeduty:

Pipes and headers

I don't know about warping with the side exhaust, but the Trinity in-line pipe and header combo(for rear exhaust engines) are very nice. Only downside is that with it mounted on my .12TR, the header bend isn't high enough to completely avoid the belt, so I had to tighten the tensioner down, just a little tad, to keep the belt from rubbing.

But, when or if you decide to get another engine/exhaust combo, whatever you do, don't let anyone convince you to put any pipe/coupler combo on your car that isn't spring coupled! The benefit of being able to lengthen or shorten the distance between header and pipe or shorten the header to improve performance isn't nearly worth the drawbacks of those silicone couplers! I can't tell you how many times I've seen guys lose a race because they took a hit to the pipe side and had the coupler break, had the coupler come loose or just plain had it break from old age and exposure to heat. I don't care how many zip ties you use or how you flare the header and pipe, it will never be as secure as spring coupling. Heck, if the NTC3 guys had the option, they'd use spring coupled too!:D

So keep that in mind when/if the time for a new engine/header/pipe ever comes.


This isn't the first time we've heard of people having to remove material from the pulley to make room for the e-clip. If you had to remove anything more than a little material, then I would say contact Trinity for a replacement. The bearings are a whole nuther' issue! Mine went on and off very smoothly, so I have no idea what to tell you in this case. I thought Trinity had worked out all its growing pains with this kit. :confused:

[NitroJoe]

do you guys think this is a good charger for batts and stuff? http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXL357&P=7 or nething else better?

[MikeWz]

I'm going to be getting my first Nitro On-road. I've been racing off-road for a while so I know what racing/tuning is all about. I'm not at all interested in getting a "Beginner" on-road so I'm seriously considering the Reflex. Any suggestions?

[adlawoo]

Hi to all! It's almost spring time here and thinking of rebuilding/replacing my Diffs before it really gets warmer...my question is that - can I buy/use the V-One R Diffs to the Reflex and also the Front One-Way Diffs too! . Many Thanks!

[LK_racing]

My Reflex setup is up for grabs right now, if anyone here is interested.. check my thread:

http://www.radiocontrolzone.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=118132

Pics can be seen here: lkracer.netfirms.com

$450 for the setup

[MikeWz]

Well, I bought a Reflex. I only got a Dynamite PD engine because that's all I could afford. Are there any set-up tips you can give me? This is my first on-road and my first kit (although at this point I can take apart and put my XXX-NT back together with my eyes closed).

[popsracer]

MikeWz;

If the Dynamite engine is a side exhaust, get the Yokomo GT4 Header. Nothing else fits better, they are strong too.
Follow the kit recommendations for set-up. It is a GREAT starting point for most tracks.

adlawoo;

If you rebuild your RFX Diffs use the V1R O-rings, Make sure to put the Metal Shims behind the 2 large diff gears. Remove the Shims behind the Small gears if there is any binding. This should stop all of the leaking through the outdrives. Use some kind of Gasket sealer on the Diff Case gasket(s), any type should be fine.

Darkseid;

That's funny, I see those little springs laying all over the ground at the permanent track out here.
I do like the spring connection used at the Engine case. Much less likely to bend a Header in a mishap. I have ALWAYS used Silicone couplers on my pipes. Just use the thicker ones availible and I put a few drops of CA between the coupler and the Header/Pipe before if put the Zip-Tyes on. Only lost one once this way and it was from a bad side hit. It's ONLY the Trinity SIDE Exhaust Header that has problems. I DO like the way the one piece exhaust looks better than a 2 piece does with the silicone coupler. I may try one on my NEXT Car (RFX Team Only or MTX-3) which is going to be for Large Tracks only.

ExtremeDuty;

Sounds like some quality control issues. I would have bought another part(s) and sent the tight one(s) back for exchange, unless you didn't have the time to wait. (did you check for a burr in the pin groove on the pulley)
I do not know of any tensioner for the rear belt. Never had mine skip. They will break before they skip. Replace all of them with V1R belts when the time comes.

[MikeWz]

Thanks Popsracer. It is a side exhaust so that's what I'll get. Are there any must haves for this car? As far as handling or anything goes? Are those composite parts worth looking into? Speed is good too, but handling is more important at the moment

[Poindexter]

Whew! Read all 15 pages...feel like I know you all :D Actually, I recognize Popsracer from the Super Nitro forum. Anyway, I just bought a Reflex Team Only to race on my local track (KZ Speedway in Southern California), so I'll report back with how I do. I jotted down some of your setups, and downloaded those off of the Trinity site, so I'll see how it goes. The Team Only has the front oneway, but I may tray a front diff (w/30,000) first to see how the car works at my track. I'll try to post pictures soon.

[ExtremeDuty]

Popsracer;

Sounds like some quality control issues. I would have bought another part(s) and sent the tight one(s) back for exchange, unless you didn't have the time to wait. (did you check for a burr in the pin groove on the pulley)
I do not know of any tensioner for the rear belt. Never had mine skip. They will break before they skip. Replace all of them with V1R belts when the time comes. [/B][/QUOTE]


I already put the rear shaft in with my hammer :D
Next time when I need to change the rear belt, my face will be
like this....:mad: I may have to cut the shaft in half.

I don't bother to exchange the shaft...but this incident made me
want to buy a mini-lathe. Been surfing over Internet for available
table top mini-lathe. At about $500 range, I can buy a reasonable
lathe. Most of them are from China, and rest are either from USA
or Germany. I don't want to buy ones from China and Germany ones' are very nice but expansive. Made in USA is the WAY to go!!!

I plan to get one next year.

Hey! Does any one know if Reflex is manufactured in USA?
The box does day "born in USA" or something.

[ExtremeDuty]

OK, as popsracer wanred, Dynamite side exhaust header didn't
clear the pully and belt. :o I had to try it to see...

Now I will be ordering a Yokomo GT-4 side header soon. Is there
a good tuned pipe for Reflex or any thing good for Nitro touring?

The one had w/ HPI is an in-line system.

Thanks,

ExDuty

[adlawoo]

Originally posted by popsracer
[
adlawoo;

If you rebuild your RFX Diffs use the V1R O-rings, Make sure to put the Metal Shims behind the 2 large diff gears. Remove the Shims behind the Small gears if there is any binding. This should stop all of the leaking through the outdrives. Use some kind of Gasket sealer on the Diff Case gasket(s), any type should be fine.



Thanks Popsracer! You said "any type", that means I can use the Kyosho Diffs and Kyosho 1way Front for the Vone-R, right?

What is a good starting point or good set-up for the Front/Rear Diffs Silicone Oil? Many-many Thanks!:)

[popsracer]

MikeWz;

I really like the way the Car handles with the "Black" V1R springs Front and Rear.
The suspension parts are really stiff already, don't you think? I don't see any real advantage with the stiffer plastic parts for most people.

Poindexter;

I would leave the Front 1-way in and learn to drive it that way (easy on the brakes). You'll be much faster on a big track like KZ with the 1-way installed. (Revelation Raceway is my local track)

ExtremeDuty;

A lathe or Drill Press would have come in handy.

I used to work on German made Envelope machines, they tend to over engineer everything.
Japanese, just enough so it will work properly.
Americans, bigger is Always better.
You work around machinery from all of these different countries and you get to know the engineering philosophy's of each one. (No insult intended)

Guys;

I don't think you will be dissapointed with the Yokomo Side Exhaust Header for your Reflex's.

[popsracer]

Originally posted by adlawoo
Thanks Popsracer! You said "any type", that means I can use the Kyosho Diffs and Kyosho 1way Front for the Vone-R, right?

What is a good starting point or good set-up for the Front/Rear Diffs Silicone Oil? Many-many Thanks!:)

adlawoo;

I know that the V1R diff cases will fit the Reflex as I have them in one of mine. The V1R Front 1-Way should fit also, I know the Front pulleys are the same, so I don't see why the 1-way wouldn't work.
"Any type" I meant any type of Gasket sealer for the diff case halves. I should have been clearer.

If your going to run the diffs Front and Rear. Use the "MIX" that Trinity suggests in the RFX instructions (it's about 30,000) in the Front and the 80wt shock oil, for the Rear diff (or 3,000) I've never found a reason to want to change from these as they work great for everything.

[helotaxi]

Originally posted by ExtremeDuty
Popsracer;

I don't bother to exchange the shaft...but this incident made me
want to buy a mini-lathe. Been surfing over Internet for available
table top mini-lathe. At about $500 range, I can buy a reasonable
lathe. Most of them are from China, and rest are either from USA
or Germany. I don't want to buy ones from China and Germany ones' are very nice but expansive. Made in USA is the WAY to go!!!

I have a Sherline. Excellent quality. Problem with using it in this situation is the shaft is hardened. All you will be is burn up the lathe tool and chew up the shaft a bit. Replacing the shaft is a much better way to go.

Hey! Does any one know if Reflex is manufactured in USA?
The box does day "born in USA" or something.

Is anything sold buy Trinity actually "MADE IN THE USA"?

[ExtremeDuty]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by helotaxi
[B]I have a Sherline. Excellent quality. Problem with using it in this situation is the shaft is hardened. All you will be is burn up the lathe tool and chew up the shaft a bit. Replacing the shaft is a much better way to go.

Oh, that's why the shaft was hard to be sanded....
I tried to used some of sand paper on shaft but they only
made some scratches...
Thanks for the info.

Plz, anyone?
Which tuned pipe should I get?

While I was working on putting engine into Reflex, I broke the
carb fuel nipple. That darn thing was made of brass and I am
super over-powered. Towerhobbies.com search yielded that
Kyosho's GT-12 engine has same type of carb.
This small nipple's gonna cost me $ 4.29 :eek:

[adlawoo]

Thanks again Popsracer! Got it now(about the Diffs)! BTW, I bought this RFX used and the rear diffs is leaking so bad - it extends all the way to the engine mounts/rear arms. The front diffs is locked....that's why I am thinking of rebuilding the diffs. But have to try it run first with a locked front diffs, that is when the weather gets nicer(3" of snow again yesterday).Cannot wait anymore, coz I haven't even fire her up since I bought it(that was Nov'02)

How it is like running with a locked front diffs? :)

[popsracer]

adlawoo;

How it is like running with a locked front diffs?
I believe that the Car will push very badly in most all situations.


ExtremeDuty;

The Reflex Shafts are Hard Anodized Aluminum. Tough stuff indeed. You might have been able to reduce the diameter enough with sandpaper if you had chucked it up in a Lathe or Drill Press. Too late now. No Hammering next time, OK. Hammering is for Nails and fixing Radio Shack R/C Cars. :D

Don't you have an old engine you can steal the fuel nipple off of?

(I LOVE living in Southern California)

[Poindexter]

Originally posted by popsracer
Poindexter;

I would leave the Front 1-way in and learn to drive it that way (easy on the brakes). You'll be much faster on a big track like KZ with the 1-way installed. (Revelation Raceway is my local track)



Pops, thanks! Yeah, I think I'll do that. I have driven on the track with a one way (A mugen MTX-2 and my Super Nitro), but never at any "real" speeds. All of the local guys are running the NTC3, so I figured I wanted to run something different. I've heard a lot about Revelation, but have never actually made it out there. Where exactly is it located?

[Darkside]

JEZZZ....theres been a lot of activity on here since I last came on.

popsracer: I always hear you saying "I might try that on my next car" or "I'll try that on my sons next car"! With all these cars you guys have, do you have room in your house to sit down! LOL!:D

I haven't seen anyone having problems with the spring couplers around here. Thankfully though, you rarely see someone take a really hard side impact. In fact, now that I think of it, the nitro class is probably our cleanest class!

[helotaxi]

Originally posted by Darkside
I haven't seen anyone having problems with the spring couplers around here. Thankfully though, you rarely see someone take a really hard side impact. In fact, now that I think of it, the nitro class is probably our cleanest class!

Probably because the hacks either can't afford to get into nitro or they get frustrated because they can't tune an engine or they can't keep the car together (literally) and drop out.

[popsracer]

Darkseid;

Between myself and my Sons we own a total of 7 running Cars and Trucks. 3 are Reflexes. I have the room and time for one more Car and it's going to be set-up for racing on large permanent tracks only.

The racing is MUCH cleaner on large tracks too, more room to stay away from the Hackers. It's those 50 mph Board hits that are killers.

Nice to see you back online.

Poindexter;

It is in Montclair, CA (Pomona) on State street at the corner of Monte Vista and State, can't miss it. Sorry I've never been to KZ, but I hear it's even bigger than Revelation.

[ExtremeDuty]

Don't you have an old engine you can steal the fuel nipple off of?


My old HPI stock engine was turned in for the HPI SS engine I
have now. It was from their engine upgrade program.

My last (and my first ) nitro car/buggy was a Kyosho Inferno 10
buggy in 1994. The kit came with a OS CZ engine. Later I had
a backup engine, OS .12 CV.

Anyway, HPI carb's fuel nipple design is kinda unique.

Have you guys noticed that towerhobbies' warehouse location is
now at Reno, NV? I used get stuff delivered really fast since its
warehouse was in Champaign, IL. By the way, I hate to live in
Michigan. Winter is too long and summer racing season is only
like two months??? That's why I bought a Kyosho mad force.

[ChrisMi6]

Tower hobbies has a couple distribution centers.

[ExtremeDuty]

Hello,

I think the stock setup is for foam tires. How does Reflex do with
rubber tires with stock setup?

I will be running the car with rubbers since I have several sets of
rubber tires from previous electric sedans.

[popsracer]

I got 3rd in Expert Nitro this past Saturday at our Local Track. I tried Foams for the main and what a BIG mistake. My Reflex was so loose that it was a handfull to keep straight and I still finished in 3rd. :D

MOST of the time I race with Rubber Tires as the Track surface will not allow Foams very often. (Sealed Asphalt)

For Sealed/Slurried Asphalt: Sorex 36R's w/HPI Red or Green inserts. Take-Off's are good if you are a smooth Driver.

Coarse older Asphalt: Yokomo 138G's work well.

Concrete: Take-Off 27CS or 32CS with Medium inserts.

There are others, but I've had the most luck with these examples on those surfaces.

[helotaxi]

Sealed Asphalt and foams won't hook up??? We're talking nice smooth blacktop here right? That should be prime real-estate for a foam setup. You will have to tune your setup for the difference in traction characteristics between rubber tires and foams, but the foams should hook up much better than rubber in just about every situation.

[Darkside]

Well, I've found a way to keep my diffs from leaking while the car is just sitting on the stand(or in my case sitting on the starter box). Since my diffs tend to leak mainly from the non-gear side, I put an item under the starter box, which let me tip the car at about a 25-30 degree angle. That way, the o-rings on that side don't even have any oil against them, so theres no way they can leak! I've had the car like this for about two weeks and theres no leakage, so this will keep the oil in there till I can get the Kyosho o-rings. Question is, why do they only leak from the non-gear side of the diff case?:confused:

In some of the dustier conditions, I have seen people using the Medial Pro tires in the nitro class with good success. They seem to have a very high traction-to-wear ratio. I might pick up a set, just to practice with so I can save my foams for racing.

Speaking of practice....this weekend is forecast to be in the 70s and high 60s. Could this be the weekend I'll finally get to break in my engine???

You guys cross your fingers for me! LOL :D

[NitroJoe]

Omg darkside same here saturday and sunday suppose to b high 60's plz pray for us that we get those temps that way i can break in my new TR!!!!!!!!:D :D :D

[MikeWz]

Man, you guys are really lucky. It's about 40degrees here today, and it's supposed to snow again on friday. I really can't wait to break in this engine and get the car running. It's my first TC and I'm really anxious to run it.

[ExtremeDuty]

The Reflex is almost assembled except throttle linkages and engine.
I'm waiting for some additional parts from Towerhobbies.
Anyway, I will do the engine break-in in late May and running
the Reflex in June. Gotta hate living in Michigan.

I envy you guys living in Cali....

[PAMaxx]

I just purchased a new RFX Team Only Kit, great deal from Ultimatehobbies only 385.00, and I need a new engine as well. I am going to get a Sirio .12 or a Rossi Black Pixi.12. Does anyone have real experience with these engines in this car?

[TopKatz]

PAMaxx - I dont have any hands on... all I can offer is what I have herd.

The siro has crazy high RPM. However it lacks in the low/midrange power production.

the pixi is a more traditional motor using ABC construction. It will be a more well rounded motor.

Hope that helps


Personaly I would go with the pixi

[Poindexter]

Originally posted by TopKatz
PAMaxx - I dont have any hands on... all I can offer is what I have herd.

The siro has crazy high RPM. However it lacks in the low/midrange power production.

the pixi is a more traditional motor using ABC construction. It will be a more well rounded motor.

Hope that helps


Personaly I would go with the pixi

I have a Sirio ROAR-legal .12 (non-turbo) in my Reflex and it rips! It is considerably faster than the MT12 I had in my Serpent. It has more power accross the band, and pulls harder everywhere. The Sirio seems to be a very popular engine nowadays, so they must be working okay..... ;)

[popsracer]

Guys;

Having the Shims between the large Diff Gears and the O-rings helps, but the Kyosho Orange O-rings are the ticket. If they're leaking when the Car is just sitting, can you imagine how bad they are going to leak with that oil sloshing around inside the diffs, when the Car is running.

Foams are just about worthless if there is even the slightest amount of dust on the track. Since we only race every two weekends at the track, it never gets really clean enough for Foams. Sealed asphalt is the pits. OLD weathered asphalt, where the top of gravel has been slightly exposed, gives the BEST traction in parking lots, IMHO & experience.
Shouldn't have to change your set-up for Foams if Rubber tires are working. If Rubber won't hook-up, then Foams aren't going to work any better 99% of the time.

From what I've seen at the local tracks, the Sirio engines are much faster than average. The ROAR Sirio is ABC construction.
The Rossi's seem to be average in power at best and they're expensive at $200+. These are only my observations, from watching other peoples cars.

I have NOT had any luck with the Medial Pro tires, except for electric on concrete.

[helotaxi]

Originally posted by popsracer
Foams are just about worthless if there is even the slightest amount of dust on the track. Since we only race every two weekends at the track, it never gets really clean enough for Foams. Sealed asphalt is the pits. OLD weathered asphalt, where the top of gravel has been slightly exposed, gives the BEST traction in parking lots, IMHO & experience.
Shouldn't have to change your set-up for Foams if Rubber tires are working. If Rubber won't hook-up, then Foams aren't going to work any better 99% of the time.
If foams don't hook up any better than rubber, why are foams all that the pros run? Two tips for your club: Someone has a leaf blower, right? Blow off the area before you put down the track. Difference is night and day. Takes 10-15 min and is worth every seecond spent. Second, go to Walmart and get a garden sprayer, the kind you pump up and uses a wand to dispense its contents. Fill it with cheap soda and spray the "line" on the track. If you can get the raw syrup for a soda machine it works even better.

From what I've seen at the local tracks, the Sirio engines are much faster than average. The ROAR Sirio is ABC construction.
The Rossi's seem to be average in power at best and they're expensive at $200+. These are only my observations, from watching other peoples cars.
Sirio make a ROAR/IFMAR legal AAC engine as well. Trinity doesn't import it unfortunately. They put its label on the AAC 5 port. These are good engines, very good actually. I don't have any experience with the Rossi engines.

[adlawoo]

Anybody here running 3Racing's F-oneways(4 V1R)? Was installing it last night and it fits but then too tight that it won't even roll, it's like the brake is on full lock.

How if I buy VoneR front bulkhead, will that solve my problem? Many Thanks!

[ExtremeDuty]

Hi, All.

I got stuff from Towerhobbies today. I tried to put the Yokomo
exhaust header. The header fits much better but I still had to
grind off some material from the flange and make a big dent
on header pipe to clear the screw that holds down the side aluminum
brace. After some banging, it fits very nice.
I guess Reflex is really meant to be run with rear exhaust engines.

[helotaxi]

I didn't see this anywhere here, did you try the V-oneR side exhaust header? Same car and the V-oneR was originally designed to use the CV-R.

[lott racer]

Hey topkatz, do you remember me from the hpi forum? i found this just recently. do you still have your reflex? a buddy of mine just got one and really likes it. anyway, do you guys have any preference between the clutch type 2spd over the finger type? thanks

[Darkside]

Well gentleman....I got my baby dirty today.....and How sweet it is!

Early on, I wasn't sure I was breaking the engine in correctly. The more I broke it in, the harder it got to keep it running at idle, keep it from stalling at mid throttle, yada, yada, yada...

But, when I reached that sweet point on the high end needle, then the mixture screw, then the idle....Ohhh Yeahhh!

Only thing left to get worked out is the 2 speed. It never did shift while I was running. I loosened it up, and I'll try it again tomorrow to see how it works out.

[ExtremeDuty]

This afternoon, I worked on throttle linkage.
I don't why Trinity decided to put chamfers on the aluminum collars (not sure about the correct term) 3 mm set screw holes.
Due to the chamfer, there are fewer threads that set screws can
use. All of mine, total 3, scripped. There were only 1 1/1 to 2 turns
of threads that I could use.

I had to borrow the collars from my HPI cars and Mad force.
Anyway, this really sucks.

Since I finished assembling the Reflex, I would rate Reflex as
B- mainly due to parts unfit.

[NitroJoe]

Hey popsracer how long did it take you to charge up your rdlogic hump pack i got 2 and one of them is being stubborn and wont fully charge i've cycled it, it only charges about 300 then stops so i have to discharge is that correct? Also i jus recently bought a starter box and it came wit a 12v batt do i have to cycle it before i charge it? or jus charge?

[Darkside]

Well, I got to run my RFX on a track yesterday. It was just a temporary practice track that a racer buddy of mine sets up before the season starts, but it is about the size of one of our regular local tracks.

Noticed a couple of things:

-The car rolled during turning.....a lot! I just had the kit basic set up on and things seemed a little soft. I'll work on the set up with the stock equipment first and see how much I can solve this. After that, I'll pick up the spring tuning set before the start of the season and see if that helps. Otherwise, I might be looking to pick up the front and rear sway bars.

-I finally got the 2-speed adjusted. The kit manual says to start at 5 turns out. I ended up at 6 turns out. I also figured a way to avoid adjusting the same screws twice by accident, while not having to pull the 2-speed apart. What I did was simply scratch the head of one screw a few times, so that it would be instant and easily recognized while adjustments are being made! So theres no way you can confuse it with the other screw. Simple huh?!?:D

-I may go to a higher second gear. The first gear was fine. In the in-field, I was catching all the other cars practicing there(even with my car not handling perfectly) but, once we hit the straight I was at a slight disadvantage. I believe that the NTC3 come with gearing aimed more at highspeed, which is why I did well in the in-field, but lost out on the straight.

-The O.S. .12TR is plenty powerfull for just about any track. Unless you race on one of those "World's" type tracks with 200+ foot straights, this engine can hang with anything out there!

-My Saleen S7 body may be great of looks, but I'm not sure about its on track abilities. Following a tip from a good buddy of mine(the one who got me into nitro TC) I'm going to pick up a Stratus body(probably a Stratus 2.1) and use it to guage the performance of all other bodies I run from that point forward. Also, since I know I can actually drive the car, I wont be afraid to put down a nice paint job on the new body!:D

-And finally, the car is very easy to clean! I was amazed at how quickly I could have it cleaned up again with just a compressor, rags and some motor spray!

[Darkside]

NitroJoe: You said you cycled it and it still only put in 300mah once it started charging? Thats not right! It should get somewhere near the actual mah that the pack is rated for. It might be time to bump up the peak detection on your charger. The cells in these small packs aren't matched like the electric race packs we use. So one or two cells may be peaking before the rest and causing the charger to sense peak early. I would say bump up your peak detection as high as it goes and cycle the cells a few more times till it take a full charge.

As for the 12V....

....NOOOOoooooo, no cycling on these things. Also, you can't use your regular charger to charge that 12V gell cell. You have to use a 12V specific charger. Usually a plug in wall charger that slowly charges the 12v battery over night. Hangar 9 makes the one I use. Dude, I hope you read this before you try charging that 12V with your regular charger!:eek:

[NitroJoe]

hehehe Thx darkside for the warning but i have the hanger9 and i left it on over night and then some and the red light doesnt do ne thing usually suppose to flash or something when charge but nope, as for the packs what do u mean by taking up the peak detection? the closesets it ever got is 633mAh :mad:

[MikeWz]

I just got a Dynamite .12PD side exhaust engine. I don't know anything about it, but it only sells on Horizon for $80. Kind cheap. Does anybody know anything about this engine. I was also looking into getting the '03 Fantom FR.12S with the rear exhaust. It puts out 1.3HP and hits almost 4K RMP. Is this a good engine for on-road. Never had an On-road before so I'm not used to all this.

[Poindexter]

Originally posted by NitroJoe
hehehe Thx darkside for the warning but i have the hanger9 and i left it on over night and then some and the red light doesnt do ne thing usually suppose to flash or something when charge but nope, as for the packs what do u mean by taking up the peak detection? the closesets it ever got is 633mAh :mad:

Joe, DO NOT CYCLE NiMH packs--they will get damaged if you allow the voltage to drop too low. The other thing that really kills NiMH packs is heat: don't charge your receiver packs at more than 1.3 amps (.5 amps is even better), and if adjustable on your charger, go 4 Mv per cell. Unlike NiCd batteries, NiMH batteries should be stored with about 70% of their charge left, and they should not be cycled (charged/discharged) the way NiCds are. On a side note, I remember reading somewhere that RD Logic batteries weren't very good, and that some people have had some problems (I think it was on the Mugen MRX-3 list that i belong to). I wouls say stick to Trinity or similar packs. My .02;)

[helotaxi]

Darkside- The second gear on the NTC-3 is higher than any car I am aware of. Much higher. You can't, as far as I know, gear the RFX as high as the stock NTC-3, and I personally wouldn't want to.

MikeWz- The .12pd is not a bad engine. Definitely worth $80. It is not a real powerhouse but it is reliable. I don't have any experience with the Fantom engines and I have heard good and bad.

NitroJoe- What charger are you using? You CAN cycle NiMh cells without damageing them. You SHOULD discharge the pack before you charge them. Store them with 50-70% charge. Before use, discharge, but not a deep discharge. As soon as it is done, take it off the discharger and let it cool if it got a little warm before charging. Charge at about an amp. If your charger has adjustable peak voltage threshold, set it at 3-4mA per cell. All the packs I have bought recommended using the pack a few times before expecting them to show full capacity.

[Darkside]

NitroJoe: Thats good that you knew. I was hoping that you weren't trying to charge it with your regular charger!

BTW: it IS safe to cycle NiMH cells. If it weren't, all those $180-$300 chargers out there wouldn't bother having the feature. Its not neccesary to cycle them as often as NiCD cells, but when packs are new, its a good idea to cycle them to get them up to peak capacity.:D

helotaxi: I'm just looking to go up a little on the second gear. I really wasn't that far off in top speed. They would only pass me at the very end of the straight.

[helotaxi]

Yeah, I hear ya. The NTC-3 takes the whole straight to get up to speed. 2nd gear is just too tall. Its top speed is impressive but it needs a huge chunk of real estate to get there. By that time every other car is already making the turn! I'm not a fan of the NTC-3 if you hadn't figured that out yet.

[Poindexter]

Originally posted by Darkside
NitroJoe: Thats good that you knew. I was hoping that you weren't trying to charge it with your regular charger!

BTW: it IS safe to cycle NiMH cells. If it weren't, all those $180-$300 chargers out there wouldn't bother having the feature. Its not neccesary to cycle them as often as NiCD cells, but when packs are new, its a good idea to cycle them to get them up to peak capacity.:D

helotaxi: I'm just looking to go up a little on the second gear. I really wasn't that far off in top speed. They would only pass me at the very end of the straight.
That's funny--I've never heard of cycling receiver packs in the same manner that you would cycle a, for example, Sanyo 2400 nicd pack. While it is true that it take a couple of "cycles" to get a receiver pack up to full voltage, they should never be discharged (or cycled in the traditional manner) the way that one discharges nicd packs--you will ruin the packs this way. The only safe way to cycle a receiver pack (unless you are intimately familiar with your expensive charger) is to use it. Charge it for the first time at only 1/2 an amp. Use it. When it is down to about 6.5 volts, pull it out, let it cool down, then charge it again. This is what "cycling" a receiver pack is all about. And it should be "4mv" per cell, not amps. This is after learning the hard way with my RS4 Micro and countless 5 and 6 cell 2/3-A packs....;)

[NitroJoe]

Well so far it hasn't gotten hot or anything and the closets i've ever gotten is 884 and then it got stuck there for some reason i dunno y i asked rdlogics tech and they said i should just leave it and let the thing charge or w/e if my 4th try of cycling dont work imma return these boogers and get some trinity, hey darkside did the hanger 9 for 12v batts just take overnight for you? should the red dot thing flash when the batt is charged or something. My hobbico charger was only 85 bucks at lhs

[MikeWz]

Helotaxi-What good and bad points have you heard about the Fantom. I know they used to ABSC, which was bad, but the new '03's are ABC again. And they sell on Ebay for $129 brand new, which is much cheaper than on any web-sites I've seen

[helotaxi]

I don't want to influence your decision based on heresay. I've never seen one run. My only experience with them was people ranting on the message boards I read. You know the drill: "Oh this engine is crap!" "Oh this is the best engine ever!" I don't have any real knowledge or specifics.

[NitroJoe]

STupid RdLogics batts aint chargin up to full potential bleh!!!!!!!!!!! i need batts to worky for this weekend!!!!!!! ne one else got ne other ideas?

[popsracer]

Originally posted by helotaxi
If foams don't hook up any better than rubber, why are foams all that the pros run? Two tips for your club: Someone has a leaf blower, right? Blow off the area before you put down the track. Difference is night and day. Takes 10-15 min and is worth every seecond spent. Second, go to Walmart and get a garden sprayer, the kind you pump up and uses a wand to dispense its contents. Fill it with cheap soda and spray the "line" on the track. If you can get the raw syrup for a soda machine it works even better.

Helotaxi;

We've been there done that. So far Sugar water has produced the best results over anything else.

In the summer (at our track) the Sealer gets sticky and the traction sometimes gets good enough to run Foams, but for the most part Rubber works better 90+% of the time.

[popsracer]

Originally posted by ExtremeDuty
Hi, All.

I got stuff from Towerhobbies today. I tried to put the Yokomo
exhaust header. The header fits much better but I still had to
grind off some material from the flange and make a big dent
on header pipe to clear the screw that holds down the side aluminum
brace. After some banging, it fits very nice.
I guess Reflex is really meant to be run with rear exhaust engines.

ExtremeDuty;

I think I changed the screw to a flathead and countersunk the hole for clearance. Didn't have to grind the flange any and no dents. But i've seen this before, wide variations in Headers from one package to the next. As long as it fits the Car it was designed for, no one is going to complain.
Didn't know there was a V1R side exhaust manifold.

[popsracer]

Originally posted by NitroJoe
Hey popsracer how long did it take you to charge up your rdlogic hump pack i got 2 and one of them is being stubborn and wont fully charge i've cycled it, it only charges about 300 then stops so i have to discharge is that correct? Also i jus recently bought a starter box and it came wit a 12v batt do i have to cycle it before i charge it? or jus charge?

NitroJoe;
I exchanged the pack that was only going to 300 Mah with another. The new pack took a few cycles to come up, but it now takes at least 1,000 Mah. I charge all of my Radio/Receiver packs at 1 amp. If your concerned about battery life keep the rate down to 0.5 (1/2) amp.
Buy a 12volt, 500mah charger for your 12v Starter box battery. ($10-$15)

[popsracer]

Originally posted by Darkside
Well, I got to run my RFX on a track yesterday. It was just a temporary practice track that a racer buddy of mine sets up before the season starts, but it is about the size of one of our regular local tracks.

Noticed a couple of things:

-The car rolled during turning.....a lot! I just had the kit basic set up on and things seemed a little soft. I'll work on the set up with the stock equipment first and see how much I can solve this. After that, I'll pick up the spring tuning set before the start of the season and see if that helps. Otherwise, I might be looking to pick up the front and rear sway bars. (The stock kit spring are way too soft. The V1R "Black springs work great for us)

-I may go to a higher second gear. The first gear was fine. In the in-field, I was catching all the other cars practicing there(even with my car not handling perfectly) but, once we hit the straight I was at a slight disadvantage. I believe that the NTC3 come with gearing aimed more at highspeed, which is why I did well in the in-field, but lost out on the straight. (Try the 45T or 44T second gear spurs for just a little more top speed.)

-And finally, the car is very easy to clean! I was amazed at how quickly I could have it cleaned up again with just a compressor, rags and some motor spray! (Methanol makes a great Nitro wash, been using it for years and it's cheap at less than $10 a gallon)

[popsracer]

Originally posted by MikeWz
Helotaxi-What good and bad points have you heard about the Fantom. I know they used to ABSC, which was bad, but the new '03's are ABC again. And they sell on Ebay for $129 brand new, which is much cheaper than on any web-sites I've seen

MikeWz;

My Fantom .15 '03' (Side exhaust) came with an insert in the Can that says the Piston and Sleeve are ABSC. Has LOTS of power and runs VERY cool. I actually have a hard time getting this thing to run over 200_F without leaning it out too much.
'Stormer Hobbies' has the entire line of Fantom engines at very reasonable prices.

[MikeWz]

Thanks! That's probably the engine I will go with. Just the .12 with rear. It's supposed to have a bit more power than the side exhaust :D

[ob-4forever]

you guyz think this is an "ok" car...i hear it hauls and kicks ass no matter what engine u get

the problem here is that i hear there are alot of hand fit partrs....is this true...and what parts are hand fit...??

[Poindexter]

Originally posted by ob-4forever
you guyz think this is an "ok" car...i hear it hauls and kicks ass no matter what engine u get

the problem here is that i hear there are alot of hand fit partrs....is this true...and what parts are hand fit...??

Every single car I've ever built has required some fitting--some much more than others. It really depends on how "*nal" you are and how perfect you want your parts to fit. Things like removing flahing precisely, making sure diff halves fit percetly, making sure shock pistons are perfectly round, etc. are all things that can be considered "hand fitting." I don't recall much fitting at all with the Reflex, and you can rest assured that it requires a lot less, than, say, a Serpent Impulse Pro (I literally had to make a special AAA battery pack for that one) or something similar. It is not as easy to put together as the Associated NTC3, but I wouldn't consider it difficult. Read the previous posts for some feedback and details regarding assembly.

[ChrisMi6]

There are no hand fit parts at all. Its as easy to put together as any other high performance touring car.

[ob-4forever]

yeah well all i have is a ob-4


seen here...
yeah it was purdy easy 2 build but still i just wanted to know on an average stand point if its pretty easy to build...its purdy cheap for all the hop ups u get 259.99!

http://www.radiocontrolzone.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=945048#post945048
the last one with the huge picture is mine!

[ExtremeDuty]

OK, I finished assembling Reflex.
As I wrote before, I gave Reflex a "B- "on part fitting. For especially
metal parts. The problems were not minor issues.

Yes, all other kits MAY require hand fitting but for me they were all
plastic parts not metal parts! So far my past Japanese kits never
required hand fitting. They all were assembled like lego blocks.
However my saying doesn't mean I don't like Reflex.

It's just very annoying....

[edit] By the way, I was one of unlucky buyer who got the kit
with some bad quality parts. Other racers seem to get good
ones.

[ob-4forever]

thats wat i mean like do u hafta cut sertain pieces of metal or plastic to get em too work right??

if so i cant get this cuz i am not a machinist

[ChrisMi6]

Originally posted by ob-4forever
thats wat i mean like do u hafta cut sertain pieces of metal or plastic to get em too work right??

if so i cant get this cuz i am not a machinist

Its nothing like that, either he just got a really bad kit or he doesn't know how to put it together correctly. I've already built two reflex kits and they were both perfect, and one was the new version, the other the older version.

[ExtremeDuty]

Originally posted by ChrisMi6
Its nothing like that, either he just got a really bad kit or he doesn't know how to put it together correctly. I've already built two reflex kits and they were both perfect, and one was the new version, the other the older version.

Not seeing my ability & Reflex rear 2 speed shaft means you can
say anything about me?

I DID say I think I got a really bad kit.

I have had over 10 R/C cars and several air planes over 10 years,
and have a B.S. in mechanical engineering and working on my
M.S. in mechanical engineering. Oh, by the way, my concentration
is mechanical design. I am a full time automotive engineer working

for one of Big three in Detroit, MI. Also, I do work on my two cars
up to medimum repair works.

Now you are telling me I don't know how to put things together?
Actually I do know how to assemble many things like many talented
racers on this board...

[popsracer]

Out of the 3 Reflex's we own (I built them all), a Few Minor problems surfaced.

1st kit, the top of the Shock Shafts was slighty too large and the Pistons wouldn't thread on without some filing. Didn't have that problem with the other kits.
On ALL of the other kits, the Caster Clips had to be sanded to fit, but that's about it.
My Friend's Reflex had 2 Shock Pistons that didn't have the oil holes drilled in them.

ANYWAYS, here is a current picture of our Reflex's:

[MikeWz]

What's this about a newer and older version of the kit. I just ordered one(not here yet) on ebay. How can I tell if I have the newer one or the older one? Thanks

[popsracer]

MikeWz;

I really don't think that there is much if any difference of when the kits were produced. I've purchased 4 of them, and except for the earlier kits coming with some spare F/R knuckles.
ALL of OUR kits had the White Wheels (I've seen some with Black). The First batch of kits come with a CD that has the entire Manual on it. (kind nice) The newer kits have addendum sheets to deal with the errors and omissions in the assembly manuals. You STILL have to sand the Caster clips to fit without binding the Front upper Arms, no when your kit was produced. Other than that, they're all about the same.
Read back in the thread for the solutions to the diff leaking problem. Best to build the Diff(s) with the method suggested here, to avoid the leaking.

[PAMaxx]

I want to get a engine for my new kit. I was going to get a Sirio but I like the looks of the Rossi better. That polished head look great. Does anyone have experience with the engines. Also I do not know if I should go outlaw or ROAR legal.

[MikeWz]

Good. I was hoping there wasn't much of a difference, or at least that it wasn't sorse(although they usually make improvements not make it worse, but hey you never know these days:D )

[Darkside]

Originally posted by Poindexter
That's funny--I've never heard of cycling receiver packs in the same manner that you would cycle a, for example, Sanyo 2400 nicd pack.

Thats not what I said at all. I never said to cycle a reciever pack the same way you would a 2400 pack! :rolleyes:

I SAID that I cycle my new NiMH packs before the first time I use them and then only if the packs have been sitting dormant for quite some time. I DIDN'T say to cycle them every time you charge them or anything like that.

When I cycled my 1100mah Trinity reciever pack, I charged it at 1amp, discharged it at .8amp and gave it a delay of 30 minutes between the discharge and charge. The pack never got anything more than warm and the capacity of the pack is nearly exactly 1100mah. So I'm happy with the results.

I'm not telling you that you have to try it if your not comfortable with it. BUT, telling people its not safe to cycle NiMH packs is WRONG! As long as their using a quality charger and not doing the light bulb method, its perfectly safe.

[Darkside]

Well, I took my second run with the RFX this weekend. The engine is running great. This was my first O.S. engine, but definitely won't be my last!:cool:

Got some of the handling problems figured out. After I realised that I had zero degrees of camber at all four corners!:rolleyes: I ended up with 2 degrees in the rear and 1 up front and that yeilded the best results.

Still got some push issues to work out. I going to be trying a new body soon, so I'll see what happens after that. All in all though, the car is just as easy to drive as my electric. Its so easy to drive that I'm actually considering a front one-way....just considering it though!;)

popsracer: you said to "try the 45t or 44t for the second gear to get a little more speed". What about which 2nd gear pinion? Don't I have to change 2nd gear spur and pinion at the same time? If I don't wouldn't that cause mesh problems?:confused:


Thanx

[Poindexter]

Originally posted by Darkside
Thats not what I said at all. I never said to cycle a reciever pack the same way you would a 2400 pack! :rolleyes:

I SAID that I cycle my new NiMH packs before the first time I use them and then only if the packs have been sitting dormant for quite some time. I DI