52 replies to this topic

[dc-65x]

Rodney and I are both building 1.5L GP cars with 13D Mabuchi motors. His first car is this gorgeous Russkit Ferrari Shark Nose:



Here's the link to the details of his 13D build:

Rodney's Rides

I'm going to follow the lead in the 1965 article shown below. This newsletter was published in Northern California (San Carlos) by Hobby House Publications. I've always thought the author, Cal Cape, was pretty creative. I'll be doing a version of his Pitt-Boochie 196-13D:












My build coordinator, Tiny Dancer said, "this will never work":



Here's the blown up 13D I started with. The only thing I'll be using are the can and, so far, the magnets:



The armature is a Pittman 196B from a donor motor:



Once Tiny realized I was serious about attempting this build she set about rounding up the necessary motor parts from the Bag-O-Pittman-196 parts:



She came up with this:



Let the games begin

[dc-65x]

The gimbal bearing needs to come out of the Mabuchi can so a 3/32" ball bearing can be installed.This grinding stone makes quick work of the staking that holds the whole mess together:



Here's the unneeded junk and the can ready for the new bearing:



The new bearing installed:



For and end bell or end plate the author bent one up out of sheet brass. I decided machine one from bar stock. Here's the machined end plate and the hunk of brass it came from:



The end plate has a machined lip to align it with the end of the can. Here it is before it's pushed all the way back...



...and installed:



So the Pittman 196 arm fits!!!



Now the hard part, getting the brush holder fabricated and the brushes installed:



If my idea doesn't work out I'll have to fall back to the author's bent wire brush holder....

[Tex]

You GO, Rick!

[Hworth08]

Don't know how far you want to drift from "original" but Pablo used I believe a pair of FK magnets in a 13D can. That should be quite a performance boost.

[dc-65x]

I'm on it Tex!

Hi Don,

Any 13D "hop up" ideas or 1.5L GP car talk in general would be appreciated

I'm going to try the vintage magnets in the hopes they are good as the stock Pittman "iron" magnets. If they don't work out the FK's could be a fall back plan.

[havlicek]

Hi Rick,

Cool build, and the bearings and arm should make for a significant uptick in performance for sure. I'm guessing that the stock 13UO magnets would be "OK" as neither they nor the Pittman magnets are very...er...magnetic The Pittman short stack arm is probably a good step hotter than the Mabuchi (I'm guessing because about anything would be!) and stronger magnets would probably work even better, but there's always the problem of "too much magnet" to consider when you go to modern magnets...and there are several ceramics I know of that would fit the can. From memory, these would all measure around 900 or so...like twice the stock magnets gauss! I think you're smart to try things the way it is, because a magnet swap would be an easy detail later on. This is going to be a really nice/compact motor when you're all done! I have a short 13UO project on the side, and this makes me want to dig into that...when I have "extra time"

-john

[dc-65x]

Hi John, thanks for the comments . I've just had what I think will be a cool way to mount the brush plate. It's been holding me up until now. Back to the bench.....

[dc-65x]

IT RUNS!!!





For the brush plate mount I ended up cutting up a Revell SP40 rear axle bracket. Below is an untouched Revell bracket, all the bits I cut off of it and the finished part:



The brush plate holder and rear axle bracket were then soldered to the can:





Now I need to decide how I want to mount the motor to a chassis, clean everything up so it's "purdy" and start on the chassis...

[Hworth08]

Pretty work!

The brush holder/axle carrier is sort of a Crane peice that was popular for the Pittman 196A motor. Very innovative for a Mabuchi can!

[dc-65x]

Thanks Don. You have a good eye . I had this Crane in front of me while making the Pitt-Boochie part!

[Hworth08]

I won a box of "Crane Equipped" i96A powered cars and Tyco sidewinders with all the works last year. The seller didn't show the chassis and I was afraid I had over-paid till I started cleaning the cars up. Turned out to be one of my favorite box of cars!

[dc-65x]

I finally got a chance to do some building. I decided to use 5/32" tube instead of bearings in the rear end. A big brass washer slipped over the tube makes it happen. The big aluminum gizmo aligns the armature shaft with the rear axle:





All soldered up in my Rick's Jig:



The design is ripped off from Mike Morrissey's "Team Russkit Builds to Win" article:



It's a bit low slung but it's not a "Jail Door". This car represents a bit earlier period than mid to late 1966:



Hmmmm.....it looks kind of like a dog sled. MUSH! :



It's a monocoque construction so I'll be assembling the motor once the chassis is fully built:

[Pablo]

Ultra-Sweeet

That "washer against the bracket" idea looks like it would be a good strengthener technique for retro cars........
Maybe on the inside in a F1 car where the clearance between gear and bracket is tight....

[dc-65x]

Thanks Pablo,

I hope to get a drop arm on it tomorrow. Then I'll have a roller for "Phase II".......

[dc-65x]

We have a removable drop arm and body mount:



The chassis Phase I is done:





Here are the rest of the parts for the car. The wheels are our Russkit repops with vintage Russkit front tires and Paul's Slot Car Shop urethane Cox repop rear tires:



I'm also using a small Russkit slant guide, Lenz braid, Marklin train wire, MDC pot metal crown gear, Wilson steel pinion and a US made drill blank axle from McMaster Carr. The drill blank is at the high end of the tolerance and fits the brass tube axle "bearings" better:



Here are the parts mocked up on the chassis:



It's ready for Phase II which will be some suspension detail. I hope I can do justice to the wonderful pictures Bryan Warmack sent me of some of his great vintage cars. He was able to add detail to his race cars that would survive a race. He was not just building motorized models. I think he really struck a wonderful balance of a detailed Race car vs Concours only car.

Onward...

[Pablo]

[Alchemist]

Very nice Rick!

This build is better than being in a candy store!!

Ernie

[dc-65x]

Finally got the suspension and exhaust finished....









So.....what early 1960's 1.5L GP body do you think is going on it (note the low twin exhaust-a-ma pipes)

[Pablo]

1962 Porsche

[gascarnut]

Ferrari 158 is my guess.

[dc-65x]

Ferrari 158 is my guess.

"He's close"..........

[Pablo]

1961 Ferrari 156

[dc-65x]

Pablo is close too...... !

[dc-65x]

The body I'm using on this car is a 1963 Ferrari Aero GP which, as I understand it, is an updated type 156.

I think it looks bitch'n:











Here's the Lancer version mounted on my chassis:



The finished roller:



Russkit guide, front wheels and tires:




Russkit rear wheels with repop Ortmann tires and a set of K&B 4:1 bevel gears:



Now time to make up some "fancy lad" wheel inserts.....

[Rick]

BEAUTIMUS!!!!!.................