30 replies to this topic

[Asp]

Pleased to report that CUCA Pablo  finished in second place at the vintage meeting in Roncole

 

against very stiff competition. First against Giovanni Montiglio, former world and italian champion.

[Pablo]

I'll take silver any day   

[Pablo]

"Mine Cucaracha", AKA "Luciano's Cuc" arrived back to the USA this morning for a tune up and some minor improvements after a series of overseas racing successes. I've always built my cars to run hard and this is the first time one of them has actually been run and raced to the point of needing service. So I am very honored to have it back for the opportunity to see what went "right" and what can be improved 

 

I don't have much time, as Luciano says she races again soon. So, my first priority was the motor. At a minimum, she needs the Havlicek arm serviced and checked. That needs to go out ASAP, and I can fiddle with the other stuff waiting for the arm to return.

 

Good news on the motor, not a single problem, the alignments are still perfect, the shaft is still perfectly straight, BB's and EB bushing still fine, brush track on comm looks fine, etc. All she needs is a cleanup, an arm service, and might as well zap the mags in can as long as we are sending stuff out.....

 

New Koford Big Foot brushes marked +/- and pre-radiused, arm gently cleaned with Dial liquid soap and a soft toothbrush, EB and can cleaned with lighter fluid, Q-tips, and pipe cleaners

 

[Pablo]

Arm is en-route to the Havlicek factory, new Ortmann knife-edge Cucaracha front tires are inbound from California, now it's time for a complete tear-down. Examine, clean, fix, improve

 

To my delight, I found out my JB Welded rear brace did not fail - it had to be removed to satisfy the rules. The same dollop of JB that secured the brace also secured the stock Cox roller bearings to the chassis. Once the brace was removed, it allowed hits to move the uprights which bound up the axle.

 

I'm proud to brag, the Pablo/Havlicek motor didn't fail, it soldiered onward and continued to produce podium finishes Now the rules have been relaxed for a modified Cuc Class, allowing a brace. So I found some speed

 

 

Front axle/wheel assembly was undamaged, axle is still straight, all it needs is a cleaning and new tires.

My weight system came dislodged early on so I need to improve that

 

 

[Pablo]

The lead strip here indicates some chassis bending has occurred. In the Navy, we call this a "tattletale"

 

 

The new rules allow it, so I am soaking a pair of 1/8 ID sealed BB's in lighter fluid. The original Cox roller bearings will be retired

 

 

 

[Bill from NH]

A straight edge works too. I used a small surface plate to see high & low spots as well as the directions & where a chassis rocked.

[Pablo]

I didn't mean the lead acts as a precise tool, other than simply giving evidence of bending.

[Pablo]

Cox roller bearings removed, oiled and bagged for posterity. They are really sloppy. Maybe Luciano can use them for a future Cuc build that requires them stock. Front wheels cleaned and oiled, ready for Ortmanns

 

 

Chassis cleaned and flattened, easy day, it wasn't bad at all. The JB schwarf that refused to come off was left on and new JB will soon join it

 

 

-I saved the weights so I can use them as a pattern to make new ones

-Flag at some point got changed from a Jet Flag (.063 deck) to a cut down Parma "The Blade" (.038 deck). The Parma is a better racing choice but as long as we are using one, let's go to a standard deck (.063) instead of stacking a bunch of Koford spacers

-Genuine original Cox tapered axle was galled and bent really bad so I tagged it and cut a Koford to proper size

 

 

Every little problem I find gives me a jolt of happiness, because I'm finding speed

[Asp]

I'm really enjoying the way our Cuc is getting a new lease of life and back to its former glory.

 

I'm sorry that I had to ruin your original set up, but pleased that there is a new category for modified Cucs,

 

Thank you.

[Pablo]

Anything I build, I can fix

 

-Parma crown washed and inspected, zero damage, no noticeable wear.

-Stop limiter screws and nuts for the center section secured with Loctite 271

 

[Pablo]

Modern new BB's with upright brace JB Welded in place. I know it ain't pretty. She's a race car now

 

 

Arm should be arriving at Havlicek's door today (yesterday was President's Day - no mail service).

[Asp]

She is not a shelf queen. She is there to cause problems.

[Jaeger Team]

She is not a shelf queen. She is there to cause problems.

(to Mr. Montiglio !?)

[Pablo]

Arm is done, she is in perfect shape, a very minute correction for balance was all it took.

H Man gave you free labor, Luciano

[Asp]

She is not a shelf queen. She is there to cause problems.

(to Mr. Montiglio !?)

 

 

Hopefully, But it's not easy.

[Pablo]

To compensate for the use of a thinner flag deck than the stock Cox, I found Mylar spacers in the perfect size at local hardware store, 15 cents apiece. They are .032 thickness

 

[Pablo]

New lead pieces under shaft and on both sides of the pan are secured, same as originals, secured with CA

 

 

 

New form-fitted piece up front is same shape as before

 

 

But this time a Team Associated 7 gram iron weight is JB Welded to it, then JB Welded to the chassis. Forward end is secured via JB Weld with a cross connector lead strip

 

 

That's all the "permanent" weights for now. I still have a 7 gram lead chunk to install later if I want

[Bill from NH]

The "old-time" glue for lead weights on metal chassis was rubber cement. CA glue was available back then but would have been too expensive. Adhesion problems using rubber cement were few & none  if it was applied properly.

[tonyp]

Contact cement. Rubber cement does not hold. At least none of the ones I ever tried.


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[Noose]

ShooGoo!


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[Pablo]

Floppy sloppy body mounts re-done same as before

 

[Pablo]

The car needed new fronts. Mounting a ball bearing 1/8 Cuc front wheel to a Hudy is a real chore, so I slipped both Orttmann's Cox knife-edge tires onto a modern 1/8 rim, same OD as the Cox wheel, and ground them to about .740" OD which gives the front end 1/32" clearance with the tires barely touching or slightly above the racing surface

 

 

Koford pre-cut big head pins bent and ready for action. Front wheels in place. JK hubs with natural rubber are working on Luciano's tracks, but they were worn down to about .805" OD and the car was riding too low in the rear. So I'll mount new JK D14 donuts

 

 

New 30T H & R crown, dyed black with Rit powder, salt, vinegar, and boiling Mississippi pure water

 

[Pablo]

When is the last time your motor refurbisher actually took the time to hand-write notes on what he did to your arm? Havlicek rocks

 

 

Motor re-assembly time........

[havlicek]

When is the last time your motor refurbisher actually took the time to hand-write notes on what he did to your arm? Havlicek rocks

 

IMG_1545.JPG

 

Motor re-assembly time........

 

Thanks Pablo, but I prefer more along the lines of classic rock

(if this works?) https://www.facebook...57142090983420/

[Pablo]

See, I told you Havlicek rocks

 

Havlicek Cuc arm back into the setup - piece of cake. Power supply hooked up, click, instant rotation.

2 volts, so smooth it was a moot point. 3v, 1.06 amps. Steady for 5 minutes, 3v/1.0 amps. Dead cool temp and smooth as silk.

 

Then a rev test. No sparks, no heat, pure and smooth power. I know a happy motor when I see and feel it. Motor is done, even better than before Ready for battle