3573 replies to this topic

[Robert V.]

Yes John temp on this stuff is only 390 degrees i think, it's for carbon fiber and Kevlar but so far it has worked out good and has not gone bad.

[Alchemist]

Hi John,

Knowing how you are fond of the early/vintage Mura motors, is the early motor can/case like the Mura Challenger 1 & 2 any better than the newer Mura casings like this one: http://www.muramotor...p_9414f988.html

Looking at the newer can, it seems that it would have an adavantage for better cooling and perhaps lighter in weight?! Your thoughts please?

Thank you as always John!

Ernie

[havlicek]

Hi Ernie,

I really like the new model Mura cans. They seem very straight and true and as you noted are certainly better as far as weight and cooling are concerned...although there are MUCH lighter C-cans and endbells. Having said that, it might be that the old Green Cans were better as far as the magnetic field is concerned...but I haven't tested that. Really the only "problem " I see with the modern Mura stuff VS the old stuff is that the new stuff doesn't have any "vintage-coolness" and the old Mura stuff (and the earlier B and 16D ones too) is just dripping with all that. If I were building a "runner" just for doing laps, I'd probably use the new stuff as it would be easier to repair or replace.

You mentioned the Challenger I and Challenger II, but don't those just have a black painted version of the same modern can, but with a different endbell???

-john

[Alchemist]

Thanks John!

I stand corrected - I meant to refer to the much older vintage Mura cans, not the Challenger motors. Thanks for helping me to get this straight - LOL!!

Ernie

[havlicek]

No worries Ernie, I mess this stuff up all the time!

-john

[havlicek]

Today was a day to catch up on some stuff...clean the bench, salvage some nice old Mura and assorted arms given to me by Mark Johnson and finish up the krazee Mura #23 I started some time ago.

I had gotten the motor up to the "hook it up and stand back" stage last time, and it showed me it was definitely worth some more work:



Rick had sent me some com coolers, but there wasn't enough shaft on the end bell side of the motor to install them. While rummaging around, I found one that is thin enough to fit on there and still leave room for oiling, so I put it on. I don't know how much they do to actually keep the motor cooler...but it couldn't hurt, and they sure look the part I also installed a set of elephant ears on the motor, because they definitely help, and they just drip with vintage vibe. Last thing I did was to double up on the shunts because, this thing will definitely dim the lights in Fresno.



The motor is well..."brutal" is about the best way to describe it , and I mean that in a good way! It's about half way broken in and I'm doing that in short stages (because it scares me), so I have some more "work" to do, but she's just about "there".

-john

[Alchemist]

Wow John!

Just when I think you've topped the lastest and greatest of your motor builds, you whip up another "gem". Simply awesome John!

Ernie

[Bill from NH]

Ernie, those "new" style Mura cans & endbells have been available for at least 15 years. Mura has since come out with a couple "extruded or drawn" cans using the same cooling hole pattern. They're not easy to find. Challenger 1 arms came unbalanced, Challenger 2 arms were balanced. I don't know the sequence of colors for endbells & cans. Each of my "new" Mura endbells is black, while I have both black & nickel plated cans.

[Jairus]

Now... I think you need to build a period chassis to go with it!
I volunteer to paint you a body, NC...

[Alchemist]

Ernie, those "new" style Mura cans & endbells have been available for at least 15 years.

I've only returned to Slot Cars the last few years so it looks like I've been living in the past - LOL!!

Thanks for the info Bill!

Jairus,

Sounds like you've already got a paint job in mind! I'm sure it will be "hot" just like John's motor!!

Ernie

[havlicek]

Hi Guys and thanks Hold that thought Jairus, as I'd definitely like to take you up on that in the future (who wouldn't !?). Right now in between motors and music stuff I've started building and slightly unconventional dragster...but it will take me a while doing it in between other stuff.

I had different plans for this motor.

-john

[Bill from NH]

John, keep us informed as your dragster progresses. I've thought of building a brass/wire funny car, but there are no drag strips in this area.

[havlicek]

I will Bill and I feel your pain The idea is something I've been kicking around for a while...well actually it's a couple of ideas all rolled into the same car, but like all this stuff...the ideas may sound better in my head than they come out in real life If I fail though, it will be in public so everyone else knows what NOT to do!

-john

PS: I will say that it's going to be an old-school slingshot-type, but with some new-school twists

[havlicek]

Just finished off a couple of arms for Barney (a #23 and a #24) that are ready for balancing but no pictures. I have some battening-down of the hatches to do here, so the man-cave will be closed. Stay safe everyone.

-john

[HarV Wallbanger III]

You keep 'yer powder dry John!

[havlicek]

...the man-cave is back in order, all is well with the world. Barney...your package will go out in today's mail!

-john

[Pablo]

Good !!!
John, check out how the H Power Russkit turned out on the Workhorse Build

[havlicek]

Cool Pablo...I'm headin' over there!

-john

[havlicek]

I just finished up one of two motors headed for Europe and these have to be fairly "period". So I assembled all the parts (can, endbell, Mabuchi arm with a new shaft and a NOS Tradeship commutator) and did a 55T/#29 wind. The arm balanced out beautifully and everything was great-looking. I put it on the power supply at 5.5V (where it drew just about 1 amp or so) and after about 15 seconds, the com completely blew apart. Moral of the story?...anything less than a Kirkwood (and even those are dicey) is potentially a complete waste of parts and effort, even on a pretty mild arm.

-john

PS...no, I didn't weld the com connections and thereby weaken the com (been there/done that). The connections were silver soldered and the darned thing still blew apart.

[Pablo]

Moral of the story # 2 :
use eye pro.

[havlicek]

...only when at the range!

-john

[havlicek]

A pair of Mabuchis headed for Italy and for ultimately for vintage meets they have over there. Stuff is supposed to be legit with no modern cheats in there so both motors have all original pieces. The FT16D has a Champion/Mabuchi can with Cox magnets (a little stronger than the early Mabuchi mags on my meter), Tradeship endbell, and Mabuchi stack with a Kirkwood com (the first arm I wound has a Tradeship com that promptly exploded after a few seconds at only 5.5V ). It's a #29 wind with mild advance and runs fast!

The 26D was (I think) a Classic that was pretty beat-up so it needed stripping and painting. The red I have gets nice and hard and shiny unlike some of the other colors, so I like using it...besides it looks nice. The end bell was also beat up and a bit grimy looking even after cleaning the heck out of it, so I dyed it red to match the can, I really like the overall look of the red/red combination...kinda "hot-rod-y" along with the chrome sleeved spring posts. The magnets are stock 26D magnets which are also a little stronger than the stock 16D Mabuchi magnets for some reason. The arm got a Mura com after my experience with the Tradeship com on the FT16D above and was also a #29 wind. The wind is one I've used on some of the Proxy motors and others as well. It's a little hotter than stock but stays nice and cool. It's not as hot as the FT16D #29, but seems to have better torque and should be a strong runner with less worries.

All in all, both are solid motors with a good amount of work getting them to where they are and very appropriate for vintage cars. We all know the deal with Mabuchis, but I still love 'em and so do a lot of folks even after all these years... as a reminder of simpler and more fun times!




-john

[Jairus]

Sweet RED/RED combo!

[havlicek]

Thanks Jairus Yeah, I really like the red/red thing myself and will definitely keep it in mind for future motors. I was surprised at how the combination looked when assembled.

-john

[havlicek]

Has anyone got information (hopefully with diagrams) on hemi winding, other than simply winding the poles CW? I may have a bunch to do coming up and want to be sure I'm doing it correctly. I once had a copy of an old article on all kinds of alternate winds from Don Siegel but can't for the life of me find the darned thing.

-john