43 replies to this topic

[Zippity]

What motor brushes do you consider are the best to install in S16D and G12 motors, and why?

[Koford fan]

Koford Super Big Foot II and Pros Slot Goldust Pro are the best on market I'd say... not sure about S16D brushes.

[havlicek]

Any good brush on one motor is a good brush on any motor. There's no such thing as a brush that is good on a G12 that wouldn't be just as good on a different slot car motor... assuming the brush fits the hardware of course. If a brush's composition is hard and will cause excessive wear, it will wear out any comm. If a brush has poor conductivity, that will harm any motor's performance.  

[Zippity]

Maybe I should have said "for"?   

[MSwiss]

Any good brush on one motor is a good brush on any motor.

 

Totally not true.

Wear is always a consideration.

An example is the stock brushes on a 4002FK. Most agree that going to Goldust, or SBFII, doesn't increase performance versus the stock ones.

But you wouldn't want to put those same brushes in a G7 motor, as regardless of the performance, the wear wouldn't be suitable, i.e you can't have your motor stopping in the middle of a heat with the brushes too short.

[Cheater]

My experience, admittedly none of it very recent, is that there is a non-trivial level of variability from brush to brush, even with the same brand. I've had Big Foots that were fine and others not; same with the Goldust brushes.

 

Never found a way other than testing on the track or power supply to distinguish between a good pair of brushes and a bad pair.

 

I used to find as much as 10-15% of new brushes of either brand gave sub-par performance. As I've heard it has gotten worse since the Japanese tsunami devasted the primary makers of quality small motor brushes.

[Danny Zona]

What motor brushes do you consider are the best to install in S16D and G12 motors, and why?

Chinese arm S16D or American arm S16D? 😉

[Zippity]

American, of course.

[crazyphysicsteacher]

The most consistent brushes I have found to be the Koford Bigfoot II. However, for sealed motor racing I have found the production Pro Slot brushes to be very consistent and only seem to have bad sections to the outer edge.

 

Now I check the brushes once the motor seats the brushes and a bad brush will show poor current readings while also having a gray or silver area on the brush face. Just my $0.02

[David Rees]

On all my G12 motors , G27 and G7 motors use a Pro Slot Goldust brush for the positive brush and Koford brush for the negative brush.

[SpeedyNH]

That's interesting. How did you arrive at that?

[David Rees]

All Cohoza motors are built that way. 

I think the theory is the Koford brushes have more graphite and run cooler while the gold dust in the Pro Slot brushes keeps the commutator clean.

[Phil Smith]

I never raced G7, but I read somewhere that Koford brushes were used on the neg. side because they are harder and last longer. I didn't know that it was also done that way in G12.

 

Mike would know more about this.

[MSwiss]

I never mixed motor brushes in G7, nor had I ever heard of it, in my 23 years, racing G7.

I think the first time I had heard of it, in any context, was Greg Van Peenen doing it with Puppy Dogs, five or six years ago.

[Fast Freddie]

Why would you put the softer brush as the positive? The positive always wears more than the negative. 

I've always put the harder brush in the positive to equal out brush wear and maintain equal spring tension. That's only when I used to use two different brands of brushes. Now I just go with one brand or, like with sealed motors, what comes with them.

[Danny Zona]

I've tried it on sealed Deathstar 16Ds and all the way up to X12s. Some like it better and some don't. Some would like cut brushes.

So many combinations can work and not even make sense. Just a lot of trial and error while watching the clock.

[Phil Smith]

I think the first time I had heard of it, in any context, was Greg Van Peenen, doing it with Puppy Dogs, five or six years ago.

 
After further thought I remember I read it on the old Texas forum. I vividly remember it because Archie King commented that the guy that posted it (might have been PA Watson) was giving away their secrets. That made a lot of sense because one brush (I don't know which one) always wears more than the other. A harder brush might help a G7 motor last a little longer.

Again, Mike, you would know the most about that.

[MSwiss]

When I raced G7 (up until 2006), SBF II was the only usable G7 brush.

Since then, who knows?

[Chubby]

All Cohoza motors are built that way. I think the theory is the Koford brushes have more graphite and run cooler while the Goldust in the Pro Slot brushes keeps the commutator clean

What makes you say this? Is it because the T-slot in the brush?

[Chubby]

When I raced G7 (up until 2006), SBF II was the only usable G7 brush.

Since than, who knows?

Still is, Mike.

[Chubby]

If anything you want Goldust on the negative side.

I think what people are seeing from Cahoza is they're taking the horizontal brush and making it vertical, therefore it looks like a Goldust brush.

[gotboostedvr6]

This might end up being on topic, I hope.

What causes this?

[David Rees]

I think what people are seeing from Cahoza is they're taking the horizontal brush and making it vertical, therefore it looks like a Goldust brush.

Negative. Have a look at a Cahoza-built motor. I am just copying what Cahoza do.

[Benno - SAC]

We are also doing this because of the brush wear. The motors are not faster.

Golddusts are installed on negative side.

In the Czech Slot Shops you can even buy them mixed.

The wear is really almost even with this configuration.

[MSwiss]

A case of solving a problem that doesn't exist.

The back brush not wearing as much as the front. LOL.