I need help getting gears aligned after installing electric starter.

[raven262]

Hey guys,

This is my first Nitro RC Car experience.  I have a Exceed RC Razor, 1/8 scale with a .21 engine.

I've been slowly breaking in my engine and things have been going well up until the chord for my pull starter broke off.  (the rope just kind of wore away and finally broke. )

Luckily when I bought the car, i also bought an electric starter for the engine.   I was able to install the starter, but I had to totally unscrew the engine and remove it from the car to do so.

Now that I've got the electric starter installed, I need to realign the gears at the front of the engine with the rest of the car.   Now I've tried just rescrewing in the screws holding the engine to the frame, but I want to be sure that the gears are lined up perfectly so I dont strip them.   The screws screw in from the bottom of the car and it seems to me that depending on how I tighten them, when i spin the wheels a bit, the gears make odd noise or dont spin easily.

How do I do it properly.  And how should the gears ideally spin?  Freely?  Or hardly?


Thanks, Raven.

[Frozenshade]

Have all 4 screws seated, but not tightened. When you think you have the engine in a good spot hold the engine carefully so it doesn't shift, and tighten one or two of the engine screws.  I find it helps to sit the car on its side while you are doing this.  Then check the gear mesh.  The gears should be close together, but should spin smoothly without any binding.  If you put the car down on the ground and give it a push it should roll pretty freely.  Though, you will of course feel some resistance on the gears as you turn them because they are moving the differentials and the weight of the wheels, but as long as it is smooth fluid movement there shouldn't be a problem.  A good way to test the mesh is to run a strip of paper in between the gears.  The paper should come out with a nice even gear pattern and no punctures or rips.

[raven262]

Thanks for the sweet reply.  It's appreciated.