Changing Motors

[petejones]

Hi,

I purchased a couple of replacement motors for my Taigen KV-1 and haven't a clue how I go about changing them. Can anyone help out?

Cheers
Pete

[jarndice]

Pete Hi, The very first thing we need to know is what motors, ? The more detail the better,
And what gearboxes are they and who makes them.?
Shaun.

[Del]

Pictures will help so we can see what's what.

[petejones]

The new motors are Igarashi 2738-051-GC-5 Multipurpose Electric Motors:

http://www.conrad-electronic.co.uk/ce/e ... AREA_19779

The gears are the ones that came with the Taigen KV-1, so I'm guessing they are Taigen 3:1.

Pete

[43rdRecceReg]

Here's a start. Imex-Erik ( Mr Taigentanks himself- the Olympic Titan of rc tanking!) goes through changing a gearbox, albeit on a Taigen Tiger..the principle is pretty much the same with the KV-1. Lots more relevant videos out there to sample as well. You may need to buy, or rig up, a puller for the pinion (final drive gear) on your existing Taigen motors, as you will need to transfer the pinions to your new motors. I noticed that the shop you bought the motors from actually sell a gear puller you could use. Of course, if the pinions are only held in place by grub screws then you probably won't need a puller... Good luck!.

phpBB [video]

[petejones]

Thanks, that's a great help

[petejones]

Removed the gearboxes OK (took me about 45 mins - removed tracks, drive wheels, then the gearboxes), but it will be easier to just replace the entire gearboxes with Taigen 5:1 ratio gearboxes than fiddle about with changing just the motors.

[43rdRecceReg]

Another thing to consider when making changes is the length of the motor. Make sure you measure the existing ones, and compare them with any projected replacements. Picking a more powerful motor, such as a 400 of 480 always seems like a good idea; but it can mean a significant increase in the length, so that when two are fitted they can vie for space..or simply won't fit in the available space together.
The motor itself is usually secured to the gearbox by two small screws, and if the pinion is held in place by a simple grub screw, it's simplicity itself to undo them, and substitute your motor for an upgraded one.
if you go with Taigen 5:1 boxes make sure they're compatible with the KV-1. They're the ones I've just levered into a Panzer 4; and was really tricky. I had to rotate one motor through 90deg so that the opposing electrical contacts didn't meet
and short out...
Tinkering is all part of the fun, though

[petejones]

Yeah I did find that the motors were slightly longer.

I asked the chap at Welsh Dragon Models if the 5:1 gearboxes will fit and he said they will. They are the short shaft version.

[Jay-Em]

Ah, I see You went for the 5-poles. Good. They're about the best if one wants to replicate the lumbering, but powerful character of a heavy, Russian piece of hardware.

The easiest way often doesn't need removing of the gearboxes at all. You just unscrew the motor from the gearbox that has the motor sitting the highest. After that, the lowest gearbox can be unscrewed from the tank's floor. Usually 3 flat headed self-tapping screws, and the whole gearbox rotated opwards.

With gearboxes where the motors don't overlap, that same trick can be used for both gearboxes.

I dó hope that the KV1 uses standard 380sh sized motors, not the, significantly shorter, 360sh.

In that case the motors will not fit next to each other. Longer cans only work with gearboxes where the motors sit on top of each other, unlike, f.i. Some Walterson boxes.

Oh, and If You use a IBU 2 for control, those Igarashi's accellerate like cats in a room full of rocking chairs on 12v i.e 11.1 v LiPo's. If battling, that usually means that the tank is no longer where the enemy is aiming, with just a flick of the throttle.

On removing the pinions :

Never, EVER try to remove a pinion by leverageing a flat screwdriver between pinion and motorcan. It will destroy both pinion and motor armature.

A pinion-puller is ideal, but a strong piece of metal with a slot in it that fits between the pinion and the motor can's front, can also be used.

You just hang the motorshaft by the pinion in the slot in the metal thingy, made by sawing a slot/channel in a piece of 3 or 4 mm metal stock, then support ónly the metal stock, with a vise or something, take a nail, or an old 2mm drill, and use that to carefully hammer on the motor shaft from the top. After some careful tapping, You'll see the pinion come loose.

Fitting the original pinion back on the new motors is even more simple: support the back of the motor shaft with something hard, the flat bits of Your vise, or something, locate the chamfered inside-side of the pinion (most brass and metal Heng Long and Taigen pinions have that) , and press that on the motor shaft. It mostly goes on with just a little force. Then, when no longer able to push it on by hand, cover the top of the pinion with a bit of wood, a paint-stirring stick, or something, and softly hammer down, constantly checking how far the pinion has to sit down to fit in the gearbox and engage the gears correctly.

Usually just comparing the level of the pinion with the original motor, will do the trick.


I used the metal-stock method before purchasing a pinion-puller. The pinion-puller is the best €7,50 I spent for a long time. If You want to adapt more tanks, a puller is a sound investment.

EDIT :

Good news:

I checked, and the KV-1 uses the stock pot-metal "low profile" gearboxes like the Jagdpanther, but with short shafts, so the Iga's will fit just fine.

Bad news:


I hope You didn't already purchase the 5:1 Taigen KV1 gearboxes?

By the looks of it, the 5:1 uses the "motors next to each other" - method. It also, apparently, uses the horrible 360-size shortcans. The Iga's will pròbably not fit without the terminals scary close. The 5:1 ratio would also be réally sloooooooooooow, snail-like slow, really powerful, but watching grass grow-slow with the Igarashi 5-poles. Imho, You'd better be served by just staying with the gearboxes that came with the KV and -for now- save the €55.- that those Taigen gearboxes cost.