Tamiya Display models - fitting gearbox

[Son of a gun-ner]

After watching the video, it looks like you get the other parts you need with the tank kit.
But you don't get parts "gearbox B" and "gearbox D" or long screws which hold the motors in place. You will need these parts to complete the boxes.


Rad, I don't understand the job of the black grease guard how you described it, apart from stopping the grease flying about, surely it's not essential?

[43rdRecceReg]

After watching the video, it looks like you get the other parts you need with the tank kit.
But you don't get parts "gearbox B" and "gearbox D" or long screws which hold the motors in place. You will need these parts to complete the boxes.

Rad, I don't understand the job of the black grease guard how you described it, apart from stopping the grease flying about, surely it's not essential?

They're also there, Mick, to prevent the gears from chewing and digesting all those ultra-expensive bits of wire emanating from the Turret, and DMD units. Tucking/securing the wires neatly doesn't always work..

[Rad_Schuhart]

After watching the video, it looks like you get the other parts you need with the tank kit.
But you don't get parts "gearbox B" and "gearbox D" or long screws which hold the motors in place. You will need these parts to complete the boxes.


Rad, I don't understand the job of the black grease guard how you described it, apart from stopping the grease flying about, surely it's not essential?

Really, those plastic covers are esential. If you remove them, the entire gearbox will dismount once running, it keeps the shafts in place.
I discovered it when dismounting my gearboxes for doing the steel bushing mod (very importand mod to do)

[Rad_Schuhart]

Ok, ignore the red arrows.

Where the big yellow arrows, the shafts will jump away.
And I think the other shafts slides through.

So thats why the plastic guards are so crucial in those gearboxes.

[43rdRecceReg]

For reference purposes, lads, here's a LH Tamiya gearbox posing beside the gearbox casing/frame supplied with the Jagdpanther display kit. The frames are, in fact, identical dimensionally, and all the holes line up.

Here's the Tamiya unit with the plastic retaining cover removed. You'll see that some of the gear shafts sit in slots, and are retained (as Rad has observer correctly) by the plastic covers.

The gear kit under discussion would fit into the Display model case/frame with no issues. Desiderata would be: plastic retaining covers, and the correct output shafts. That should be about it.. , as fas as I can tell

[Son of a gun-ner]

Ah, I did wonder why these boxes didn't have any braces near the top.
If the black plastic bits were just for grease and keeping wires out, I'd say just fit a home made shield.

So, unless Mr Smaily can fabricate top braces like cheap gearboxes have, he will need these covers, as well as gearbox parts B and D.

And one will still need to get motors with correct pinions to drive the boxes.

I have found complete boxes in Germany for €55 each, but they don't appear to sell out of Germany internationally, but they may do to a country like Slovakia.

Mr Smaily, if you decide to buy the complete gearboxes, I think we can come to some sort of arrangement where I purchase your empty boxes with shafts that you already have, it will help offset the cost a little. If you're interested, send me a PM.

[43rdRecceReg]

...and the lift out very easily, just so:


I have to say, the parts look and feel as if they're on a higher engineering plane from those made by Taigen/HL and co...
BUT, they cost an arm and a leg (and some skin, if you get your fingertip wedged in the gears. ). It's almost £100 per box these days.

[Rad_Schuhart]

And worst part of all, remember the gearboxes (except the pershing) are wrong designed and they will have premature wear!

Info? Here: http://www.customrcmodels.com/files/RCP ... PGRADE.pdf

EDIT: Yep, also the other shafts slide through the sides... The plastic parts are a must.

[Son of a gun-ner]

And worst part of all, remember the gearboxes (except the pershing) are wrong designed and they will have premature wear!

Info? Here: http://www.customrcmodels.com/files/RCP ... PGRADE.pdf

EDIT: Yep, also the other shafts slide through the sides... The plastic parts are a must.

What a rubbish design by Tamiya with those gears.

[43rdRecceReg]

It would be interesting to know from members, what their experience has been of box failures due to the issue outlined by Rad. Over the years I've read of Tamiyas providing last-lasting reliability, even under stressful 'battle conditions'. That's how they build their reputation initially, and why they command Rolls-Royce prices (in model terms Perhaps our Tamiyanistas were lucky, or maybe they installed the enhanced bushing being sold online.
Even in unadapted spec., I wonder how long say a Tamiya Tiger one's transmission would last when set against a Taigen Tiger with 'premium' gearboxes.
Well, I guess we'll never know. But I envisage the same sort of test popularly used in the 'Duracell' battery adverts....
In Principle, I think it's a good design idea to incorporate a gearbox shield (proctecting the wiring etc..)

edited to remove
repeated 'they were'..