I took the tracks off of the 2A6 that I have been driving with the intention of adjusting the tension, and secondly to give the area hidden behind the wheels a good wash and clean to remove any remaining trace of mud and crushed stone.
Foolishly (as it turned out) I also decided to remove a cap from each pair of track pins and remove a pair of pins so that I could also give the tracks a really good wash and clean too, and then perhaps paint them and weather them.
All went well until I pulled the twin pins out when one of the small central spacers pinged-out onto the workshop floor. I have given up after 2 hours on my hands and knees of searching for it, but I will resume again tomorrow morning as I don't believe that any of the track link parts can be bought as spare parts?
The second track came apart with no problems (and no parts lost) so it is only the one small black central spacer that I need to be able to reassemble the tracks after painting and weathering.
I searched my old Tamiya r/c tank spares box as I know I have a lot of new Tamiya tracks and track spares in it that have been amassed over many years of building previous Tamiya r/c model tanks.
Inside I found a complete pair of tracks for a Tiger 1 (with spares), a new compete set of plastic tracks for the Sherman, and a second set of metal tracks to fit the Sherman (these came in small bags of separate parts - links, end caps, spacers etc (still in the factory sealed packs) . Thousands of new Tamiya track parts........and not a single part will fit my Leopard 2A6 tracks!
If anyone has any Tamiya Leopard 2A6 tracks or track spares they would like to sell or swop please contact me. As detailed above, I have tons of other types of new Tamiya tracks and parts for the older WW2 types, but nothing that I can use or modify to fit my 2A6 tracks.
Meanwhile I will keep looking for the tiny little black middle spacer that I dropped (pinged-off), but as I intend running and maintaining my 2A6 tanks for some time, I can see that some spare track parts could be very handy to add to my spare parts box.......but I have no use for the box full of WW2 tracks and parts so I am hoping I can find somebody that would find my tracks and spare helpful who may have something that will fit my tanks.
I have also tried fitting the spare plastic tracks from my Chieftain. The width is OK (wrong tread pattern) but they will not fit the drive sprockets as the teeth are a different spacing to the Heng Long, so it looks like only the correct Tamiya Leopard 2A6 tracks will fit it.
Tamiya or Heng Long Leopard 2A6 for Regular Use?
TRACK LINK DISSASTER.
Last edited by zooma on Fri Mar 15, 2024 8:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
Never too old to learn........
Tamiya Leopard 2A6 - track spacer found!
Only 30 minutes on my hands and knees in the workshop this morning (using a high tech dustpan and brush searching technique) located the missing "flying spacer" so I can get my Tamiya 2A6 tracks back together again when I have finished painting and weathering them.
The small black track spacer was nowhere near where I saw it and heard it fall, so it has enjoyed a good tour of the workshop before I found it.
Meanwhile, I found some spare Tamiya 2A6 links for sale on eBay, so I have ordered some as I have no track spares for the Tamiya 2A6 and I will no doubt feel a lot better knowing that I have some if they are ever needed in the future.
The thing about keeping spare parts is that if I have them - they will probably not be needed , but if I don't have them - I will definitely need them!
The small black track spacer was nowhere near where I saw it and heard it fall, so it has enjoyed a good tour of the workshop before I found it.
Meanwhile, I found some spare Tamiya 2A6 links for sale on eBay, so I have ordered some as I have no track spares for the Tamiya 2A6 and I will no doubt feel a lot better knowing that I have some if they are ever needed in the future.
The thing about keeping spare parts is that if I have them - they will probably not be needed , but if I don't have them - I will definitely need them!
Never too old to learn........
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Herr Dr. Professor
- Lieutenant
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- Location: Southern Wisconsin USA
Re: Tamiya or Heng Long Leopard 2A6 for Regular Use?
zooma:
1. "Only 30 minutes on my hands and knees": this describes a typical Make Modeling Mediocre Again Tuesday at my place--but there are at least two and up to five old guys in said situation. We always need to leave one senior standing or sitting so he can help the others get back up off the floor.
2. ""if I have them..." This is a corollary to Murphy's law. The same applies to household hardware, food in the refrigerator, and so much more.
1. "Only 30 minutes on my hands and knees": this describes a typical Make Modeling Mediocre Again Tuesday at my place--but there are at least two and up to five old guys in said situation. We always need to leave one senior standing or sitting so he can help the others get back up off the floor.
2. ""if I have them..." This is a corollary to Murphy's law. The same applies to household hardware, food in the refrigerator, and so much more.
Re: Tamiya or Heng Long Leopard 2A6 for Regular Use?
Having two (and up to five) old guys around you allows you to get up again much faster than I can...Herr Dr. Professor wrote: ↑Sun Mar 03, 2024 5:59 pm zooma:
1. "Only 30 minutes on my hands and knees": this describes a typical Make Modeling Mediocre Again Tuesday at my place--but there are at least two and up to five old guys in said situation. We always need to leave one senior standing or sitting so he can help the others get back up off the floor.
2. ""if I have them..." This is a corollary to Murphy's law. The same applies to household hardware, food in the refrigerator, and so much more.
Murphys Law indeed applies here - that's for sure!
Bob.
Never too old to learn........
Re: Tamiya or Heng Long Leopard 2A6 for Regular Use?
I decided to change the plain bearings that came in the kit on this so called "Professionally built" Tamiya Leopard 2A6 (acquired s/h in a swap) while I have the tracks off and the top deck removed.
Looking at the inner bearings I can see that they have been "turning" in the hull (rather than being held fast in the hull with only the axle turning inside the plain bearing) as they have polished "track marks" on them.
Operating the suspensions arms (one at a time) shows some them to be turning inside the hull rather than the axle rotating inside the bearings as intended, so the axles have suffered some "pick-up" - possibly due to mud ingress - or the bearings not being held firmly enough inside the hull.
These plain bearings are a fairly loose "drop-in" fit and are not actually secured (or a tight enough fit) to stop them rotating inside the hull.
I checked this again after fitting four axles with the ball bearings that I bought from RCBearings and straight away the axle turned inside the bearing and the outer case of the bearing was stationery inside the hull, so the axles are now turning inside the bearings rather than grinding away the hull moulding.
The reason for stripping his model was because although it had not had much use since it was built for its first owner, it was run in mud and small stones before being swapped for an r/c truck and it really did need the running gear stripping out and cleaning. The mud and grit had found its way inside the hull and was indeed grinding away at the hull as the bearings rotated this abrasive mix in the moulded bearing retaining parts - no doubt this was also the reason why the axles were not able to turn freely in the plain bearings either.
I will fit all the other axle bearings but I am having problems trying to pull the drive sprockets off to gain access to the axles that are closest to them. The track guides have been removed and the two cap head retainers removed - but the sprockets are locked solid and will not pull off.
Looking at the inner bearings I can see that they have been "turning" in the hull (rather than being held fast in the hull with only the axle turning inside the plain bearing) as they have polished "track marks" on them.
Operating the suspensions arms (one at a time) shows some them to be turning inside the hull rather than the axle rotating inside the bearings as intended, so the axles have suffered some "pick-up" - possibly due to mud ingress - or the bearings not being held firmly enough inside the hull.
These plain bearings are a fairly loose "drop-in" fit and are not actually secured (or a tight enough fit) to stop them rotating inside the hull.
I checked this again after fitting four axles with the ball bearings that I bought from RCBearings and straight away the axle turned inside the bearing and the outer case of the bearing was stationery inside the hull, so the axles are now turning inside the bearings rather than grinding away the hull moulding.
The reason for stripping his model was because although it had not had much use since it was built for its first owner, it was run in mud and small stones before being swapped for an r/c truck and it really did need the running gear stripping out and cleaning. The mud and grit had found its way inside the hull and was indeed grinding away at the hull as the bearings rotated this abrasive mix in the moulded bearing retaining parts - no doubt this was also the reason why the axles were not able to turn freely in the plain bearings either.
I will fit all the other axle bearings but I am having problems trying to pull the drive sprockets off to gain access to the axles that are closest to them. The track guides have been removed and the two cap head retainers removed - but the sprockets are locked solid and will not pull off.
Last edited by zooma on Fri Mar 15, 2024 8:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
Never too old to learn........
Re: Tamiya or Heng Long Leopard 2A6 for Regular Use?
When checking the rear drive sprockets I can feel some "play" in one of them so I would like to find a way to remove it so I can see what is happening and correct it.
I also need to remove the gearbox to be able to reach the rear wheel axles on each side to fit some ball bearings (the other axles are done) and the two rear drive sprockets have to be removed beforeI I can do this.......so I have to find a way of getting them off.
Soaking the alloy drive sockets (one at a time) in a mug of hot water is my next move. I hope that the hot water may help the alloy drive sprocket to expand faster than the steel axle that it is stuck on.
If the "professional builder" who build this model allowed some excess thread-lock to soak between the axles and the drive sprocket - maybe the hot water could dissolve this too?
Does anyone else have a better solution to remove a stuck rear drive sprocket on a Tamiya 2A6 that has worked for them?
I also need to remove the gearbox to be able to reach the rear wheel axles on each side to fit some ball bearings (the other axles are done) and the two rear drive sprockets have to be removed beforeI I can do this.......so I have to find a way of getting them off.
Soaking the alloy drive sockets (one at a time) in a mug of hot water is my next move. I hope that the hot water may help the alloy drive sprocket to expand faster than the steel axle that it is stuck on.
If the "professional builder" who build this model allowed some excess thread-lock to soak between the axles and the drive sprocket - maybe the hot water could dissolve this too?
Does anyone else have a better solution to remove a stuck rear drive sprocket on a Tamiya 2A6 that has worked for them?
Never too old to learn........
Re: Tamiya or Heng Long Leopard 2A6 for Regular Use?
Just thought that I would mention that pouring boiling water onto the drive sprocket worked well - the sprocket slid off nice and easily after the hot water had caused the alloy sprocket casting to expand.
This gave me access to the two rear axles so this tank now has all its axles fully ball raced.
I have the ball races to fit all of the wheels too, so I will change these at some point in the near future.
This gave me access to the two rear axles so this tank now has all its axles fully ball raced.
I have the ball races to fit all of the wheels too, so I will change these at some point in the near future.
Never too old to learn........
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Herr Dr. Professor
- Lieutenant
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- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2019 10:48 pm
- Location: Southern Wisconsin USA
Re: Tamiya or Heng Long Leopard 2A6 for Regular Use?
I am glad you succeeded. A year or two ago I similarly tried to create a heat differential to loosen a suspension part--no luck. So in addition to my cries for a track pin removers somewhat on the model of a bicycle chain tool (e.g.: viewtopic.php?p=351530&hilit=bicycle#p351530), I have also often wished for suitably small pullers on the model of a steering wheel or gear puller. The right tools would make the job easier and probably lead to less risk of damage to the RC model.
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HERMAN BIX
- Brigadier
- Posts: 10331
- Joined: Sun Jan 12, 2014 12:15 am
- Location: Gold Coast,Australia
Re: Tamiya or Heng Long Leopard 2A6 for Regular Use?
A pinion puller.................I will try to find a link.
HL JAGDPANTHER,HL TIGER 1,HL PzIII MUNITIONSCHLEPPER, HL KT OCTOPUS,HL PANTHER ZU-FUSS,HL STuG III,HL T34/85 BEDSPRING,
HL PZIV MALTA,MATORRO JAGDTIGER,HL F05 TIGER,TAMIYA KT,HL PANTHERDOZER,HL EARLY PANTHER G,TAIGEN/RAMINATOR T34/76,
HL AN-BRI-RAM SU-85
HL PZIV MALTA,MATORRO JAGDTIGER,HL F05 TIGER,TAMIYA KT,HL PANTHERDOZER,HL EARLY PANTHER G,TAIGEN/RAMINATOR T34/76,
HL AN-BRI-RAM SU-85
Tamiya Leopard 2A6 Cleaned and Serviced.
The Leopard that I have been getting the mud and grit out of has now been thoroughly cleaned.
The tracks have been put back together again (after weathering) and they have been refitted. I squeezed the track end caps back on with a "G" cramp and it made a job that I was a bit bothered about quite an easy task.
Sealed ball bearings (rubber seals) have been fitted on the drive axles instead of the kit supplied plain bearings (x3 per axle) and the motor leads have been extended by 6" of 24g silicone wire with each pair being given an XT60 plug and socket clearly marked with a "S" for the steering motor plug and with a "D" for the drive motor plug.
I have not yet completed my new kit build (from an unboxed kit) due to waiting for a couple of missing parts to arrive (and working on this tank) so I am unsure about how the large black plastic box that has the speaker inside it should be mounted?
On this particular 2A6 example this black plastic box is screwed to the upper deck and is not fixed to the hull, so when the deck is lifted off of the hull, this black box stays fixed to it and lifts away complete from the hull remaining firmly attached to the underside of the top deck, so the top and bottom halves of this box must be screwed together from the top.
This may be why the motor leads are so short and difficult to pull apart and push back together again whenever any servicing (or cleaning !) is attempted?
I can see some mounting pegs in the hull bottom that align with some unused screw holes in the bottom of the black box, so when I get a bit further with my new build I will see how Tamiya intended this box to fit. If the "correct" way is to screw the bottom half of the box to the hull and it looks like a better way than this one has been fitted, I can always go back and refit this one the same way - and maybe I won't need the extended motor wires ?
The sealed bearings for the wheels have not been fitted yet as I try to work out if fitting any of these ball bearings was a good idea (or not) on a model that has not had enough run time yet to put any serious "wear and tear" on the standard kit supplied plain bushes.
Test fitting the bearings and comparing them to the same parts that are fitted with the plain bushes shows no improvement in "free play" whatsoever - both exhibit a fair bit of "slop" (free play) so maybe this amount of movement is needed for the drive to work freely?
A quick (15 minutes) test drive outside the house this morning went without incident and everything is working as it should, so I may just complete the weathering by blending in the "muddy look" that I have completed on the hull by blending it a little onto the upper deck and then just enjoy running it until my "new build" is completed when I will compare the ease of access for maintenance and cleaning and decide what works best.
The Tamiya Leopard 2A6 tanks all will be driven and "used" so if the previous owner/builder of this 2A6 has improved the way that this black box fits to give easier access for cleaning and maintenance I would be happy to copy it on my other 2A6 tanks........time will tell what works best......
The tracks have been put back together again (after weathering) and they have been refitted. I squeezed the track end caps back on with a "G" cramp and it made a job that I was a bit bothered about quite an easy task.
Sealed ball bearings (rubber seals) have been fitted on the drive axles instead of the kit supplied plain bearings (x3 per axle) and the motor leads have been extended by 6" of 24g silicone wire with each pair being given an XT60 plug and socket clearly marked with a "S" for the steering motor plug and with a "D" for the drive motor plug.
I have not yet completed my new kit build (from an unboxed kit) due to waiting for a couple of missing parts to arrive (and working on this tank) so I am unsure about how the large black plastic box that has the speaker inside it should be mounted?
On this particular 2A6 example this black plastic box is screwed to the upper deck and is not fixed to the hull, so when the deck is lifted off of the hull, this black box stays fixed to it and lifts away complete from the hull remaining firmly attached to the underside of the top deck, so the top and bottom halves of this box must be screwed together from the top.
This may be why the motor leads are so short and difficult to pull apart and push back together again whenever any servicing (or cleaning !) is attempted?
I can see some mounting pegs in the hull bottom that align with some unused screw holes in the bottom of the black box, so when I get a bit further with my new build I will see how Tamiya intended this box to fit. If the "correct" way is to screw the bottom half of the box to the hull and it looks like a better way than this one has been fitted, I can always go back and refit this one the same way - and maybe I won't need the extended motor wires ?
The sealed bearings for the wheels have not been fitted yet as I try to work out if fitting any of these ball bearings was a good idea (or not) on a model that has not had enough run time yet to put any serious "wear and tear" on the standard kit supplied plain bushes.
Test fitting the bearings and comparing them to the same parts that are fitted with the plain bushes shows no improvement in "free play" whatsoever - both exhibit a fair bit of "slop" (free play) so maybe this amount of movement is needed for the drive to work freely?
A quick (15 minutes) test drive outside the house this morning went without incident and everything is working as it should, so I may just complete the weathering by blending in the "muddy look" that I have completed on the hull by blending it a little onto the upper deck and then just enjoy running it until my "new build" is completed when I will compare the ease of access for maintenance and cleaning and decide what works best.
The Tamiya Leopard 2A6 tanks all will be driven and "used" so if the previous owner/builder of this 2A6 has improved the way that this black box fits to give easier access for cleaning and maintenance I would be happy to copy it on my other 2A6 tanks........time will tell what works best......
Never too old to learn........
