Upgrades for a pure stock '86 RC10

[CTYankee]

When I got my RC10 it was the base model. Now that I have a bit more money to spend and parts are a lot cheaper (and better) I thought about chaining things up a bit. What are the most effective upgrades I can do? I won't be racing, just having fun "bashing" (as I believe you call it) in the dirt and on the road.

Bearings? These seem like a good idea, particularly given the price these days. avidrc.com still the place to get these?

Stealth? It has the stock 6-gear transmission. It seems it needs some work. It does not spin very freely. I read about people spinning theirs for 15+ seconds. HA! Not even close. I also feel there is something tight in there. Every so often, about every 1/4 turn it gets tight then gets smooth, almost like there is a badly burred tooth in one of the gears. Have not opened it yet. What is a good price for these? Can't see the B/S/T forums here so not sure what they go for. EBay seems to be $50-80. Should I go for the black ones? Those seem to be the later ones that might be easier to find parts for and work better.

New Motor? This is where it gets complicated. I can get a $20 brushed motor, but will it be better? I can also get a $40 brushed motor (CO27 seems to be a good one). However then I start wondering if I should just get a new ESC, brushless motor, and Stealth tranny. Then things start adding up....and for what benefit?

I'm not looking for pure top end speed, but more acceleration and some more on the top end. Also want to make sure any money I spend isn't lost if something breaks. Want to make sure I can repair as needed and am not investing in a lost cause.

[mikedealer]

bearings good idea
stealth good idea
steering upgrade is probably good idea, the stocks tend to break/crack/strip, A&L kit is a good idea and available still
electronics are a good idea, and brushed motors were soo much work to fix up all the time...
if it has original dogbones/axles, i would look for maybe a set of CVD's or Universals at least.

[CTYankee]

bearings good idea
stealth good idea
steering upgrade is probably good idea, the stocks tend to break/crack/strip, A&L kit is a good idea and available still
electronics are a good idea, and brushed motors were soo much work to fix up all the time...
if it has original dogbones/axles, i would look for maybe a set of CVD's or Universals at least.

Thanks. As I look for a Stealth, they are rather hard to find. I do find a lot of the cases for $5 or so. I don't see any (or have not found any) information about building up a Stealth tranny from sratch. Buy the case, all the parts and put it together. Is this done? Seems like it might be a way to get a new stealth for less than what the used ones go for on Ebay.

I do see one on Ebay, but it is the white original version. Can those be updated with the newer/better parts or should I look for a later version?

I have cracked and stripped my steering. It is a bit sloppy at times as it does have some play in it because of this. Thanks for the tip.

[scr8p]

building a stealth from new parts will cost almost $100, if not more. that wouldn't even include the motor mount (which is discontinued). not to mention, one of the outdrives has become discontinued recently. trans cases have been discontinued for quite some time now, too. so unless you have a lhs with old stock, ebay is going to be the only place to find them.

there is always the rpm trans case. but not everyone wants a 2.65 trans ratio.

you be better off finding a clean, complete, used stealth.

[CTYankee]

Apart from the color and gearing is there any significant difference between the white 2.25 and later Stealths? The white ones seem to be cheaper. Also, I see RC10T stealth transmissions. Are these the same as the RC10 or will they need some other parts or mods to fit a gold tub "A" stamp chassis?

[Charlie don't surf]

The white cases were always smoother than the black cases, the reason that we were
Given was that the molds were pretty shot by the time the black ones were being produced.

[CTYankee]

I pulled my 6-gear apart and found out what was wrong. One of the white plastic Idler gears has one missing tooth and several that are a bit rough.

WHen I spin one wheel the other will sometimes go the same way other times the other way. WHen I spin the side with the chewed up gear it feels very rough. Defitely need to replace the idler.

I also noticed that the diff. shaft will move in and out when mounted. I can move the spur gear in and out from the motor plate about 2-3mm. Is this normal?

I'm not sure I want to drill my non-stealth gold pan chassis. Might just go with bearings and new idler gears to get the 6 gear running as smooth as possible. Decisions decisions decisions....

[teman]

You shouldn't really have any diff shaft play either left/right down/up. Check the manual and compare with what you have inside the transmission.

[CTYankee]

You shouldn't really have any diff shaft play either left/right down/up. Check the manual and compare with what you have inside the transmission.

It is exactly as the manual shows, pulled it apart 3 times and its is exactly as the manual shows. I might be able to put a washer on the opposite end of the diff shaft to take care of the play.

[teman]

It is exactly as the manual shows, pulled it apart 3 times and its is exactly as the manual shows. I might be able to put a washer on the opposite end of the diff shaft to take care of the play.

Do you have the 6623 washer on the white bushing? I can't think of anything else would cause excessive shaft play there
-Kevin

[CTYankee]

It is exactly as the manual shows, pulled it apart 3 times and its is exactly as the manual shows. I might be able to put a washer on the opposite end of the diff shaft to take care of the play.

Do you have the 6623 washer on the white bushing? I can't think of anything else would cause excessive shaft play there
-Kevin

Yes, got it all in there. I'll open it up again and if I still have trouble post photos. I have bearings on the way, but the idler gears are backordered at the usual on line stores...checking into a few of the more obscure places. Ebay is also an option.

[CTYankee]

Got it all back together and the new idlers make a huge difference. So much smoother.

Still considering a new motor. Something that will give it more acceleration and work with my old Futaba MC112B. The traxxis Stinger seems to be easy to find and reasonably amount of speed (19T). Any other motors to consider?

[Mattwarner]

I upgraded my brushed motor for an EZRUN 13T / 35AMP ESC off ebay and it made an amazing difference!! these are available through Hobbyking i believe but i got mine from HK for a steal although it took 6 weeks to get to me.

[CTYankee]

I upgraded my brushed motor for an EZRUN 13T / 35AMP ESC off ebay and it made an amazing difference!! these are available through Hobbyking i believe but i got mine from HK for a steal although it took 6 weeks to get to me.

I got one from hobbypartz.com for $58. WOW! The car is so much faster. The ESC alone is a huge upgrade. Adjustable braking, drag, far more sensitive throttle response curve. Very nice. I can't imagine what it would be like with a nice censored unit, but for dirt lot fun it more than gets the job done.