Who needs LiPo?!

[OldSchoolGuy]

That's a great idea! I hadn't even thought of drilling and tapping new holes offset from the original location. I already have an M3 tap too, so my net cost would be ZERO! Probably the best and least expensive solution. I think I'll try this and report back when done.

[OldSchoolGuy]

So finally got some time to try and repair my son's Team Orion brushless motor with the stripped mounting holes. I took some pictures this time! So it turns out that two of the four provided mounting holes are stripped, and they are next to each other, so can't just turn the motor 90 degrees and use the other two. Either way would have one completely stripped out hole. In the overall pic, you can clearly see the hole on the right is pretty cleanly stripped. You can take the proper size M3 screw and just insert it easily into the hole and remove it. There is literally no metal there to grab anything! This was the way I got the motor when I bought the car. The hole on the bottom is the latest one to strip out. And a detail shot of the threads completely buggered.

So I used the motor mount for the car as a template and marked two new holes slightly offset, drilled new holes using a #39 drill bit and an M3x0.5 tap, and it came out quite nice! Luckily, there was about maybe 10mm or so of clearance between the stator windings and the end plate for clearance of the drill bit and tap. Time will tell if there is any strength to those threads. I used new hardware, lock washers and blue threadlock when I installed it to the mounting plate. In my haste to get it back together, I forgot to take a picture of the completed new holes. If I take the car apart again I will try to remember to snap a pic of the new mounting holes.

Today would have been a perfect day to try out the newly refreshed motor, as my son is off work today, but wouldn't you know it, we got the earliest snowfall I can remember here in Chicagoland, October 31, Halloween!

[R6cowboy]

If it ends up not holding the greatest, just drill out the original holes and tap for M4 screws, and use aluminum washers. But sounds like you did a thorough job.

We got snow on Halloween about 5 years ago, 2018 I think it was. Snowed heavy just a couple hours before trick r treating started. But I'm 90 miles west of the IL trash bin, not sure how much of Chicagoland got hit back then.

[noxioussprite]

It's a matter of personal preference and safety priorities. NiMh batteries are indeed reliable and can be a safer option if you're concerned about the potential risks associated with LiPo batteries. If NiMh batteries work well for your needs and you're satisfied with the run times, there's no need to rush into LiPo technology. Stick with what you're comfortable with until you're ready to make the transition. Safety should always be a top priority in the hobby.

[GreenBar0n]

This may sound like an exaggeration, and I promise it's not: I have had (6) 3S LiPo's for a Blade 400 CP heli (from 2008), unused and stored in my refrigerator for nearly 12 years now. I balance charged them with the storage voltage setting, and in parallel, using an older iCharger 206B and parallel/balance cables I made. I took those (6) 3S liPo's out just recently, and ran the iCharger monitor on each battery, (5) out of (6) were still at their same storage voltage, and in all three cells of each of those packs!


The (1) 3S that was 0V on all cells, had been crashed, and had a large dent in it that I never noticed. No fire.


For transporting/storing/charging LiPo's they make an explosion/fire proof bag:


It also has a charge cable hole so you can feel safer and walk away:


All that said, my new Tamiya M-06 Bus kit is brushed/NiMh


No need to fear LiPo, if handled/charged with care.

[RogueIV]

Good example of lipo use:

I ran my Beetle on a 3S/2100/10C lipo this morning. The battery is at least 13 years old. I used it in various RC planes over the years. It has been through countless charge/discharge cycles. It has survived several airframe-destroying plane crashes.

It is not a fluke, as I have many more with a similar history. I haven't bought an RC plane battery since 2015, so all are at least that old.

The key to their longevity, I think, is that I charge at 1C and always put them in storage mode.

Same here. I have a pair of thunderpower 2s 8000mah that were bought forever ago and they both still work great. Not race quality anymore, but work fine for non competitive stuff. I've killed plenty of NiMH packs back in the day. granted they don't die as spectacularly but really you shouldn't be leaving any type of battery unattended on a fast charger.

[OldSchoolGuy]

Thanks for all of the testaments to successful LiPo use. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I get a few.

A small update on my son's Team Orion brushless motor thread repair. We ran the cars the other day and it was the first time that both of us were able to run the cars all the way to battery dead state. Running the same cars (TC-3's), same batteries (3300mAh NiMh) but different brushless motors, I got about 30 minutes and my son got about 35 minutes. We had a few smacks on the cars but no full speed into concrete disasters. The thread repair is holding 100% so far.