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Sounds good, feel free to hit me up if you have questions I can try to answer. That is really strange, and I'm not familiar with your software. Id gladly send you g-code from my program to test with and see if it's software or a setting but I don't know what your machine profile is. My profile is for mach3 and I use the same profile on my uccnc machine as well as my first China CNC router. I use cut2d pro for my cam.

morrisey0 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 12, 2024 11:10 am Also a bit excited because hopefully my 2nd and 3rd AE 1/8 onroad cars show up today! One of those, "well if you are interested in that, I also have this" situations.

Yes keep me and others updated on those projects.
I think there are not really much 1/8 scale projects here, but more people interested to watch and see how it works out.

morrisey0 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 11, 2024 6:50 pm https://1drv.ms/f/s!AiFH8UVGA_RvhJsGGvcr1NVoWn28zg?e=pCu2HT

I added a 1978 AE Parts List to this folder. This pre-dates the RC150, but many of the earlier version parts are the same, so it is a good source for part numbers. I find these prices interesting because I am very used to seeing RC10 era prices, and thinking how low that seems today, but some of these 1978 are kinda crazy! There are bodies for $25 ($120 today), and Futaba TX/RX sets for $140 ($673 today). My 2024 radio cost less than $140 in today's money!!

I finally got my cheap CNC to start playing ball by simply lying to it about certain parameters. I have to tell it that bits are smaller than they actually are so that it will cut further, and after more testing, this works just fine. I need to see if there is a possibility that I can write this correction factor into the g-code, but for now I am okay just manually inserting it. The machine was also digging too deep, and again there is no real correction for this, so I just now lie to it about how thick the touch pad is when it z-probes, and all is well now.

At the end of the day, the radio plate came out just about perfect! Really excited about this. When I bought this machine, my first plan was building the plates for the RC150, and now done. The original plate is based around 1970s radio receivers and battery packs, which IMO, were a bit out of date around 1980-1981 when this car came out, so I was okay updating the plate to be a little more appropriate for that period.

Can anyone confirm any Delta Plastics bodies that will fit the ~305mm WB of the AE RCXXX series cars? They are all listed at 295mm, and I know many bodies will give some leeway there, especially GT bodies, but 10mm is a bit. I hate to drop that much on a body and it not be useful. Has anyone used a specific body from them, and know that it will work?

Bit of an informational post. If you are new to the RCXXX 1/8 onroad world, and you are getting into your first build, like myself, the whole metal fuel tank thing may get confusing, so I will share what I have learned so far. First off, the metal fuel tank was available on the series through the early RC300, so loads of vehicles came with them, and IMO, from a builder standpoint, the early vehicles should have them. They were known as a PITA, and leaked often so maybe not so great for actually running, but for building, I think they are a standard.

Second, they weren't AE produced parts; they were sourced from other manufacturers. So, if you go looking for AE RC200 fuel tanks and fill caps, you won't find much help out there. The complete tanks, are made from two different main pieces made by two different manufacturers. The main part being the two piece tank, which was produced by Hi Johnson, and is the Flexiscope model. This tank is unique compared to the others of the day, as it consisted of two parts that slide onto themselves, creating a telescoping action, hence the name. Most other metal tanks of the time came with a main tank case and you would solder both ends on, so this tank kinda reduced the soldering (and chance of leaking) in half by only having a single solder joint in the middle.

The second part of the tank being the fill valve/cap. This is actually a completely random part not even designed for RC anything; it is a "practical spring hinge cup" produced by Gits Bros. Manufacturing Company. These are what are commonly referred to as oilers, and they have been around for a century and are used as a leak proof way to add oil to engines and large machines.

Start with the Hi Johnson tank. This is the one you are looking for. I have to laugh at the label for multiple reasons. 1) the capacity is 0-4oz. Doesn't every container on earth start with a capacity of 0? 2) no ends to leak ........... but can leak in the middle. 3) I know what it is supposed to state, but what quality is it?


So, the components.


The Gits Bros. oiler cut.



I cheated a bit on marking the hole needed on the tank to accept the oiler. Printed myself a little jig for marking. Not sure if it will be needed though. I have a feeling I am going to find center and just step-bit this one.


Next phase will be tomorrow with cutting and soldering. I made some practice passes with soldering today, and wasn't happy with the results. I have some more leaded solder coming in tomorrow that may help. Paste flux, liquid flux, iron tip, iron temp, technique, etc. Lot of variables in such a simple task.

I may be way off base here, but I had an RC150 back in the mid 90's from a yard sale. I remember asking my dad how to fix the leaking fuel tank. He handed me a MAPP torch and plumbing solder. It wasn't pretty when I finished, but it held. This may be time for more heat than the soldering iron puts out

Elkcycles wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 10:18 pm I may be way off base here, but I had an RC150 back in the mid 90's from a yard sale. I remember asking my dad how to fix the leaking fuel tank. He handed me a MAPP torch and plumbing solder. It wasn't pretty when I finished, but it held. This may be time for more heat than the soldering iron puts out

My original plan was to attack this as a plumbing joint, but the method in the manual, plus the methods I have read about and seen, are approaching it with a soldering iron. I can get it done, it is just a little nasty looking ............ but fiber sanding discs can help with that.

The Hi Johnson tank was used before the RC300. My RC100 cars came with them too.
For the cap the springloaded version was the final result and made by a couple of companies. But the cap usually used was the one sold through Thorp.

In the beginning a brass tube was soldered to the top of the tank with a slotted rubber cap closing it.
This was known as the 'Rat Fill'. For refuelling the tank you just inserted your fuel bottle through that rubber cap. It was something of an early quick fill method.
When removing the bottle the cap should close again. Well it did, more or less.

One thing missing is the fuel sump which was added to the bottom of the tank.
It keeps the fuel flowing when driving through a corner and amount of fuel in the tank is quite low.
I have pics somewhere but can´t find them currently.

Yea, I meant that the metal tank was used through the early RC300, to include the previous versions.

I suspected that multiple other types of caps were used, but that particular Gits Bros one with the triangle piece on the back of the cap seems to be the most prominent, so I got one of those.

I had seen the sump box in the diagram, but I have a feeling mine is going to end up missing it.

This is an early Johnson tank with the Rat Fill cap and sump.

I got the tank built. I did go ahead and build and install a sump box for it, and ran the internal lines close to what the instructions call for. Maybe there is a secret to bending 1/8 brass tube that I don't know about (I am thinking heat), but it isn't really as malleable in the real world as it is in the instructions. Oh well, got it close and called it done. Soldering the oiler is the worst part because it is a healthy gauge of steel compared to the tank metal. I had my iron all the way up, and using the blade / wedge tip, and it could have used some more. I could not solder on the outside under the cap hinge, so that part is soldered on the inside. I think it came out pretty good overall. I see a lot of pictures of these cars on the interwebs without the tank soldered together, and I just don't like it, and I think it is because many are scared to just do it. A good soldering iron, great flux, and some 60/40 solder will get you there. And of course some sort of sanding mech to clean up all of the mistakes. I am sure that the tank had some sort of protective layer on it that had aged a bit, and my sanding went through it in many spots, so I just wiped the whole thing down with boiled linseed oil, which should give it a little protection.

Pay no attention to the fact that I put the mechanicals on the wrong piece. They are actually supposed to be on the "outer" piece.

And yes, I can see the small hole on the tank side solder bead. Not sure if I am going to worry about that little guy yet.

https://www.holley.com/products/nitrous/tools/parts/15991NOS?srsltid=AfmBOooVI-T4TFFuOHQsjC6ze191wI2140MhYFRxJNvKaQcNPH38hJly

I haven't tried brass but it'll bend 1/8 and 3/16" stainless and regular steel fairly easily. The short pieces might be trouble.

juicedcoupe wrote: ↑Wed Nov 20, 2024 8:16 pm https://www.holley.com/products/nitrous/tools/parts/15991NOS?srsltid=AfmBOooVI-T4TFFuOHQsjC6ze191wI2140MhYFRxJNvKaQcNPH38hJly

I haven't tried brass but it'll bend 1/8 and 3/16" stainless and regular steel fairly easily. The short pieces might be trouble.

Thanks! And I will add to that that I do not recommend this one. I bought this quite a while ago for some project, and didn't end up using it, and somehow remembered where it was and pulled it out for this. The pics on the website show 90*+ bends with no collapsing at all, but I can tell you that even with the brass tube that comes in the kit, it will start collapsing at 90*. At that point, it is just "ovaled" and maybe has the same inner area, but it doesn't look "mandreled" like the manufacturer's pics, and looks bad IMO. For a single purpose tool, down to the size of tube it is built for, it is pretty much junk to me.

Had a little time earlier today to get the throttle and brake links set up. This is not Asso correct, and purists may cringe, but this was my way to go about it. Still need to get to the steering linkage. I bought some square shaft Futaba servo horns, but on top of them being weird and square, apparently there are different size square mounts, and I of course have horns that are too small. Back to the search on that one.




And then this afternoon, the body showed up. I know that traditionally, it should get a GT body, but this car actually didn't have one originally, and I wanted something a little different. Every time I went to the Delta Plastiks site, the BMW M1 body stuck out to me, so I took a chance on it, and from initial impressions, I love it! I wish they didn't mold the wheel wells in the body, so there was more flexibility there, but I think I can make it work. It is weird enough to make me happy! It sits so high in the rear that I don't need to worry about clearance with the engine head or fuel tank. And glad I can just go cut a new front bumper plate, because I am going to need a much smaller one.