Lets fix the Savage Transmission

[lincpimp]

I guess this can be my next savvy mod after I have figured out the cen arms/hubs/cvds and the lst2 stuff...

Nothing is going to be 100% drop in, so set your punch control for 90% and run 4s lipo if you want the stock flux stuff to last...

I find the humore that after everything is said and done that a bunch of us will have more than 1k in a savage, when a 500 buck cen genesis might just be a better starting point. Stick a 1717, MMM, and 6s in that beast, basically an overbuilt savage anyways.

I will continue my savvy mods, just cause they are fun. Got the hingepin braces made, just need the trunbuckles and a suitable motor and my 15" wb savvy will be ready to roll.

[thzero]

Maybe... I did consider one before I got my original Savage; but parts support sucks for it, so I decided not too..

But really isn't modding the trucks and cars what most of us at rc-monster's forums are about? :)

Originally Posted by lincpimp

when a 500 buck cen genesis might just be a better starting point. Stick a 1717, MMM, and 6s in that beast, basically an overbuilt savage anyways.

[lincpimp]

Originally Posted by thzero

Maybe... I did consider one before I got my original Savage; but parts support sucks for it, so I decided not too..

But really isn't modding the trucks and cars what most of us at rc-monster's forums are about? :)

Yes it is! That is why I will continue modding my trucks!

[JasonB]

If this STP oil trick fixes the tranny, I don't think there's much of anything else to worry about on this truck. It will be very low maintenance!

Getting a straight answer out of HPI is like pulling teeth, but I would really like to know why they left those two junk gears in there.

[Jahay]

yes linc... definitely have sunk in way more than $2000 into the savage! closer to $3000 i believe... but prefer the Savage to the CEN

desperate to see how those hinge pin braces turned out!

zero that is true... the support for CEN is pathetic compared... MODDING FTW

[josh9mille]

I think some RCM hardened Savage tranny gears would do the trick! HINT HINT HINT!

[thzero]

Oh yeah!

Originally Posted by josh9mille

I think some RCM hardened Savage tranny gears would do the trick! HINT HINT HINT!

[josh9mille]

OR, instead of sealing the case and running oil inside, maybe just give the gears a nice coat of graphite.

[thzero]

What about some lubricant such as Gorilla Snawt that is formulated not to 'fling'?

Originally Posted by josh9mille

OR, instead of sealing the case and running oil inside, maybe just give the gears a nice coat of graphite.

[lincpimp]

Originally Posted by josh9mille

OR, instead of sealing the case and running oil inside, maybe just give the gears a nice coat of graphite.

oil works better than dry lube

Originally Posted by thzero

What about some lubricant such as Gorilla Snawt that is formulated not to 'fling'?

grease flings, no way around that with the kind of speeds we spin stuff.

[josh9mille]

maybe some of that motorcycle chain lube, there are several different varieties of it. Some of it doesnt fling at all. I dunno.......just trying to come up with something different.

[JasonB]

Option 3 was a success! I am very happy with this mod. Thanks for the tip linc!

The truck has never run so quiet, which tells me there is no more gear on gear grinding inside the tranny. The truck is so silent, even at WOT, that it is hard to believe it's a FLUX.

After 6 runs, I opened up the tranny, and there are zero signs of gear wear. Only down side I can see to this mod is I will need to totally seal up the tranny to keep the lube from seeping out. Those high RPMs fling that stuff so hard that it even slides past the bearings. Pictures tell the story.


I cleaned it up and sealed the top half to the bottom half after taking these pics. Next time I break it down, I'll look into sealing the bearings into the holders and onto the gear shafts. That should prevent the lube from sliding past the bearings, but will not hender the bearings from doing thier job.

[lincpimp]

Originally Posted by JasonB

Option 3 was a success! I am very happy with this mod. Thanks for the tip linc!

The truck has never run so quiet, which tells me there is no more gear on gear grinding inside the tranny. The truck is so silent, even at WOT, that it is hard to believe it's a FLUX.

After 6 runs, I opened up the tranny, and there are zero signs of gear wear. Only down side I can see to this mod is I will need to totally seal up the tranny to keep the lube from seeping out. Those high RPMs fling that stuff so hard that it even slides past the bearings. Pictures tell the story.
Attachment 9721Attachment 9722Attachment 9723Attachment 9724

I cleaned it up and sealed the top half to the bottom half after taking these pics. Next time I break it down, I'll look into sealing the bearings into the holders and onto the gear shafts. That should prevent the lube from sliding past the bearings, but will not hender the bearings from doing thier job.

What kind of oil/lube are you using?

Back in the day, Sikeston34m was using stp oil sabilizer. Thick stuff, and it really sticks to the gears. He was not having a leak issue like you are having, and all he did was use rubber sealed bearings. Pretty sure the stock bearins are rubber sealed in the flux anyways.

Glad to hear it is working well, metal gears need oil. I think using some rtv silicone would seal it all up well. I would smear some on the shafts where the bearins sit, and where the bearing contact with the case. And on the case halves too. Maybe just use some bearing grease between the top and bottom cases, so they can come apart easily.

Should make those gears last!!!

[JasonB]

Originally Posted by lincpimp

What kind of oil/lube are you using?

Back in the day, Sikeston34m was using stp oil sabilizer. Thick stuff, and it really sticks to the gears. He was not having a leak issue like you are having, and all he did was use rubber sealed bearings. Pretty sure the stock bearins are rubber sealed in the flux anyways.

I'm using STP Oil Treatment (link) and stock rubber sealed bearings. Perhaps Sikeston was running less RPMs back then. Mine leaked like a sieve, everywhere except the parts I had siliconed together. My transmission has seen over 1 year of heavy use, so perhaps a new transmission won't leak as bad. I think I can seal it up well, but that will take a complete break down and clean up again . . . for that I'll wait till this gear gives up it's ghost which hopefully won't be for a very long time.

[JasonB]

I decided to take the tranny out to clean up the sticky oil and stuck on sand and take another look at the gears inside. Since I've sealed up the case, I use the adjustment holes to check the oil and peak at the gears (hex driver makes a great dip stick). Still zero gear wear after more than a dozen runs. I'm thinking these gears are going to last for a very long time. Only thing I can see breaking them now is too much torque shearing off the teeth from locking up the tires or doing several back flips or something of that nature.

Why check the oil? Well it's gradually being forced past the bearings, so I'm just making sure there is still enough left in there to do the job. Perhaps it will get low enough that it stops leaking but still keeps the gears lubed. It's down to under 1/4" so I think it's getting close to that point. Already have a permanent fix in mind for the bearings, but I'm not ready to totally break down the case, degrease it, clean off the old RTV, etc, etc yet.