Rustler 8s/9918: gearing/cells?

[kulangflow]

Thanks a ton for all the great info!

Today I tried 10 cells at 18/84 (12.7:1) and 20/84 (11.4:1). After several high speed passes at 20/84, the motor was 170F, while the 9918 was 130F.

At 170F, I couldn't keep my finger on the motor, but that's still less than 100C, so that's okay, right? If these temps are okay, does that mean I could possibly go to a higher pinion like 22 or 24T?

With that said, how hot is too hot for the motor and controller? What is a good temperature range to make these things last me a long while?

Thanks!

Brian