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Making a Front Bumper Tensioner (17/07/2005)
- By:
- Glenn M. Cauley
The low flat front bumper of pancar gascars (my 1:8 Veteq as an example), while made of a strong and resilient material, may bend downward after repeated collisions, sometimes causing it to scrape on the ground and making it very difficult to steer the car.
There have been many suggestions over time to eliminate this problem; a stiffer bumper (which stays bent when it does bend), carbon plates joining the ends of the bumper to prevent sagging (which break easily), and others.
At a recent club race in Montreal, Quebec, racer Steve Levy had come up with a very good idea for solving the issue...
Project Veteq 2005 (28/03/2005)
- By:
- Glenn M. Cauley
- Linked to:
- VETEQ O2 1/8 scale 4WD
During our clubs 2004 nitro racing series, I was thoroughly enjoying my new Serpent 710; it was by far the best-handling (and coolest) 200mm nitro sedan I had ever owned. We were about half way through our local series when one of our favourite events, the Canadian Gas Nationals, was held in St. Eustache, Qubec.
I was planning to race only my S710 at that event, when my friend Dean Mondor planted an evil seed inside my head. He innocently(?) offered me his newly-acquired 2002 Serpent Veteq to race at the upcoming Gas Nationals. Having never driven a 1:8 nitro on-road car before, I was at first...
Building and Setting Up the Centax-2 and Centax-3 Clutches (19/08/2004)
- By:
- Glenn M. Cauley
- Linked to:
- Centax 3 clutch-set (excl. Flywheel)
Centax clutch setup in Serpent cars remains a bit of a mystery to many, especially when you have to deal with the different versions available (Centax-1, Centax-2, and now Centax-3) that all have different places that you use shims and spacers and the like. In this short series of articles, I hope to unveil some of the tips and tricks of setting up these great clutches.
This article deals with the assembly and setup of the Centax-2 and Centax-3 clutches.
You can find the article on the assembly and setup of the original Centax-1 clutch at:
http://www.mytsn.com/publ/publ.asp?pid=10532
Building and Setting Up the Centax-1 Clutch (18/08/2004)
- By:
- Glenn M. Cauley
- Linked to:
- Centax Clutch 38mm (w/o clutchhousing)
Centax clutch setup in Serpent cars remains a bit of a mystery to many, especially when you have to deal with the different versions available (Centax-1, Centax-2, and now Centax-3) that all have different places that you use shims and spacers and the like. In this short series of articles, I hope to unveil some of the tips and tricks of setting up these great clutches.
This first article deals with the assembly and setup of the Centax-1 clutch.
Team Tamale Digital Gap and Endplay Tool (27/05/2004)
- By:
- Glenn M. Cauley
Proper building and adjustment of a Centax clutch is very important for proper operation and long life. An improperly built and adjusted Centax clutch may result in excessive slip, early or late engagement, engine bogging, and premature thrustbearing failure.
When building the Centax clutch, you must pay particular attention to proper shimming to obtain the proper clutch gap and endplay.
Drive Ratio Table for 710 (16/04/2004)
- By:
- Eoghain O'Briain
- Linked to:
- Serpent 710 4WD
We have recieved many requests from Serpent 710 owners for a Drive Ratio Table/calculator. So here it is, a simple sheet, displaying the drive ratio between the front and rear wheels when using different tyre diameters. Also included in the sheet is a Gear Ratio table which shows the revolutions of the engine, in both 1st & 2nd gear, in relation to 1 turn of the gearbox shaft when using different gearing combinations.
It is available to download and view as a PDF from the Serpent 710 page.
Centax Clutch Adjustment (29/03/2004)
- By:
- Glenn M. Cauley
When building a Centax clutch, it is very important to shim it properly for proper operation and long life. An improperly built Centax clutch may result in excessive slip, too early or too late engagement, engine bogging, and premature thrustbearing failure.
Borrowing from the advise of Julius Kolff (Team Serpent), he says that thrustbearing failure is almost every time due to the following:
* Non-regular greasing
The thrustbearing should be re-greased once every 30 minutes at least or more often if you run on dirty tracks or your car sees grass often.
Use a thick, sticky grease like graphite...
News From the Snake Pit, A Final (13/07/2003)
- By:
- Doug McNeely
Ralph Burch Jr. has captured his 27th National Championship at this years ROAR Open On Road 1/8 Nationals. Ralph concluded an almost perfect week of racing by leading every lap in the 45 minute A Final, against some great competition. The drivers were challenged by a very hot and greasy track as temperatures approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
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