[John Tremelling]

Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen,

I wish to pick the collective brains of this forum again.

I intend to motorise an Airfix 1:32 MG Magnet, preserving as much of the interior as possible. Thus I expect to fit the motor in front. I have found a couple of threads on this forum, some with excellent photographs to give me ideas, but I have not been able to understand how the motor is attached to the prop shaft, it appears to be a spring type arrangement. In small model boats I would use a suitable plastic or rubber tube. Is that all that it is or is it something specifically intended for slot cars?

If someone would direct me to a thread or tutorial I would be obliged to them.

I am not looking for high speeds thus will gear my chosen motor for high torque, looking for a scale 60 mph ish, need to preserve my SAGA no claims bonus.

Thanks

 

[Julian_Boolean]

I've got a Revell Gran Sport Corvette which is front motored, it has a spring which connects the motor shaft to a prop shaft - you can buy spare motors with the prop shaft for Revell cars, but the motor is probably a bit quick for your needs.

 

[Mick Kerr]

Hi John,
I've built lots of front motored cars (you can find some pictures in my gallery).
Both Fly and Scalextric fit there cars with a drive spring between the motor and prop shaft, these can be purchased separately.
I personally prefer to use flexible plastic tube as I find it more reliable than the springs, several of which I've managed to break.
This tube needs to be the 'old fashioned' neoprene tube. Modern silicon tube is too flexible and twists at the join instead of transmitting the drive.
You can also extend the motor shaft by soldering/glueing on a piece of metal tube between the motor and prop shaft. This is not easy to do because the prop shaft needs to be perfectly aligned with the motor shaft. It can also lead to binding as the chassis flexes.
Good luck with your project.
Front motored cars can be just as fast as normal mid-motored ones if set up properly.
Cheers.
Mick.

 

[John Tremelling]

I had considered soldering a prop shaft Mick, and mounting the motor in some flexible mount to absorb any misalignment, but thought some form of of universal joint to be better. The photos which I have viewed did appear to be a spring, but if plastic tube has been used on cars I shall probably start with this, a technique with which I am familiar. It works well in model boats and will deal with mis alignments of 10 degrees or more, but of course generally considerably less rpm. I shall look for a Revell motor with a spring joint Julian, perhaps I may be able to gear it down at the crown.

Thanks for comments, I am sure that someone must have motorised an MG Magnet, I would be interested to see one.

 

[Saviour]

Give Pendles a shout, Fly use them on some of their car. Tight spring over motor shaft, to shaft with bearing. and pinion. or their sister site flymodelcars

 

[Aberstone]

When we ran Fly front engined cars in the South West Championship, we ran some solder around the spring to stiffen it up, it seemed to work, never had a problem.
Cheers - Phil