Open & GT car prep for newbies

As much notes for myself as a couple of tips for the newbie assemblers of Slot.it pod type chassis - recommended is 0.75mm SW pod but 1.00mm will also do, provided the magnets ever so slightly recessed (only by feel):

A useful kit complete with 61 smaller cut off wheels for motor pod.

Illustrating the plastic swarf build up on the small cut off disks, change regularly and typically six per pod project for clean accurate cutting. The smaller disks allow access to the inside rear.

Needle file roughening edge of magnet. The process relies on support for both front and rear long sides of the magnet, for the front and rear location.

Warm the tubes in just boiled hot kettle water, mix and paint on to the nylon before fitting magnet which should be only just below (by feel only) the edge of the plastic (NEVER ABOVE). Keep the tubes stored vertically in a similar container [Oliver tip] thereafter. Once happy with location and the glue dried a bit, reinforce with a couple drops super glue from top (inside).

Rough cut the front slot and finish with a needle file so the magnet clips in tightly for maximum support of the magnet. Use two stacked of the Professor 27x5x1.5 magnets at the rear and one 25x6x1.5 (any up to max two mm thick like Slot.it 25x8x2) at the front. The maximum downforce is to be biased to the rear. Again only just inside surface by feel. Note front magnet position has proven important and whilst the Slot.it magnet holders remain, do not use them (creates edge of the cliff downforce, not good). Rather stack trimmers on existing magnets.

The fitted magnets with Black Wonda Fix (only use black never the clear) around the edges, both reinforced with a drop or to two super glue from the inside.

Trimmer magnets added, a must at the back and a Slot.it magnet has proved an ideal trimmer at the front, in the past.

VERY IMPORTANT - reinforce the front axle supports with black Wonda fix at fore and aft of the axle supports (zoom pic if battling to see). Fit the motor pod and tighten the screws just enough to allow the pod to slip fore and aft about 1 mm travel (also important, do not lock up the pod).

The rest of the story will follow in due course ;-)

The amazing Slot.it GT40

The GT40 remains the open beastie to beat but only just lost fractionally by same lap total only to the Chris's Mosler in September (200 laps) and then Dave's own new Black Arrow Ferrari 458 with Olifer chassis in October, driven by Sir Lancelot (196 laps). The 3D chassis with Slot.it pod fittings are proving superb and almost bullet proof, as the recent three hour enduro with the Amato 3D Mosler chassis for Slot.it proved :-)

Black Arrow Ferrari on Olifer 3D chassis for Slot.it pod

Underneath of the NSR Mosler with Amato stiffer Mosler chassis (Scaleauto motor later changed to BRM).

Scroll forward to 26 August 2017 and the GT40 now, after quite some development, has a competitive stable mate in the form of the Led Zeppelin McLaren M8, which has been a long time shelf queen for obvious reasons but proved surprisingly robust and a proper traffic scooper in action. Both cars qualified on equal laps but yours truly was spooked by the Pmb Hotslots lads threatening (and looking it) the 200 laps barrier, so decided to stay with the proven GT40. This time it was Sir Lancelot and the Raw McLaren F1 who got the hole shot (and his first 190) and had to be chased down from a couple laps behind, so quite surprised the GT40 knocked off the outright Hotslots open laps record by an additional one lap to 196.360.

The GT40 has enjoyed the outright laps record at Ecurie Durban and Hotslots Pmb for a short while now, so time to switch tack to the M8 for Ecurie as well, where the traffic poop scoop element is vital and the more fragile GT40 not able to sustain the high speed traffic damage.

This one may be the last post before Photobucket possibly ruins much of my blogs. Again the GT40 had to come from two laps behind the Chris Mosler to improve the Hotslots laps record to 195.070, this past Saturday 22 July 2017. A small but significant mod to the Professor controller seemed to give the extra finesse, along with a pre race controller service by Lance. Still a fragile open option for most though, the GT40 finished the race with no front axle supports and front wheels......

Just had to record it for posterity but have to claim this Hotslots one for my controller of choice for the Pmb track, currently being the knife through butter double transistor commercial track Professor, which has also proved just the ticket for the South African non magnet Slot.it series, as well.

More by accident than design the same yellow Slot.it GT40 with Scaleauto red 35K at May 2017 now holds the outright open laps record for both the Ecurie Durban and Hotslots Pietermaritzburg tracks, against the field of Moslers et al.

Formula Libre Pro prep for the metal heads

The Scalextric Lotus Evora super resistant and Ford GT40 are the competitive cars for the Ecurie Libre Pro (with original motor) class at present.

Gavin asked for a shopping list and Paul is commencing preparation of a new Lotus Evora super resistant so this takes the form of a list of recommended bits plus some pictures guide, rather than the blow by blow assembly guide for stock.

Parts sourced locally in Kzn (generally):

Slot.it long axle (x2)

Slot.it 16.9 mm narrow front wheels

Slot.it zero grip narrow front tyres (were Z1)

Slot.it rear bushes for Scalextric

Slot.it LMP braid (for short term solution) *

Mr Slotcar braid ex Macho Mart (long term solution) *

Slot.it axle spacers **

Slot.it 36t spur 19 mm ***

Ninco silicone cable or similar

Ninco longer star screws for the body rear *****

Parts sourced overseas:

MBslot plastic 36t spur gear bolt on ***

Sloting Plus 17.8 mm rim ****

*         The Slot.it LMP braid is quickly and easily trapped against the guide silver braid shoe and one then threads the lead wire through the hole and (very) quickly solders the wire to the braid (see photos).
          The Mr Slotcar braid is significantly longer lasting but fiddly to tin the end for soldering in view of the capillary action.

**      The only reason for a spacer is so the spur gear does not load against the lip of the pinion during right hand turns, which will load and ruin a motor.

***      The Slot.it 36t 19mm is ample (until worn) but the yellow MB spur is silky smooth and looks zooty.
****    Ash and Dave experimented with a range of different diameter rims (17.3/17.5/18.0/18.3) but the 17.8mm rib diameter rim gives the sweet spot on handling and co-incidentally is the same size as the original plastic rim.
*****   Not a must but nice for body float and the body rear - the coarse Ninco long star screws are great whereas the more common flat head after-market body screws are a pain.

Remember that the Ecurie Formula Libre Pro rules require the magnet relocated to forward of the motor and one should then stack magnet pieces on to achieve the 150 grams target downforce on the Rix scale (minimum 145 grams recommended).

Similar components but different wheel sizes will apply to the Scalex Ford GT40, talk to Ash, Andrey and Lance for sizes. Changing the pinion 11t to 12t will make also make it suitable for Hotslots Pietermaritzburg sports & touring use but remember to change back to 11t for Ecurie! ;-)

Front wheel diameter 16.9 mm (changed)

Note lead wire / braid plus magnet location

LMP braid quick but short term solution

Not cheap but neat rear 17.8 mm rims

36t 19mm spur gear alternative