traxxas blast setup

[kjaz08]

I have a traxxas blast that I have put a 15 turn motor in and I was wondering what I need to keep this boat stable and in the water.

[Chris LaPanse]

Have you tried running it yet? It might be fine as it is. Also, is the ESC designed to run a 15t? If not, you need a new ESC or you will fry the one you have. If it is very loose when you run it, lower the strut (only a tiny bit at a time) until it runs more stable (and don't forget the pics :D)

[kjaz08]

well I can give a mental pic but thats about it right now. my camera isnt working. it is blue with a meatalic flake and gold flames. I have run it before with a 19 turn motor and it gets real sketchy in slightly rough water. So I think I will lower the trim a little like you said. I havent run it yet with this motor. As far as the esc I have upgraded to a duratrax one that is rated to 12 turns. So im ok there.

[Doubledog]

Maybe some trim tabs? Mine was a BLAST on 8 cells :O

[kjaz08]

Maybe some trim tabs? Mine was a BLAST on 8 cells :O
Do you know where I could get some, what kind, and how much?

[Doubledog]

For that little rig, I'd take some simple thin aluminum angle & put two screws into the hull to hold. It'll work. That stinkin boat of mine had a mammal in it.... PORPISE:D It'd hop all over the place when the speed kicked in. Could do some cool spin outs. Nothing like hauling tail full throttle & whip it over. Would slide backwards a good ways with the prop up in the air! (even further than the stock rig) LOl.

[Chris LaPanse]

Yep - all you need is some aluminum angle, or you could get some from www.offshoreelectrics.com. Either way, they should make it more stable.

[brushlesstunnel]

he he he i had my super sport brushless in myne with a 447 prop and water coolin watch out it was insane but i didnt have problems with porpising i put the out drive to a neutral setting and it was fine its a fun lil boat for the money

[kjaz08]

I just ran it with about 1/2 of a battery. I think it will be okay, I have the prop at a neutral setting. I am waiting for my battery to charge right now. It does seem a little unstable in the chop I am runing in though.

[kjaz08]

it runs good and handles farely well but I have 2 problems now.
1: The bow is haveing trouble staying out of the water. especially in turns. If it is going slow, the chop will go over the bow. I think it is to heavy in the front. Is there a way I can move the wieght back?
2: I am haveing some trouble keeping water out of the hull. I think it ruined my servo, it is drying right now. I duct taped all the lines where the top goes on and over the drian hole in the front. How can I make it more water proof.

[Chris LaPanse]

1: There are 2 options. One is to move the battery or other heavy objects backwards (where is the CG right now? It should be about 33% forward on the hull). The other way to get it to run lighter is to angle the outdrive up (a little). Be careful, because too much will cause it to flip.

2: First, don't use duct tape. There is special tape for boats (www.whobbies.com, www.offshoreelectrics.com, or maybe your LHS will have some), or you can also use electrical tape. This is designed to keep water out, and is more waterproof than duct tape. Second, if your servo does get wet, let it dry THOROUGHLY (several days minimum, some can take up to a week), and test it before reinstalling it in your boat. It should not glitch at all, and should repond with no lag or stuttering.

[DaveDude]

Yeah, I agree that the CG should be further back. Unfortunately, on mine, it was impossible to move the battery because of the battery tray setup. Perhaps some kind of custom battery tray could get the weight down and aft slightly.

I flipped my Blast a couple of times and 10 minutes after, I had all the electronics out and disassembled on the table for about 24 hours. Then I made sure the gears were greased, sprayed some anti-corrosion electrical spray on the circuit boards and stuck um all back together. It must of worked, because I just sold a 5 year old, very well worn Blast a few days ago and it was still working like a charm!

I doubt that we'll ever get the full potential out of a Traxxas boat (especially in turns) because I think the outdrive design is a bit shaky. Looking around at different forums I came up with some common mods that seem to help. These include: metal prop, metal U-Joint on the shaft, trim tabs, and turn fins. I actually wrote to Traxxas a few months ago suggesting some outdrive revisions, but we'll have to wait and see if anything ever comes of it!

Good luck and make sure to post some pics if you get ahold of a camera!