Trucks Rebuilding used T-Maxx

callsign4223

Staff member
So I have been wanting a ground pounder to play with with my son. I found a smokin' deal on a T-maxx 2.5 on craigslist and jumped on it. I got this thing for $75 and an old coax heli that has just been sitting in my closet. Being that cheap, I expected issues so I weasled Tony into giving me a hand going over it to make sure I didn't miss anything. The kid who owned this truck before me (I bought it from a high schooler) was a friggin' idiot. We completely tore this truck apart and went through it with a fine tooth comb. Shocks had problems, Diffs had problems, Motor is TORE UP, screws missing on the frame, etc, etc, etc. 4 hours later it at least looks like a truck again. We weren't able to start it because A) The bolt holding the carb to the block is missing B) One of the head bolt holes in the block is stripped C) The screw that holds the flywheel on the crank was missing D) The ez-start roller bearing was missing half the needle bearings. If I missed another reason Tony just add it in here. The diffs looked like the kid had blown his nose in them for a week and closed them up. Most of the shocks were only half full of oil. The list goes on, but that gives you an idea of the state of the truck when we started. Now, both diffs have been cleaned up. They both need internal shims, but I think they will work for now. All the shocks are filled to the brim and ready to go. All the engine parts have been ordered from ebay and will hopefully be here by the middle of the week. It was kind of funny, Tony showed me how to do the first diff then said have at it with the other. While I am knuckle deep old nasty diff grease Tony is on my iPad in the garage adding parts to my ebay cart. I was kinda scared to actually see the total, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I feared. $75 for everything but the diff shims and servo gears. So for $150 and a heli I have never flown I will have a working truck, I think I came out on top of this adventure.

Here is a pic of us in the middle of the process. This was taken at 12 am to send to my wife to explain why I wasn't going to be home for a while still. At this point the diffs were done, the motor triage was done, and we were rebuilding shocks.

Photo May 18, 12 02 01 AM.jpg

Photo May 18, 12 02 01 AM.jpg
 

breeze400

Spagetti Pilot
Lesson #1. Lol. $75.00 for a $400.00 truck! You will have lots of issues! But still if your only spending $150.00 then what the heck! It will cost you more money though! Crashes broken drive shafts so on and so on. But that rcing!
 

Tony

Staff member
I still think you should have gotten that BAD ASS 5 shoe clutch for this thing lmao. That thing was awesome.

I'm guessing you didn't order the piston and sleeve? if not, we will see how it does on the piston that it has. One little flaw and they run like crap. But, this will be a fun little truck for days like today. You know, when not even a Goblin 770 can fly in the air! lmao.

AH CRAP, I did forget to add something in that. The head shim. You need at least one! It's the gasket for the engine head to cyl. I'm sure you cna get that at the LHS though.
 

breeze400

Spagetti Pilot
Tony if its the slipper clutch your talking about here. And it's the same has my 3.3 is. Then all you have to do is buy a disk brake pad. Drill out the holes a little to fit the pins on the pressure plate. Ca it in place and you'll never blow anougher clutch!
 

Tony

Staff member
No, I'm sure the slipper is like new. It was locked down TIGHT! lmao. I loosened it up but I'm sure he will have to tighten it. The shim is the head shim in the engine.
 

Tony

Staff member
OH! No not the slipper. This was the clutch on the engine. Stock is a full wrap around 2 shoe clutch with a spring going around the outside of it. The clutch shoes are a fiber material. The one that I was trying to get him to get was a $70 clutch with 5 aluminum clutch shoes on a beautiful purple flywheel! I will see if I cna find it again.
 

Tony

Staff member
I thought it was on ebay, but it was on amainhobbies website. This is one badass clutch!!!

fio-ot-fr105.jpg

fio-ot-fr105.jpg
 

callsign4223

Staff member
Ya, I'm not spending as much on a clutch as I did on the whole truck.

And no, i didn't order the piston and sleeve. I wanna try it on the old one first, it just doesn't look THAT bad. Maybe I'm wrong, wouldn't be the first time.
 
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