Serpent 811-Be Build Thread [Archive]

captainlip

01-12-2011, 09:35 AM

As the new Serpent 811-Be is about to arrive, and as ive been asked by a few to do a build blog I though I may as well do one, especially as the serpent is rather unheard of on UK tracks it be good to let you all know what I think of this kit during the build process.

First of all those who havent seen the serpent yet, take a look here -
http://www.serpent.com/product/600004

The Serpent is due for delivery today (Hopefully I wont miss it as im out later :thumbdown:) I thought id start with a build area to keep its as easy as possible to access everything I need. Ive also included some of the electrics going in the kit.

I will apologise right now as the camera used is Via an Iphone as my Canon is not available right now.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6435456681_6036077814_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6435456681/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6435445969_a7f6cf899c_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6435445969/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6435449561_02dbb9fc6c_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6435449561/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6435458055_10c2f0b8e0_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6435458055/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6435451215_99168f2262_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6435451215/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6435480317_45d3160eb1_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6435480317/)

Jamie.T

01-12-2011, 09:44 AM

Look forward to seeing the build. It looks an amazing car and im tempted to get one myself.

johnboy

01-12-2011, 10:02 AM

Ive run the nitro version a very good car indeed :thumbsup:

eyeayen

01-12-2011, 10:33 AM

I hope it arrives today and you don't get any delays, looking forward to seeing and hearing how this goes together !

captainlip

01-12-2011, 11:30 AM

Well good news! Parcel arrived, first impressions was for an 8th scale was expecting a bigger package :D everything is packed neatly and from intial glances it looks like a quality kits machined parts are better than expected and its certainly built for the rugged 1/8th conditions!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6435765783_93607a1d89_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6435765783/)[/URL]
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6435767297_73473d3b00_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6435765783/)[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6435767297/"]

captainlip

01-12-2011, 11:35 AM

Instruction Manual is a full colour booklet and is very clear and easy to follow.
The chassis is VERY nice indeed and finished off extremely well!

Included are 2 pages of decals and a blank setup sheet to photocopy. :thumbsup:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6435777767_4b5ee90aa4_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6435777767/)[/URL]
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6435779185_a9bf9bc2ac_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6435777767/)[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6435779185/"]

johnboy

01-12-2011, 03:52 PM

captainlip

01-12-2011, 04:03 PM

Just reading your thread for where to buy an 811 be and spotted this post
http://www.oople.com/forums/showpost.php?p=581077&postcount=6

You claim you txt elite rc racing for a price and was told £500. My dad runs elite rc racing and has never had a txt asking about the price of the 811 be. The price of the car is £435. So you cant have txt him.

If I had known that id have ordered :thumbdown: via elite rc website is a mobile number and got a responce saying £500 :o

Jamie.T

01-12-2011, 04:06 PM

In another thread I also advised that I'd spoken to a guy at Elite-Rc and he confirmed the price was also £435. Who did you txt Lip. Lol

johnboy

01-12-2011, 04:07 PM

If I had known that id have ordered :thumbdown: via elite rc website is a mobile number and got a responce saying £500 :o

ITS A LAND LINE NUMBER ON THE WEBSITE NOT A MOBILE :confused:

Aran

01-12-2011, 04:12 PM

Why did you text a model shop? Didn't know people do that.

The kit looks sweet too by the way. Be nice to see it finished

eyeayen

01-12-2011, 04:38 PM

That's fifty quid cheaper than the other UK Stockist I approached and got a price from. £435 is the same as the Nitro one too, nice to see them keeping it level !

Andyp

01-12-2011, 04:46 PM

Are we going to see some more parts out of the packets ?..................:thumbsup:

How much did you end up paying with postage and customs?

eyeayen

01-12-2011, 06:16 PM

Come on Lip, you've been going on about this for ages. Progress shots please :thumbsup:

badger5

01-12-2011, 06:50 PM

Just reading your thread for where to buy an 811 be and spotted this post
http://www.oople.com/forums/showpost.php?p=581077&postcount=6

You claim you txt elite rc racing for a price and was told £500. My dad runs elite rc racing and has never had a txt asking about the price of the 811 be. The price of the car is £435. So you cant have txt him.

Looks like the price has dropped then as he told me a couple of months ago it was £495.
When I return to the UK I will have to confirm this as seriuosly want to get this kit. So can you confirm the price is £435 with VAT?

Uk-Pedro

01-12-2011, 06:54 PM

You claim you txt elite rc racing for a price and was told £500. My dad runs elite rc racing and has never had a txt asking about the price of the 811 be. The price of the car is £435. So you cant have txt him.

Just to be clear, are you saying eliterc are selling the 811-be at £435?

Regards,
Pedro

johnboy

01-12-2011, 07:09 PM

Yes £435 for the 811 be
Call my dad on 01422 370811 elite rc racing he is open from 09.30

badger5

01-12-2011, 07:20 PM

Any updates on this build Lip? Nice soldering job on the RX8 by the way, was deciding myself what would be the best way to install the beast.

captainlip

01-12-2011, 08:13 PM

Any updates on this build Lip? Nice soldering job on the RX8 by the way, was deciding myself what would be the best way to install the beast.

Thats why I posted a pic, ive become quite skilled with a soldering iron :lol:

If anyone has any particular shots they want let me know :thumbsup:

captainlip

01-12-2011, 08:18 PM

Motor mount fitted...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6437630641_9a0e30fb58_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6437630641/)[/URL]

Diff Parts...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6437633567_ec6ac3ae64_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6437630641/)

center diff....

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6437635911_f4cef816f6_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6437633567/)

A quick tip, the front and rear diffs are completely identical, so when built keep a note of which goes where.

the kit came with a seperate sheet with the new shimming method which was great, secondly the diffs went together than any other diff ive built before, there is no way on earth you can strip a case or strip the thread, the crown locks down perfectly and is easy to see what needs adjusting

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6437637863_d6ecd5e8db_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6437635911/)[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6437637863/"]

JonyNitro

01-12-2011, 08:20 PM

Nice it's just making me sick watching this:cry:

captainlip

01-12-2011, 08:24 PM

the only part that appears "low quality" are the bearings its being mentioned before but I will certainly be ordering a different set of bearings.

As you can see below there are red m3 countersunk washers, these were £4.50 for 20 on ebay and match the red/black/white theme im going for.

serpents pack of 20 costs £18....no brainer really.

There is nothing binding or catching the rear moves effortlessly and doesnt grab at any point. the turnbuckles are a doddle to measure up so long as you have an measuring gauge.

Adjusting the rear wing takes about 30 seconds with just two screws and move it to the other hole.

A couple of the longer screws took some effort to get in there, I was almost needing a 2mm tip :D

Another plus ive noticed are all the boots are included all round and a 16t pinion also included.

the rear end complete....

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6437647465_1e775c0c2b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6437647465/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6437655155_0481895a30_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6437655155/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6437652197_eccb1932ea_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6437652197/)

captainlip

01-12-2011, 08:28 PM

Nice it's just making me sick watching this:cry:

yours will be here for friday! :thumbsup:

captainlip

01-12-2011, 10:02 PM

Final update now for a couple of days as im busy for a while.

Plan is 1 day for front end, 1 day for electrics install, 1 day for setting up and getting race ready.

final pics are of the complete rear end done, ive skipped a load of bits so I could finish the rear end, any close ups or requests for anything let me know and as its being built ill snap a few shots as i get carried away and build to much without snapping.

the 16mm shocks are insane, ive gone through half a bottle of shock oil on just the rears. they setup really well and managed to get equal rebound each side, my first thoughts from playing with them is id like it to be more responsive im thinking of glueing pistons up and drilling a few out to get it softer, im also going to get a softer springs as the rears come with the hardest supplied. used 30wt oil on rears planning on 35wt for fronts.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6438324535_16245f831e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6438324535/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6438327505_90dea3110f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6438327505/)

Ross

01-12-2011, 10:26 PM

Looking good :thumbsup:.

Not sure if you've seen this (http://www.twf8.ws/new/tech/car/serpent/truggy/S811building/S811T-building.html), its a mod to the pinion that gets done on the truggy, not sure if the buggy needs it. You basically put a shim behind the pinion to push it further into the ring gear.

Have a look, its down towards the bottom,and shows the pinion with extender being put in a vice :cry::woot:

Nas

01-12-2011, 11:12 PM

Looks rather Marvelous i must say.

badger5

02-12-2011, 06:59 AM

Have you managed to seal all of the carbon bits? A small amount of cyan goes a long way to preventing failures.
It sure does look good though. :wub

Ross

02-12-2011, 06:31 PM

I would also put longer screws through the camber links on the towers with a nylock on the other side of the kit nut. There an issue on the truggy with the kit nut/ball undoing, not sure if it does it on the buggy.

badger5

02-12-2011, 06:43 PM

Good that Serpent have a full thread space back again, with more coverage the snakes can only get stronger in the UK.
Mine will be delivered early next week, possibly Tuesday. £439 from Jeff at EliteRC. :thumbsup:
Now just need to decide wether I go Tekin or the new LRP for the esc/motor.
Nice to see people come up with build tips etc, keep them coming.

captainlip

02-12-2011, 06:56 PM

Next update.

Firstly keep the seperate shimming sheet handy, when I was building the front diff cases I realised I hadnt shimmed the mesh on the rear as descirbed. So now I have to take it out for a second attempt :lol:

Firstly the nice touch with the lipo trays is some slim padding, as for size I have fitted some 6500mah lipos and they are snug and well protected, so no lipo fires and pins through the case (matt I know your reading this while poorly GWS!)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6442767419_20a706349a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6442767419/)

captainlip

02-12-2011, 06:58 PM

Start on the front section...

Everything seems solid and the turnbuckles went together without a hitch, finish is top notch :thumbsup: will upgrade to titanium when I get some money :lol:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6442769993_030ee27a3b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6442769993/)[/URL]
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6442768749_0e1d44857e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6442769993/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6442771473_e230e6f10a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6442768749/)[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6442771473/"]

captainlip

02-12-2011, 07:03 PM

One thing I feel is missing for the fronts are driveshaft boots, I feel they are required but not included.

Steering went together effortlessly again and its clear its well thought out and will be very reliable. unlike my dex410 when built hand slop and movement meaning I needed to do some fabrication these have no slop yet still move with little effort from side to side.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6442775661_a47cbeec9b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6442775661/)[/URL]
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6442776783_a04d7a6877_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6442775661/)

Rollbars are ingenious and have a bearing each side to ensure consistent smooth operation

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6442777947_dd7a957c43_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6442776783/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6442779359_f4040a2357_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6442777947/)[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6442779359/"]

captainlip

02-12-2011, 07:06 PM

Some more...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6442784475_248a090f02_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6442784475/)[/URL]
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6442783207_38ef62e233_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6442784475/)
[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6442783207/"]

captainlip

02-12-2011, 07:13 PM

Final update tonight.

I decided to have a fiddle with the steering section, first part that impressed me was the sealed RX box to protect it, im going to pad it out to ensure any vibrations dont affect it, secondly the neat wire soloution where servo and PT wires run under the box and up into the RX box, hopefully the pictures explain this better, its neet indeed!

Secondly the servo horn itself, i wanted to keep my answer rc horn on rather than a plastic one, so I placed the 2mm spacers behind servo so it doesnt catch with the mount itself, then I used a countersunk washer to scre through so I can mount the steering arm. the soloution works well, there is 1mm clearance behind the screw to the servo, I just need a longer screw so it grabs the M3 nut on the otherside.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6442785533_e815119f8e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6442785533/)[/URL]
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6442786745_f7730d9a61_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6442785533/)
[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6442786745/"]

mark christopher

02-12-2011, 08:16 PM

I know :blush: Ive no Idea where I got the number from now. :lol: im convinced it "was" on elite rc but I must be wrong.

what did your come out at with customs?

JonyNitro

02-12-2011, 08:17 PM

Its cool, I know hes not causing trouble, I'll investigate at somepoint and find out where this mobile number came from.
That's price is not far off from what you paid?

bigred5765

02-12-2011, 08:19 PM

builds looking great mate, get those carbon edges sealed up with some super glue,

johnboy

02-12-2011, 08:23 PM

Nas

02-12-2011, 08:28 PM

When do you think the build will be done Lip?

badger5

02-12-2011, 08:29 PM

The carbon towers are strong but because i like shiny bits i fitted the ali towers to my nitro version. Also may i suggest at some point getting the webbed membranes http://www.serpent.com/product/600357/. I felt these made the shocks more consistant and also i fitted the coned pistons.

Thanks for the info Johnboy. Are there any recommended spares to carry like the servo saver and arm, or other option parts like the different sway bars and Ackerman option steering links?

johnboy

02-12-2011, 08:37 PM

The normal like wishbones , hubs ect but to be fair i never broke a plastic part. You dont need the different ackerman racks. Maybe get the ali servo horn as its fit and forget. Then to be honest everything else is just bling.

johnboy

02-12-2011, 08:39 PM

Sorry i did get this to increase my range of anti squat http://www.serpent.com/product/600265/ i would say get this.

Ross

02-12-2011, 10:16 PM

The carbon towers are strong but because i like shiny bits i fitted the ali towers to my nitro version. Also may i suggest at some point getting the webbed membranes http://www.serpent.com/product/600357/. I felt these made the shocks more consistant and also i fitted the coned pistons.

+1, i use these on my 811T, makes a big difference.

Thanks for the info Johnboy. Are there any recommended spares to carry like the servo saver and arm, or other option parts like the different sway bars and Ackerman option steering links?

I havent broken anything on my 811T yet (i said it now :eh?:), its been very reliable :thumbsup:

bodgit

03-12-2011, 07:23 AM

Did you degrease all the screws before assembly as recomended in post 25 by Ross as you have not included this yourself in your build guide.

http://www.twf8.ws/new/tech/car/serpent/truggy/S811building/S811T-building.html

Pre warning.
Clean all threads of the screws use even if they go into locknuts with motorcleaner or any other fluid that removes the machine oil that is on them.
Trust me if you do not.................you learn the hard way just like we did

Would like to see more breakdown details of the actual build rather than just final fits.

/tobys

03-12-2011, 08:59 AM

Must say....it looks ACE :thumbsup:

Cheers for documenting the build Lip :thumbsup:

captainlip

03-12-2011, 09:45 PM

Front end done!

No hicups and went together perfectly :thumbsup:

the only thing that will need playing with to each persons liking is the shocks, Im defo going to get webbed bladders, tapered pistons and play about with the bore size of the pistons....this is a must I feel and will be something I change alot over the coming months to find best setup.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7017/6447661833_cfdd0bc235_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6447661833/)[/URL]

Motor mount and motor have an ace design where motor slips in and is held in place with one bolt, make adjustingt the mesh and removing motors quick and easy, no problems here....

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6447662849_e8b9cf6053_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6447661833/)

Wing fitted.....
I must say I feel there will be need to have a spare wing mount in the box as its clear that this will take all the abuse,

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6447663867_8285534ab9_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6447662849/)
[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6447663867/"]

captainlip

03-12-2011, 09:48 PM

Steering....

now this went together effortlessly and was silky smooth. but once completely hooked up its clear it needs some bedding in to free it all up, nothings binding just needs a bit of use....

im interested to see what difference a different lenght ankerman plate does as they are option parts.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6447671001_ec66a4e5a3_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6447671001/)
[/URL]
and fitted...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6447671799_d8f09c799f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6447671001/)
[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6447671799/"]

Nas

03-12-2011, 09:49 PM

Looks very very nice. Good Job Lip :thumbsup:

captainlip

03-12-2011, 09:57 PM

There are a few niggles that I want to share with you all and tips to remember when building this kit, a couple of things that bug me but I will also mention these points when I get to posting them.

My shell has gone to mike parker number 5 designs today, used him twice before and he does a fantastic job :thumbsup: cant wait to see it! :woot:

mark christopher

03-12-2011, 09:57 PM

Steering....

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6447671799_d8f09c799f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6447671799/)

is sensor lead touching stering post?

captainlip

03-12-2011, 10:06 PM

The lead is now moved, thats not its final position as you will see in the next update. :thumbsup:

Aran

03-12-2011, 10:21 PM

be interesting to see how all the electrics fit. love the looks of the dex408 but im not fancying having the esc mounted high up.

jamiekerr14

03-12-2011, 10:26 PM

(im interested to see what difference a different lenght ankerman plate does as they are option parts.)

In brief-Short ackerman is sharper and more steering, while long ackerman is smoother and less steering. But not only more or less steering, it's more or less at different points in a turn. A long ackerman has more mid corner and exit steering. A short ackerman enters the corner more aggressively, but can't hold the line as well, because the outside wheel turns less, and at that point has more weight on it, thus more traction.

captainlip

03-12-2011, 10:33 PM

be interesting to see how all the electrics fit. love the looks of the dex408 but im not fancying having the esc mounted high up.

one of the reasons I went for the serpent, build quality of these kits is up there with the best.

captainlip

03-12-2011, 10:35 PM

bodgit

04-12-2011, 08:44 AM

Whats the max hieght battery it will take or does the hinge assembly allow for shimming to gain hieght.

captainlip

04-12-2011, 09:45 AM

max height its 27mm I think, it allows me to fit the 6500mah sticks in but not much more.

as for transponder ive mounted it as per manual but Ive been advised of a very very handy hidden mount shown here :thumbsup: needless to say mine will be moved to the same location.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6449698459_1d41627bfc_b.jpg

captainlip

04-12-2011, 09:50 AM

Things that id suggest as I have forgotten a couple of points and any negatives...

1. shocks will need work to get them the way you want, ive said it before but im going to order webbed bladders, other springs and tapered pistons.

2. PT mount in manual say mount on side of servo, but see picture above...

3. when building the input gears dont forget the serperate sheet provided for the new method of shimming, when doing the front I realised id overlooked the sheet and forgot to shim the rear mesh the new way so now I have to pull it out at somepoint.

NEGATIVES.....

one that will really bug me is if you want to remove the center diff, or even just the diff cover, complete removal of the radio and electronics tray is needed. its only 3 more screws but its a ballache youd rather avoid.

but if thats the only downfall so far were onto a winner :D

i4n

04-12-2011, 10:13 AM

Looking good.

How much did you end up paying for the kit in the end? Did you get stung for VAT and Import Tax?

captainlip

04-12-2011, 11:34 AM

Looking good.

How much did you end up paying for the kit in the end? Did you get stung for VAT and Import Tax?

Not sure completely yet as waiting for a second serpent to arrive but looking around £420.

I would have bought in Uk if id realised it was £435. :lol: and not £500

captainlip

04-12-2011, 11:39 AM

Current trasponder position...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6452012827_2a1fb8d14e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6452012827/)[/URL]

New transponder position...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6452013781_02e317e804_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6452012827/)
[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6452013781/"]

captainlip

04-12-2011, 11:49 AM

Shimming the rear diff mesh...

Ok so since it was built this is the first experiance I have had with removing anything for access and maintainence.

To remove the rear end its 4 screws on the chassis, and 4 screws on the chassis brace, simple!

this removed the back end

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6452014347_1018a6e772_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6452014347/)[/URL]

Next was remove the rear wing and diff case this was a further 6 screws, 4 for the diff case and two more also supporting the rear wing

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6452022277_94ed351450_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6452014347/)

this exposed the rear diff that pulls right out! :thumbsup:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6452022815_01869747ab_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6452022277/)

remove a further 2 screws that holds the driveshaft and bearings in and then just slide it out...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6452023365_db5f3861c8_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6452022815/)

finally get your input gear off, place two correct 0.2mm shims between the bearing and input gear, put it all back together new threadlock, fresh grease on the gears and screw it all up :thumbsup: remember to measure the shims as its not advisable to guess which shim is 0.1mm and which is 0.2mm, measuring gauge is reccomended!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6452023829_b8fd33ef89_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6452023365/)[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6452023829/"]

Job done! correctly meshed, and I had meshed it the wrong way so REMEMBER to keep the seperate shim sheet handy.

Maintainance and access was better than expected and not as awkward as first though.

Nas

04-12-2011, 05:13 PM

edit

captainlip

04-12-2011, 05:16 PM

Lookin good :)

Shame your TA wont look this good :woot::blush:, only kidding

coleman758

04-12-2011, 08:49 PM

Haha! Captainlip and Diff shimming problems! Now thats something new :woot:

Col

04-12-2011, 09:17 PM

That's the least of this threads problems now...

Nas

04-12-2011, 09:21 PM

Shame your TA wont look this good :woot::blush:, only kidding

edit

eyeayen

04-12-2011, 10:50 PM

That's the least of this threads problems now...

I was actually looking forward to seeing this finished and hearing how it ran... oh well I probably couldn't afford it anyway :lol:

JonyNitro

04-12-2011, 10:55 PM

Don't worry he ordered two mine is the other:D

eyeayen

04-12-2011, 11:05 PM

So you'll be picking up where he left off, excellent.

Who's painting your shell ? Would like to do one of these !

mark christopher

05-12-2011, 08:38 AM

That's the least of this threads problems now...

Doh missed it all lol

coleman758

05-12-2011, 10:11 AM

Ive seen the car in the finished in the flesh this morning :thumbsup:
Its a stunning bit of kit. Really well made.

JonyNitro

05-12-2011, 03:04 PM

So you'll be picking up where he left off, excellent.

Who's painting your shell ? Would like to do one of these !

More than likely Kifopaint,but will see

eyeayen

05-12-2011, 04:04 PM

Fair enough, thought I better ask but if you've already got a painter that's fair enough, don't want to steel anybody else's work.

JonyNitro

05-12-2011, 05:00 PM

Fair enough, thought I better ask but if you've already got a painter that's fair enough, don't want to steel anybody else's work.
Ayrton Senna shell colours?With my name on it, how much as pm me, and I know Chef would do one aswell

wreckers

06-12-2011, 12:22 AM

awesome kit!! great build tips :thumbsup:
why lips banned? beening lippy :D

eyeayen

08-12-2011, 05:11 PM

Seeing as I'm interested in this I mailed Lip on another forum to ask him how it was going.

For those interested he's finished the build now, electrics installed, and here are some pictures from him...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6475872787/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6475873583/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6475874465/

Sorry I'm used to using photobucket, these are on flickr and I don't know how to make them show up as images ? I've tried putting IMG tags around it but that doesn't work so this is the best I can do.

Wheels and body shell to go, so I'm told.

Ross

08-12-2011, 05:58 PM

Looks nice.im thinking about an ebuggy for next year, but I think it will be Mugen :wub

Col

08-12-2011, 07:59 PM

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6475872787_320fdf2387_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6475873583_27ea896ecb_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6475874465_f0caa8acd5_z.jpg

eyeayen

08-12-2011, 11:01 PM

Thanks Col !

The Mugen is cool, the lipo is all one side though isn't it ?

Nas

12-12-2011, 07:31 PM

edit

eyeayen

12-12-2011, 10:39 PM

See how you feel when you've raced with it Nasir, I guess your one is balanced to an extent but what do the lipo's weigh compared to all the gubbins the other side ?

Also are they doing battery changes on them yet or is it just the obligatory go into the pits as if you were a nitro. You can run it for what 18 mins ? Have you timed that yet ?

Nas

15-12-2011, 07:15 PM

edit

eyeayen

15-12-2011, 11:24 PM

m GUESSING the battery's will only last for 10 minutes on full attack??

Not sure about that, a lot of people I've spoken to who have driven on tracks have said 15 to 18 minutes. I'm only going on what they said, I have nothing to base it on personally.

badger5

16-12-2011, 07:46 AM

The run time will also depend on what kV rating your motor is, I see from your build thread you are using CC stuff but no mention of the motor rating.
The other trouble of using 1 4S battery is your kinda restricted in what you can buy in hard case, some people seem to use 2 x 2S stick packs linked together then you can easily get higher mAh ratings to get the longer run times.
There was a table on rctech.net that gave rough battery consumption data in mAh per minute, if you confirm what kV rating your motor is I'll try and find it.

Nas

16-12-2011, 08:09 AM

edit

badger5

16-12-2011, 10:18 AM

If you look in the 1/8th Electric off road section you will find a link and attachement to help select the right kV motor and cells.

From this table it looks like you will get approx 15 minutes run time with those cells and motor, but this can obviouslyh change with gearing/track/driving style etc.

Nas

16-12-2011, 04:33 PM

edit

VillageIdiot

17-12-2011, 03:40 PM

As promised....
I use a racers edge alu servo alonng with one of those flat head servo screws slightly filed down and an m3 nut to hold it all together.... works a treat!

As you can see there is ample clearance either side, you need the 5mm spacers on the servo to bring it forward to clear the servo mount.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6506479781_fb1e442e97_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6506479781/)[/URL]
[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6506481199/"]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6506481199_5986bdc9c2_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6506479781/)

badger5

17-12-2011, 03:44 PM

But it's not straight in line with the steering arm like the original is, does this give any issues? I wonder how the official Serpent fits?
Jimmy let you back on them.

VillageIdiot

17-12-2011, 03:57 PM

But it's not straight in line with the steering arm like the original is, does this give any issues? I wonder how the official Serpent fits?
Jimmy let you back on them.

you need to take a TINY amount off to open the angle up slightly with a craft knife.

I Pm him a number of times and have insisted there be no more trouble and I wont post in the durango section again, also the comment made was sarcastic but taken seriously just a misunderstanding. Im only here to make positive, helpful comments from now on.

VillageIdiot

17-12-2011, 04:00 PM

Im still waiting for wheelspin models to deliver my wheels and my shell is not far off! as for spares this is my first order, my second order will include bling bits, driveshafts, pins and screws for spares and a set of heavier front springs (blue)

1 x SER600488 Serpent 8 Hole Shock Piston Set (4)
1 x SER600357 Serpent Webbed Shock Bladder Set (4)
1 x SER600353 Serpent Front Shock Spring Set (Red/4.64lbs) (2)
1 x SER600332 Serpent S811 Cobra Decal Sheet (Chrome) (2)
1 x SER600301 Serpent Aluminum Wing Mount Washer Set (2)
1 x SER600300 Serpent Aluminum Wing Mount Post Set (2)
1 x SER600257 Serpent Rear Shock Spring Set (Yellow/3.8lbs) (2)
1 x SER600135 Serpent Front Lower Suspension Arm Set (2)
1 x SER600441 Serpent Low Profile Wing Mount Set
1 x SER600108 Serpent Inner Hinge Pin Set (2)
1 x SER600240 Serpent 2.3mm Front Anti-Roll Bar
1 x SER600147 Serpent Differential Gasket Set (3)

badger5

17-12-2011, 04:03 PM

Have you run the Serpent in anger yet, if so how does it run? Some pics of the shell would also be nice. It would also be nice to hear how much run time you get from those Orion lipo's, I'm running 5800mAh Intellects and was going to get a pair with higher capacity for finals etc.
I've got some pictures from my build, was thinking of posting them on here but gonna wait till I've run it first.

VillageIdiot

17-12-2011, 04:05 PM

badger5

17-12-2011, 04:08 PM

Did you have any trouble with the shock pistons? Mine were a bit tight and needed to be sanded down a bit with 800 grit wet and dry until they were smooth in the shock bodies.

VillageIdiot

17-12-2011, 04:11 PM

Did you have any trouble with the shock pistons? Mine were a bit tight and needed to be sanded down a bit with 800 grit wet and dry until they were smooth in the shock bodies.

a couple of them yes needed it slightly, ive ordered webbed bladders and 8 hole tapered pistons anyway

Ross

17-12-2011, 04:51 PM

Im still waiting for wheelspin models to deliver my wheels and my shell is not far off! as for spares this is my first order, my second order will include bling bits, driveshafts, pins and screws for spares and a set of heavier front springs (blue)

1 x SER600488 Serpent 8 Hole Shock Piston Set (4) Well worth having
1 x SER600357 Serpent Webbed Shock Bladder Set (4) Well worth having
1 x SER600353 Serpent Front Shock Spring Set (Red/4.64lbs) (2)
1 x SER600332 Serpent S811 Cobra Decal Sheet (Chrome) (2)
1 x SER600301 Serpent Aluminum Wing Mount Washer Set (2)
1 x SER600300 Serpent Aluminum Wing Mount Post Set (2) A must
1 x SER600257 Serpent Rear Shock Spring Set (Yellow/3.8lbs) (2)
1 x SER600135 Serpent Front Lower Suspension Arm Set (2)
1 x SER600441 Serpent Low Profile Wing Mount Set
1 x SER600108 Serpent Inner Hinge Pin Set (2) Not broke one yet
1 x SER600240 Serpent 2.3mm Front Anti-Roll Bar Good upgrade on the truggy
1 x SER600147 Serpent Differential Gasket Set (3)Pants, buy Mugen ones, much better.

Just my 2pence worth :)

Nas

17-12-2011, 05:30 PM

edit

VillageIdiot

17-12-2011, 05:49 PM

YOUR BACK!!! lol

23 minutes are you sure? whats your total MAH.

6500mah :D

JonyNitro

17-12-2011, 06:17 PM

JonyNitro

17-12-2011, 06:19 PM

YOUR BACK!!! lol

23 minutes are you sure? whats your total MAH.

Easy to do I use to run mmm Losi 2.0 2200 hmm on hyper ion 6500 30 mins:D

Nas

17-12-2011, 06:51 PM

edit

badger5

17-12-2011, 08:56 PM

Thought I would put my build up here is well, to share my thoughts and experiences so far.

First of all the kit contents were all top notch, the maching of all metal parts were probably the best I've seen in RC cars and the plastic mouldings were also very accurate and seemed to be pretty damned tough.
The build requires several parts to be threadlocked in place, but none is provided in the kit. I prefer to use the low strength blue type threadlock (i.e. Loctite 221), this is more than enough for RC cars. Using medium strength red type threadlock (243) could lead to problems with undoing bolts/nuts and rounding out capscrews in the future.
I also used a M3 and M4 tap to help start several of the threads in the plastic mouldings, this seemed to help a lot as the plastic mouldings are very tough and the clearances seem to be nice and tight.
I know there has been some critism of the fasteners used by Serpent on rctech.net, with several complaints of the hex head rounding out. But all of the capscrews in this kit were marked up as either grade 10.9 or 12.9 so these should be more than up to the job. With any problem threads tapped out there were no issues found execpt with the receiver box lid M2 screws.

The manual also isn't very clear in places, so I will try and fill out some of the parts that I found. Perhaps Serpent could do some build tips or videos on their website to help with this.

I started with sealing the carbon parts with cyan to help stenghten them and stop splitting in the future. A good tip I found on rctech.net is to use a black permanent marker on the edges prior to applying the cyan, the gives a nice gloss black finish to the edges thats a bit different to just using cyan.

Stage 1 in the manual is to build the centre diffs, and then the front and rear diffs. Alll three diffs are the same except for the spur/crown wheel gears in their respective places.
All of the parts again appeared to be of good quality, with the gears and pins all well cast or machined, and all parts went together very well.
The only issue I had was with the front gearbox, with the recommended new shimming on the seperate sheet. With three shims behind the diff pinion I couldn't even assemble the gearbox cases, with one shim removed all went together well with the gear mesh a little notchy.
Here I think the manual could be a lot clearer, or maybe a build video on the Serpent website. The new shimming is only a recommended starting point, if the gear mesh is too tight then try removing a shim from behind the pinion. The gear mesh from new should be a bit tight or notchy, this will bed in after a few runs when it should be nice and smooth. Then it would be best to check the gear mesh again and adjust as necessary.

The pictures below show the build of one of the diffs.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31567&stc=1&d=1324154859

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31568&stc=1&d=1324154859

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31569&stc=1&d=1324154859

The spur gear is steel, so although will be a bit louder than nylon should be more than up to the job.

The next stage in the manual is to attach the centre diff mount/motor mount to the chassis, the manual doesn't mention to use threadlock on these capscrews, but I did for security.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31570&stc=1&d=1324155183

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31571&stc=1&d=1324155183

VillageIdiot

17-12-2011, 09:05 PM

VillageIdiot

17-12-2011, 09:16 PM

Nice work badger....

awesome work least fellas have two build threads to compare build tips :thumbsup:

I like that you are taking photos of what I miss because I was getting to excited building it :lol:

Things I bought extra to beef it up where red anodised countersunk washers to replace the plastic kit ones, and some 5mm nuts for the uprights instead of plastic ones didnt really trust these much.

word of warning bager the 40mm screws in the rear diff make sure you have a strong driver.

Col

17-12-2011, 09:16 PM

As some may notice, there are some posts missing from this thread.

Until the boss confirms whether he wants to allow "Lip" back, then all posts will be removed.

VillageIdiot

17-12-2011, 09:18 PM

No problem Col, I tried to contact jimmy a few times and didnt recieve a reply since the day I was blocked. I will Pm him and hopefully get a reply.

badger5

17-12-2011, 09:23 PM

Next up is the rear gearbox and shock tower. The first part is to assemble the rear centre drive shaft, this showed the bearings behind the diff pinion to be huge at 19mm and 11mm O.D. The CVD drive pin is aslo captured by the inner bearing and the joint is sealed off with a rubber boot.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31641&stc=1&d=1324238013

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31642&stc=1&d=1324238013

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31643&stc=1&d=1324238013

The centre shaft is then fed through the gearobx and prevented from moving by three self tapping screws.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31644&stc=1&d=1324238013

I think this picture also shows the size of the bearing just behind the diff pinion. I guess that Serpent had some issues with previous versions of the Cobra 811 buggies in this area and hence the possible overkill.

There is a seperate sheet with the manual which suggests to use additional shims when building the centre drive shafts and also for the diffs, but these are only a starting recommendation and you might find that a different shim set up is required when building the gearboxes. This sheet (and the manual) can be downloaded from the Serpent website.
I found that the rear gearbox went together very well with the updated shim set up.

The two gearbox halves sandwich the rear shock tower, and all went together very well. The only issue I have here is that plastic nuts and countersunk washers are used to bolt the two cases togehter, apparently this is done so that in the event of a crash the nuts will break and not the gearobx cases or shock tower. I built the gearbox with these nuts and washers, but will probably change them out for proper M3 nyloc nuts and ali countersunk washers later on for more peace of mind.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31645&stc=1&d=1324229127

mark christopher

17-12-2011, 09:24 PM

No problem Col, I tried to contact jimmy a few times and didnt recieve a reply since the day I was blocked. I will Pm him and hopefully get a reply.

banned not blocked!

badger5

17-12-2011, 09:26 PM

As some may notice, there are some posts missing from this thread.

Until the boss confirms whether he wants to allow "Lip" back, then all posts will be removed.

All posts in the thread or just Lips posts?

Col

17-12-2011, 09:28 PM

All posts in the thread or just Lips posts?

Just Lip, no-one else inc captainlip.

badger5

17-12-2011, 10:19 PM

Next is to build up the rear and then front gearboxs and suspension.
The rear suspension brackets are fitted with plastic inserts that can be changed to alter the anti squat and toe in. The forward bracket alters the anti squat and the rear alters the toe in. The forward bracket can also be changed for an option part to increase the anti squat still further.
The forward suspension brackets also have the same type of inserts to change the kick up.
The inner suspension pins are also ground to a taper at either end, this is to ensure that with varying angles of the pins they don't bind in the plastic inserts.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31629&stc=1&d=1324227560

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31629&stc=1&d=1324227560

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31631&stc=1&d=1324227560

The anti roll bars are attached to the suspension arms by a pivotball arrangement, and are supported by ballraces in the gearobox cases. All of this leads to a very smooth action.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31632&stc=1&d=1324227855

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31633&stc=1&d=1324227855

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31634&stc=1&d=1324227855

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31635&stc=1&d=1324227855

The driveshafts again have captured drive pins and large wheel bearings (21mm and 16mm O.D.) All went together well without problems.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31596&stc=1&d=1324159573

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31598&stc=1&d=1324159573

The rear drive shafts have rubber boots over the CVD joints, whilst the fronts don't. I presume that this is because the rubber boots don't last on the front, just like my Durango 410.
The CVD joints with rubber boots I lubricate with Muc-Off motorcylce chain lube, this goes of to be almost totally dry (no lube is totally dry). You can get small 50ml cans of this from Halfords for approx £3.50. I've used this on my Durango 410 and the wear seems to be less than the fronts that are left dry.

The outer suspension hinge pins run in top hat steel inserts so the suspension shoud remain slop free for a good time.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31599&stc=1&d=1324159573

badger5

17-12-2011, 10:32 PM

Once both ends are built up they can be fitted to the chassis. The only issue I had here is the rear suspension hangers have lugs that locate in the chassis, one of these was tight in the chassis so the hole was filed out slightly. Then all went together very well.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31659&stc=1&d=1324236387

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31660&stc=1&d=1324236387

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31661&stc=1&d=1324236387

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31662&stc=1&d=1324236387

The front and rear units can be removed easily again for maintenance, eight capscrews for the rear and eight capscrews plus the two outer steering rose joints for the front. Hopefully this will make working on and cleaning the buggy nice and simple.

Col

17-12-2011, 10:39 PM

As some may notice, there are some posts missing from this thread.

Until the boss confirms whether he wants to allow "Lip" back, then all posts will be removed.

The boss and the lip have had a word. Posts have been returned to there original locations.
Be on your best behaviour boys and girls - I'm watching!

VillageIdiot

18-12-2011, 01:48 PM

Some pictures arent working badger.

Nas

18-12-2011, 03:02 PM

edit

VillageIdiot

18-12-2011, 04:14 PM

Bit of an update to where its sitting right now, recieved a set of tyres to fit, unfortunatly it doesnt come with rims so I ordered proline v2 rims with medium inserts and dboots A compound tyres, as I will mainly be on astro turf.

All the velcro is on now as I dont drill the holes out, the only hole I will be making is the aerial, the body mounts were cut down and applied a soft protective coating to protect scratching the shell.

ive ordered a chrome decal sheet as well for the bling look :D Im still debating alu towers and some of the bling parts

Upgrades fitted so far =

Hard servo saver spring

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6531791279_65fc1ab142_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6531791279/)[/URL]
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6531792969_35f3435f11_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6531791279/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6531796431_8489eeb586_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6531792969/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6531797943_87543f9439_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6531796431/)[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6531797943/"]

Nas

18-12-2011, 04:46 PM

edit

badger5

18-12-2011, 05:41 PM

Don't know what happened to the pics, but I've edited the posts and included the pictures again and all now seems to be ok.

Lip, I think that you will need to angle those wires going to the batteries a bit instead of pointing straight up, they might hit the shell.
I also used heavy duty bullet connectors instead of the usual bird cage type, got mine from Demon Power Products. The link below shows what I'm on about.
http://demonpowerproducts.co.uk/product_info.php/demon-hd4mm-heavy-duty-4mm-male-corally-connector-p-4838

VillageIdiot

18-12-2011, 05:42 PM

Badger can I ask when you put the 3 phillips screws in the diff did one of the left or right catch the main diff gear? I ended up just using tweo screws to hold the bearing in.

VillageIdiot

18-12-2011, 05:44 PM

badger5

18-12-2011, 06:00 PM

Now for the steering, again some real neat touches here. The steering bellcrank posts are at the same angle as the chassis kick up to reduce bump steer. These posts are attached to simple ali bracket that is machined at the required angle.
Alternative links between the bell cranks can also be purchased to alter the ackerman angle. Option 3 link is supplied with the kit.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31648&stc=1&d=1324230461

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31649&stc=1&d=1324230461

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31650&stc=1&d=1324230500

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31651&stc=1&d=1324230500

A small carbon bracket then is fitted to the top of the steering bell crank assembly and then a small plastic brace is bolted to the chassis, which makes the front end all very stiff and secure.

The servo lever is plastic, with 23t, 24t and 25t inserts used for the different servo types. There has been some chat about this on rctech.net, with some failures reported. But apparently if you use some cyan to glue the insert into the lever then all should be good. Some people have tried to fit alloy servo arms, some without success. I glued in the insert, but will probably buy the alloy Serpent servo arm for security.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31652&stc=1&d=1324231146

badger5

18-12-2011, 06:24 PM

With the shock build I had some problems fitting the pistons into the shock bodies as there were slightly too big. I sanded down the pistons with some 600 grit wet and dry by putting the shock shafts in a cordless drill, this ensured that the pistons were sanded down nice and evenly.
I was a bit surprised by this issue giving the quality of the kit, lets hope that the optional machined nylon pistons don't have this issue.

The rest of the shock build went well, the shock bodies are nicely coated and very smooth. The O rings material is the same as used in the diffs, are pretty soft and appear to be silicone. These should swell up nicely with the shock oil and give a good seal whilst also being nice and smooth.
The bladders fitted nicely in the shock caps and appeared to be quite tough, bleeding the shocks and setting rebound was nice and easy with the vent hole in the shock cap.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31671&stc=1&d=1324290078

The shocks are also supplied with boots to cover the shafts etc, these seemed to nice and durable as well.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31672&stc=1&d=1324290078

VillageIdiot

18-12-2011, 06:25 PM

My Alu horn has been a treat :D nice to see some better pictures than with an Iphone, got two build threads going, Sweet! :lol:

I have checked about my wires badger and shouldnt be a porblem, will find out next week for defo.

seeing your pics makes me want to build another kit :(

eyeayen

18-12-2011, 06:34 PM

Rich some of your shots aren't working still. Great pics and build thread though. Shell coming along nicely. Will update you when nearing completion !

VillageIdiot

18-12-2011, 06:39 PM

Rich some of your shots aren't working still. Great pics and build thread though. Shell coming along nicely. Will update you when nearing completion !

are you doing rich's shell? I will post mine when its back.

can you post pics of the shell at various stages?

badger5

18-12-2011, 07:03 PM

Rich some of your shots aren't working still. Great pics and build thread though. Shell coming along nicely. Will update you when nearing completion !

Yeah, don't know what's going on here. I edited the posts to re-attach the pictures and all was well, even checked it with my iPad. So now doing it again, hope this works.

JonyNitro

18-12-2011, 07:25 PM

Nice build there

badger5

18-12-2011, 07:32 PM

Badger can I ask when you put the 3 phillips screws in the diff did one of the left or right catch the main diff gear? I ended up just using tweo screws to hold the bearing in.

Nope, no problems at all. All three used. You sure you don't have another problem as I think there should be quite a bit of clearance between the screw heads and the diff crown wheel? :cry:
Is the shimming right? Were both gearboxes affected with this or only one?

Ross

18-12-2011, 07:44 PM

Hi fella, you may want to put a longer bolt through the top link on the shock tower end.

I've taken a picture of how mine is done, there was a problem with them undoing, even when thread locked.

Front and rear need doing.

Sorry,cars not the cleanest it could be :D:D:D

http://www.rosswhitelock-photography.co.uk/Other/SmugShots/i-z3L4fvx/0/L/smugshot7695978-L.jpg (http://www.rosswhitelock-photography.co.uk/Other/SmugShots/15899773_dS235w#1637460933_z3L4fvx-A-LB)

badger5

18-12-2011, 07:47 PM

Ross, I did hear about that issue and have ordered the longer bolts etc needed in case I have troubles. Cheers for the heads up though.

VillageIdiot

18-12-2011, 08:00 PM

Nope, no problems at all. All three used. You sure you don't have another problem as I think there should be quite a bit of clearance between the screw heads and the diff crown wheel? :cry:
Is the shimming right? Were both gearboxes affected with this or only one?

may have been the notchy feeling of a new tight diff then, I will get the diffs in and when changing diff oil pop them in and see how it is.

the mesh was bob on.

VillageIdiot

18-12-2011, 08:02 PM

Ross

18-12-2011, 08:36 PM

which part am i looking at ross? the two 7mm nuts? :eh?:

See the yellow bearing on the diff out drive. Above and too the left you have the top link, on the back of its built in nut you have a silver 5mm nut and a longer bolt.

VillageIdiot

18-12-2011, 08:43 PM

See the yellow bearing on the diff out drive. Above and too the left you have the top link, on the back of its built in nut you have a silver 5mm nut and a longer bolt.

bingo! thankyou! :) ive just threadlocked them good until they work loose.

eyeayen

18-12-2011, 08:49 PM

are you doing rich's shell? I will post mine when its back.

can you post pics of the shell at various stages?

Yes I am doing his shell. No I can't post images as it's half done and I'm not doing anything clever airbrushing wise. It's just neat masking and getting the fades right, nothing to see here, move along... :p

Ross

18-12-2011, 09:19 PM

Yes I am doing his shell. No I can't post images as it's half done and I'm not doing anything clever airbrushing wise. It's just neat masking and getting the fades right, nothing to see here, move along... :p

:lol::lol::lol: nothing to see here, move along...

VillageIdiot

18-12-2011, 09:31 PM

:lol::lol::lol: nothing to see here, move along...

Hmmm interesting :lol::D....

Ross

18-12-2011, 09:55 PM

Hmmm interesting :lol::D....

Its a Star wars quote fella :D

Col

18-12-2011, 10:32 PM

These aren't the shells you're looking for...

Ross

18-12-2011, 10:40 PM

These aren't the shells you're looking for...

:lol::lol::lol::D

eyeayen

19-12-2011, 12:57 AM

Its a Star wars quote fella :D

I didn't think anyone would notice... :lol:

Honestly though, there isn't anything to see, nothing new that hasn't been shown before, when anything is half airbrushed they never look right anyway, I don't like showing people things in that state as they struggle to visualise the finished product.

badger5

19-12-2011, 01:45 PM

With the electrical install all went well again, you just need to plan well as the space is probably a little bit less than other designs, especially those that use one 4S brick type battery like a RC8e.
I used a Tekin RX8 esc, Tekin T8 1900kv motor, Spektrum micro receiver and Savox high torque servo.

The Serpent website says that a motor of 68mm can be fitted, but the Tekin T8 is 71mm. No worries here though as the motor fits without problem.

The motor is installed with an adaptor plate which is bolted to the end, which then just slides into the motor mount. This means that only one bolt is needed to secure the motor in position. This makes removing the motor or setting the pinion mesh really easy.
You need to use threadlock on all of these bolts to nesure that the motor does not come out of mesh with the spur gear.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31688&stc=1&d=1324312040

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31689&stc=1&d=1324312040

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31690&stc=1&d=1324312175

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31691&stc=1&d=1324312175

The chassis is also machined to allow the motor to sit a bit lower, and the motor sits nice and close to the centre line of the chassis. Someone on rctech.net also checked the balance of the buggy once built and found it to be bob on left to right.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31692&stc=1&d=1324312277

The only issue I had was that the sensor cable can touch the steering post, but I just turned the motor round a bit so that the solder tabs were nearer the centre of the buggy and then the sensor calbe cleared the post ok.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31693&stc=1&d=1324312455

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31694&stc=1&d=1324312455

When turning the motor end plate I found that the screws weren't very tight and no threadlock was used. In the Tekin T8 motor maintenance video Randy Pike says to use threadlock on the screws that hold the two end plates on and the sensor board, which to be honest sounds like common sense. So I removed all of these screws and refitted with a small amount of blue threadlock.

The RX8 fits real snug, almost as if the radio tray was designed to fit it. Other larger esc's will fit, but there is a small lip on the vertical back plate of the tray that allows the esc to sit back a couple of mm. This seemed to help in keeping the esc in place even with just foam sticky pads. I did use two screws to secure the esc to the tray, but this required the bottom of the tray to be modified slightly by cutting a small section of the original transponder locating lug.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31695&stc=1&d=1324312569

The steering servo arm only just clears the radio tray, there are shims in the kit to ensure you can get clearance. The servo linkage did prove to be a bit of pain to work on once the top carbon brace etc is fitted, but if you remove this it does become easier.
I will have to see if the plastic arm, servo saver and linkage is strong enough but it appears to be meaty enough. Alloy versions of the servo arm and servo saver are also available.

With the radio tray and receiver box it does allow for a real neat cable install, with a neat entrance for the servo leads at the bottom of the recveiver box lid. There are also small holes in the radio tray to route cables. I cut a small slot in the bottom of the radio tray for the esc servo cable, so then I could run this cable under the radio tray and secured it with some shoe goo.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31696&stc=1&d=1324312637

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31697&stc=1&d=1324312637

The only issue I had with the install was with the capscrews that secure the receiver box lid, they're M2 and need a 1.3mm allen key. I found that these rounded out very easily and then needed to be drilled out. I replaced these with M2 flat headed screws from modelfixings.co.uk

Nas

19-12-2011, 04:05 PM

Pics not working mate.

eyeayen

19-12-2011, 05:12 PM

Pictures all there now Richard, looks good.

Think you should have got an LRP speedo and motor to match your body though :lol:

VillageIdiot

19-12-2011, 08:27 PM

badger5

19-12-2011, 09:30 PM

top work rich!

sort that soldering out :lol::thumbsup: Im OCD with my soldering :D

As for PT did you fit one? I put it underneath but moved it back again as there were reports of the PT not regstering laps being so close to the chassis.

I was planning on swapping a PT between my 410 and the Cobra.

The soldering might look a little untidy but the connections are all good. I find the Core RC cable a bit fiddly to solder, don't know why just doesn't seem to flow as good with my solder. Think I need to get a new tip for my iron as well.

VillageIdiot

19-12-2011, 09:33 PM

My iron is on the brink of death and I make sure its bling when finished :D its all in the preperation before making the solder.

shortcoursegoat

20-12-2011, 10:01 AM

have any of you guys with them had a chance to run them yet? very interested to hear what you think after driving them, im torn between this an the dex

VillageIdiot

20-12-2011, 11:08 AM

have any of you guys with them had a chance to run them yet? very interested to hear what you think after driving them, im torn between this an the dex

Not yet fella, but I was also looking to hold out for the DEX, I was recommmended this buggy by a number of people, did alot of research and as much as I kept trying to hold out for the DEX the serpent was more what I was looking for.

Cant fault it.

VillageIdiot

20-12-2011, 11:09 AM

Ok I have redone my wires already :lol: I didnt like the untidy look and loose wires flapping about so ive shortened them and found an awesome place for the sensor wire to go.

Pics to follow...

VillageIdiot

20-12-2011, 11:21 AM

before....

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6475873583_27ea896ecb_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6475873583/)[/URL]

after....

the power wires from the ESC now go under the wires for the motor and are flat, the saddle link its soldered at a 30 degree angle meaning it goes over the center spur at the right angle and lenght is bob on.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6542997477_0e28399d3e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6475873583/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6542999151_9453c48735_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6542997477/)

the sensor lead now runs round the back of the steering, under the driveshaft and up beside the servo, amazingly there is no contact with anything and its the perfect legnth this way, very happy :thumbsup:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6542998295_38d393ebb1_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6542999151/)
[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6542998295/"]

eyeayen

20-12-2011, 11:33 AM

Very neat Phil !

Nas

20-12-2011, 11:37 AM

edit

JonyNitro

20-12-2011, 06:57 PM

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr11/JonyNitro72/SAM_0661.jpg
http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr11/JonyNitro72/SAM_0662.jpg

VillageIdiot

20-12-2011, 07:41 PM

I recognise that kit :lol::D

whats that on top of the manual?

Nas

20-12-2011, 08:12 PM

I recognise that kit :lol::D

whats that on top of the manual?

edit

JonyNitro

20-12-2011, 08:12 PM

a ?? text me. a surprise

VillageIdiot

21-12-2011, 01:04 PM

Another addition to the buggy, I wanted to sealed the ends of the axels to prevent dirt getting in, also wanted to continue the red black and white theme on :lol:

I spent ages trying to find the correct thread size so all interested, its 1.0mm.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6548684293_31dc65a85e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6548684293/)[/URL]
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6548685117_70b2df15aa_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6548684293/)[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6548685117/"]

VillageIdiot

21-12-2011, 01:56 PM

where else can I get some of these?

http://demonpowerproducts.co.uk/product_info.php/demon-hd4mm-heavy-duty-4mm-male-corally-connector-p-4838

I dont fancy paying £3 postage on a £3 item. :lol:

badger5

21-12-2011, 02:32 PM

where else can I get some of these?

http://demonpowerproducts.co.uk/product_info.php/demon-hd4mm-heavy-duty-4mm-male-corally-connector-p-4838

I dont fancy paying £3 postage on a £3 item. :lol:

JE Spares have CC connectors here http://jespares.com/electric-models?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=9036&category_id=492

They sell them for approx £3 each but not sure how many you get in a pack so might need two packs.

VillageIdiot

21-12-2011, 07:14 PM

these arent the flat type though.

Nas

21-12-2011, 08:52 PM

Nas

21-12-2011, 09:02 PM

Lip can you send me a link to the Core rc cabling you got please?

Thanks.

JonyNitro

21-12-2011, 09:04 PM

Any good LHS Je spares for starters

VillageIdiot

22-12-2011, 03:49 PM

Just to let you all know the serpent spares page has been updated and is alot better

http://www.serpent.com/product/600004/spares/

:thumbsup:

Jonny lets see some photos!

VillageIdiot

22-12-2011, 07:26 PM

Seen as my shell is hours away from completion and being returned to me I thought id show you my race colours, this was my design on a 1/10th tresrey gainabull shell which is being laid onto a 1/8th shell. :thumbsup:

If you see this buggy it will most probably be infront of you as red is always faster....Nasir? :D

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6237/6272178863_31b7ee438d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6272178863/)
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6201/6096966312_7a54986592_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6096966312/)

Nas

22-12-2011, 07:58 PM

eyeayen

23-12-2011, 12:21 AM

Hey Nasir, do you watch F1, I'm pretty sure it was a car in Red Bull colours winning every race wasn't it ??? :thumbsup:

Nas

23-12-2011, 12:28 AM

Hey Nasir, do you watch F1, I'm pretty sure it was a car in Red Bull colours winning every race wasn't it ??? :thumbsup:

edit

VillageIdiot

23-12-2011, 09:39 AM

Couple of quick shots from mike parkers sick skills with an airbrush....

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31801&d=1324632570
http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31802&d=1324632570

Nas

23-12-2011, 11:07 AM

edit

Nas

23-12-2011, 06:18 PM

edit

VillageIdiot

23-12-2011, 06:30 PM

I was just thinking. This Serpent looks very much like the Hotbodies VE8,but the ve8 hasn't had great reviews.

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=hot+bodies+ve8&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1024&bih=653&tbm=isch&tbnid=ILIdws9yErvhuM:&imgrefurl=http://raceroneight.wordpress.com/2009/08/30/hot-bodies-ve8/hb_ve8_10/&docid=XS2qRAToBYb3BM&itg=1&imgurl=http://raceroneight.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/hb_ve8_10.jpg&w=777&h=509&ei=0sX0TqqBB8XY8APGzr2xAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=96&vpy=314&dur=1855&hovh=182&hovw=277&tx=146&ty=77&sig=115810462354314066480&page=1&tbnh=124&tbnw=189&start=0&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0

Looks pretty similar eh?

Thanks.

clearly you missed the serpent reviews otherwise youd have bought the serpent over TA, the serpent is NOTHING like the VE8

Nas

23-12-2011, 06:45 PM

edit

VillageIdiot

23-12-2011, 06:48 PM

I meant it Looked very much alike from the outside... ( not the mechanical bits or anything) just talking about looks...

I will kick your ass with my TA.

And It doest matter what car you have!!! everyone knows it only matters what colours your shell is LOL!

RED BULL=1ST POSITION. :)

So the shape of the shell is the winning component? :woot: so your vettel tallet wise? yours its just blue, not red bull :thumbsup:

Nas

23-12-2011, 06:51 PM

edit

Nas

23-12-2011, 06:52 PM

edit

VillageIdiot

24-12-2011, 01:19 PM

Spares delivery....

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6563888725_ba2808c67a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6563888725/)[/URL]

Wing Bling....

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6563889665_a1d7070766_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6563888725/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6563889665/) by Philcorner (http://www.flickr.com/people/66027296@N05/), on Flickr

Shock tuning...

Webbed bladders, 8hole conical pistons and optional spring rates.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6563890573_be652dc7d5_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6563890573/)

Gave in and spent £6 on some snug fitting plugs for a cleaner layout

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6563891469_9708c46392_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6563890573/)[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6563891469/"]

VillageIdiot

24-12-2011, 01:22 PM

Fitting time....

Alu wing mounts strengthen the rear wing...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6563892337_681c0c3527_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6563892337/)[/URL]

some nice wing bling here...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6563893025_9b1870d57e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6563892337/)

Chrome decals are a really neat touch and look very smart over black or white, I have some big ones for the shell when it arrives.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6563893745_29f022b1ec_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6563893025/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6563894607_10c015c950_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6563893745/)
[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6563894607/"]

VillageIdiot

24-12-2011, 01:28 PM

Replacing springs is really easy, a matter of 5 minutes to do all of them, 1 screw on each and swap them over!.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6563895413_181f08fa9f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6563895413/)[/URL]

Replacing roll bars I was thinking it was going to be awkward but again very simple, its a matter of taking out the 4 screws and a matter of twisting the bar in a downward corkscrew method under the chassis and it slides right out! :thumbsup: same to get it back in and refit the bearings in the correct place as you go along!

there is a nice option part to replace bars in a matter of seconds but after doing this change its just an expensive option thats not really required.

refit the bumper and job done!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6563896249_617458b468_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6563895413/)
[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6563896249/"]

VillageIdiot

24-12-2011, 01:30 PM

soon to come is my first rebuild on the shocks with webbed bladders and conical 8 hole pistons :thumbsup:

MHeadling

24-12-2011, 01:34 PM

Nas

24-12-2011, 05:11 PM

edit

VillageIdiot

24-12-2011, 05:51 PM

What spring set-up you got going on?

I have the option of white and yellow on the rear, ive selected yellow for my setup.

fronts I have pink and red, ive selected red for my setup.

both springs are one step down from the standard springs provided.

Im going to order blue fronts next order to go one harder that standard supplied so ive plenty of options to play with

VillageIdiot

24-12-2011, 06:13 PM

Nice thread Mr Lip! car looks ace!

You may have seen this but they are going to have 8th elec Nats with the truggys:

http://www.maxbashing.com/mbforum/showthread.php?21018-Electric-1-8th-Nats-Q-s-and-suggestions

Im going to do the Kent round, be good series to race your 811 in?

I will try and get to the big races as long as im free. Im focusing on 8th racing as my main race catagory.

I want to push all the way the advantages of 1/8th EP and how easy they are to work on compared to 10th scale.

Im a very happy person indeed with this buggy! by far the best kit ive built and ive built from 4 other brands on the market in different classes, the quality is outstanding.

VillageIdiot

25-12-2011, 08:44 PM

How to build the perfect serpent shocks....

First grab a brew! I like Coffee two sugars please!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6570835545_deba5c7b39_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6570835545/)

Step 2... Grab the shock!
I did the fronts first then moved the rears after!
Get all your gear together, fluids tools etc

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6570834093_410438feaa_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6570834093/)

Step 3
Remove the shock cap and drain the fluid, rip out the wafer thin bladders and replace with these nice webbed bladders...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6570836693_61d25522db_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6570836693/)

Step 4
Remove the standard pistons and fit some nice 8 or 10 hole conical pistons

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6570837957_5bbb2a0fab_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6570837957/)

Step 5
Stick it all back together, rebuild shock, remove air from the oil fit the shock cap and set the desired rebound

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6570839467_1d181408ed_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6570839467/)

Tip....

I found what worked best was about 40% rebound in the fronts and only 10% rebound in the rears with the current setup gave a very very balanced feel between the front and rear.

I like my shocks to run soft and my setup always seem to work a treat.

So remember.... do away with standard pistons and bladders, rebuild with 8 hole conical pistons, Webbed bladders, desired springs in my case are red front and yellow rear, 35wt oil fronts 30wt rear.

ENJOY!

Nas

25-12-2011, 09:14 PM

edit

VillageIdiot

25-12-2011, 09:41 PM

No this was yesterday just uploaded now.

did you really have to quote all the pictures again?

Col

25-12-2011, 10:31 PM

No this was yesterday just uploaded now.

did you really have to quote all the pictures again?

No, he doesn't!

VillageIdiot

25-12-2011, 11:09 PM

No, he doesn't!

Thanks Col, just trying to keep it tidy for all those reading the whole thread.

I know it can be off putting :)

VillageIdiot

28-12-2011, 05:30 PM

Well managed to pick the shell up from the post office and bought a reamer from BMM an hour later and the shell is cut, protected underneath and chrome stickered up :thumbsup:

The pictures of the shell before sending didnt impress me much, but wow in the flesh its a work of art!!

here are some pics of it mounted....again poor iphone pics.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6588727129_bee662b3b6_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6588727129/)[/URL]
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6588725823_850143ec7e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6588727129/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6588724209_4890922a24_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6588725823/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6588722365_7d2ecf2418_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6588724209/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6588720731_e084e09dd8_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6588722365/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6588719097_186d813b5f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6588720731/)
[URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6588719097/"]

Timee80

28-12-2011, 06:11 PM

looks great Lip:thumbsup:
When will be its first outing?. I bet theres not many 8th meetings to attend over the winter months.

VillageIdiot

28-12-2011, 06:17 PM

looks great Lip:thumbsup:
When will be its first outing?. I bet theres not many 8th meetings to attend over the winter months.

I dont think I will be running it until about may anyway as im away for work for 3 months beginning feb. :thumbdown:

something to look forward to eh!

Mike Parker

28-12-2011, 06:28 PM

VillageIdiot

28-12-2011, 06:33 PM

Looking good Phil, glad you finally got the shell from the clutches of the trusty RM :thumbsup:

Read through this thread in it's entirety, very well put together, very informative and it made for really good reading :)

Nice one mate, hope you enjoy the beast out on the track :thumbsup:

Cheers Mike! I hope you had a brew reading the long build.

unfortunatly as the iphone was my only method for pictures at the moment I was limited at the detail of the pics I could take!

And for anyone impressed with the shell, I cannot recommend MP enough! Had 3 shells off him and all are nothing short of perfect!

VillageIdiot

29-12-2011, 01:10 AM

Question for the viewers!

Aluminium or Carbon??? :thumbsup:

Timee80

29-12-2011, 03:24 AM

Question for the viewers!

Aluminium or Carbon??? :thumbsup:

Towers? If so then carbon. looks much sexier too

JonyNitro

29-12-2011, 10:44 AM

Either way you still need a spare of each, carbon until you break it then Ali has back up

VillageIdiot

29-12-2011, 10:58 AM

Either way you still need a spare of each, carbon until you break it then Ali has back up

at the moment I cant afford both :blush: would rather have strenght and bling over lightweight and looks.

IMO Alu has some serious bling though, have you seen those towers? :wub

Jonny fancy some new carbon towers cheap?

VillageIdiot

31-12-2011, 02:59 PM

Alu servo saver kit turned up today....

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6606610881_c321ec18d4_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6606610881/)

Removed origional steering system...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6606612461_8cc738f022_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6606612461/)

Assembled the new shiny one :wub...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6606614005_534b9540b4_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6606614005/)

Put it all back together took about 20 minutes, steering is really easy to work on.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6606615573_d1dcbda4f8_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6606615573/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6606617165_b4476e7dfc_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6606617165/)

Two comments about the steering that need to be made are there is slightly more slop, about 2mm max up and down movement, secondly the main part is you cannot refit the m3 nuts are they are not flush in the steering arm like the standard part is, if you fit the nut you obstruct the steering arm and it will not turn. basically just threadlocked the screw and all should be ok. this can be seen in second and final picture.

list of parts to upgrade to in the future.....

Alu front and rear shock towers.
Titanium turnbuckle kit.
Titanium shock mounts.
Blue front springs.
More spares such as driveshafts, pins, rear wishbones.

JonyNitro

31-12-2011, 03:29 PM

you need to thread lock the steering stuffo,r it will come out

badger5

31-12-2011, 03:33 PM

You could try Durango low profile M3 locknuts (TD715001), I'm sure that they will fit.

VillageIdiot

31-12-2011, 04:08 PM

you need to thread lock the steering stuffo,r it will come out

Yes they were thread locked, the nuts wont fit at all, its not the height its the width that stops you from using them.

VillageIdiot

31-12-2011, 04:36 PM

Its hard to see from this pc but on full lock you have about 1mm gap from the ankerman plate. with the nut on it SEVERLY limits the turning.

Ill stick it on RC Tech see if anyone knows.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6607289913_2be5ce0389_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66027296@N05/6607289913/)

badger5

31-12-2011, 07:26 PM

Just thought I'd give an update as just got my shell back from eyeayen (Ian), and it sure is good. I still cannot beleive that no stickers were used and all was done with an airbrush, even the Arai logo. The pics don't even do it justice to be honest as the deep blue really comes to life in daylight.
I still have a bit of tidying up to do tomorrow with it, especially around the steering linkage.

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=32049&stc=1&d=1325359307

http://www.oople.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=32050&stc=1&d=1325359307

VillageIdiot

31-12-2011, 07:47 PM

take your time its a real pain in the ass. I used a craft knife ;)

can I ask where the idea came from for the design?

lets see the shell off :D

VillageIdiot

31-12-2011, 08:06 PM

alloy wing washers, wing posts and a spare wing mount set cheap here...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/s12151-serpent-cobra-811-buggy-wing-stay-mount-/250956801523?pt=Radio_Control_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a6e30e5f3

eyeayen

01-01-2012, 06:50 AM

can I ask where the idea came from for the design?

I adapted an Arai crash helmet design to fit, hence the Arai logo on the shell.

JonyNitro

01-01-2012, 09:23 AM

Nice paint job,any one have front ring and pinion ring bit crunchy rear is spot on?

badger5

01-01-2012, 09:43 AM

With my build I found that the rear was spot on with the amended shimming recommendations, still a bit tight but good as per the instructions. With the front I had to remove one of the shims fitted behind the pinion, then the front is still a notchy but ok. I actually found that the gear mesh would be tight on one half of the gearwheels revolution and then a bit more free as if the gearwheel wasn't quite true. But this will run in ok.

Just remember that the amended shimming is a recommendation, or starting point. Just set it up so that it is a bit tight, this is so that it can bed in properly and then should free up after about 1-2 hours driving when you should check it again.

Hope this helps.

JonyNitro

01-01-2012, 10:23 AM

nick8155

05-01-2012, 08:22 PM

JonyNitro

05-01-2012, 08:27 PM

Get the rear Hub in your hand get the pin it's holds the bearing in supposedly you will see a smal hole in the hub goes in that

VillageIdiot

05-01-2012, 09:15 PM

you'll have to back off 8th of a turn to allow the ball to move freely.

lets see pics of your build :)

badger5

05-01-2012, 09:16 PM

nick8155

05-01-2012, 09:32 PM

Ive got a few pics to post up soon......If I tighten anything more than hand tight the balls are stiff, guess they will just bed in as they are used.......and that grub screw in the rear hub just seems to go straight through and doesnt go against anything......And as with your build LIP i could only use 2 of the 3 self tappers to hold the bearings inside the diff case.

There will be 4 of these at our club now......lets hope the drive as well as they look!!! We all had Losi 8ight E's (which look like plastic fantastic now!!!

you'll have to back off 8th of a turn to allow the ball to move freely.

lets see pics of your build :)

nick8155

05-01-2012, 09:43 PM

I followed the supplement sheet for the shimming.......Front feels a bit notchier than the rear so just gonna see how it goes........and re-shim as required once ive had a few packs through it.

Will replace all the plastic washers and nuts soon (not sure why they use these......but wanted to build the kit box stock and then upgrade after)

Shame my CC2200 won't fit, will have to use my trackstar 2560 to start then invest in rx8 & T8 1900 at a later point.

eyeayen

05-01-2012, 11:53 PM

There will be 4 of these at our club now......lets hope the drive as well as they look!!! We all had Losi 8ight E's (which look like plastic fantastic now!!!

Good to see these are getting a nice little following, hopefully the 8th electric buggy scene is going to pick up and become much much bigger.

VillageIdiot

06-01-2012, 01:19 AM

certainly is.... watch this space....

Ross

06-01-2012, 07:03 AM

Just building my Cobra and all is really good.......Just a couple of questions for those who have already built them.

- The anti roll bar balls that go into the wishbone are very tight when the ally nut is tweaked up? Seems weird to me......
- The little m3 x 4mm grub is the rear hub.....whats this for?

Both probably obvious but not for me LOL

Very nice car so far.....by far in a different class to the Losi 8ights i have had before!!

The nut that holds the ARB pivot in the arm needs to be tightened up until the pivot is hard to move then backed off. If this doesn't work then I would take it apart a see what's happening as this should have free movent after doing that.
The Grub screw in the rear hub is for oiling the bearings.

VillageIdiot

10-01-2012, 02:27 PM

where can I get the massive chrome serpent stickers? on the 1st pics released of the shell there are 2 huge serpent stickers, I expected these on the chrome sticker sheet, but not there. :confused:

eyeayen

10-01-2012, 02:39 PM

Download the logo from the site, go along to your local sign writing emporium and get them to make you some. Or Jon Miller might be able to do it ?

Magnus F

15-01-2012, 11:34 AM

Where to buy parts in UK?

badger5

15-01-2012, 03:55 PM

Elite RC in Halifax, I get mine via mail order from them. There is no real web site at the mo for them but you can contact them by email or phone.
The contact details are 01422 373010 or email jeff.eliterc@tesco.net

VillageIdiot

15-01-2012, 05:47 PM

Ive been waiting a couple of requests and appears still not in stock, when more serpents are in circulation im sure spares will be more readily available.

SDARCY118

23-01-2012, 12:32 PM

My hands are covered in blisters after finishing building the car Saturday night..but was well worth for race day on Sunday... annoyingly i didn't get time to paint the shell so i ran it naked for the day lol..

couple of points when building..

1.use 2 shims not 3 when building the front diff pinion..i currently running 3 shims and after a day of running the front gearbox is still way too tight..

2. file and super glue the carbon front shock tower..is a must..i did flip over at one point and now my shock tower is shagged..(why serpent did you have too use a carbon shock anyway??)

3. cut the top off the receiver box if using 2.4GHz and no Ariel and just use a soldering iron too melt and close the hole left..means you don't have to have a hole in your shell

4.before installing the servo(especially if its a ace 1015)..remember to use a file on the servo mount as the servo mount too tight for any servo with a heat sink

5.Dont use the underside pt mount as it doesn't fricking work haha..

during the day i manage to shave a good 20 degrees off the temps of my castle 2650kv when compared to my old losi 8ight E..the car is a lot more stable and can change direction much easier even just running the base set-up.. absolutely chuff too bits with the car..cant wait for the next round now:thumbsup: