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VINTAGE HO 132 124 SCALE SLOT CAR RACING TIPS

ALIGNMENT
Assemble all moving slot car parts carefully. Be sure the centerline of the slotcar motor shaft intersects the rear axle centerline when viewed from both sides as well as the front and rear. Gears must meet at exactly 90 degrees when viewed from the top. The motor should be securely fastened so that absolutely no vibration or misallignment can occur. Make certain that the slot car bushing alignment is exact when installing axles. Doing this in all of your vintage slotcars will eliminate axle drag or friction. Check alignment againafter the chassis is fastened to the slotcar body. All four wheels must rest on the track. Remember, competition is hard on all slot cars so recheck alignment regularly. ALIGNMENT



GEARS
GEARS Maximum results can be obtained from slot car gears with a bit of care on your part. Be sure gears mesh accurately and run slightly free. Rotate the slotcar gear several times to make certain there are no high points that might create drag. After about one half (1/2) hour of actual running time, readjust gears on all of your slotcars for a closer mesh. For really smooth running gears on all of your slot cars apply a light coating of a paste made with oil and tooth powder (paste) or a fine lapping compound. Run the gears at a low speed for about ten (10) minutes or longer if necessary. Clean off the paste thoroughly and apply a lubricant. Once a smooth mesh is established, gear life and performance is increased. Gear ratios play an important part in a winning performance. The higher the slot car gear ration (4:1 rather than 3:1) the more instant acceleration and the better the braking action. Generally speaking, higher slotcar ratios are excellent for tracks with lots of curves and short lap lengths. Low gear ratios (2:1 rather than 3:1) are effective on long tracks where slot cars are expected to attain high speeds. If you are close to the exact ratio and want to really balance your slotcars out, a slight change in the tire diameter may be the answer.



PICK UP SHOE
The slot car pick up shoe should pivot freely without binding or twisting the wires at any point. Get as much of the slotcar blade into the slot as possible without rubbing on the track slot bottom. The pick up brade should be clean and at the proper angle on all of your slot cars to apply pressure and insure good contact with the track. If your slotcars are having trouble making contact, increase the pressure of your braid by curving it toward the track. You can also widen the end of the braid by puching it forward from th rear tip. Make certain the pick up contacts or guide blade does not raise the slot car wheels off of the track. PICK UP SHOE



TIRES
TIRES Mount all slot car ties on wheels evenly and as true as possible. Do not stretch slotcar tires from one side as this cancreate uneven rotation. Check tires on all slotcars for flat allignment. A bonding agent may be used to fasten the tire to the wheel on those slot cars that shifting is noticed during acceleration. After the tires are mounted, final truing may be done by placing a piece of sandpaper flat under the rear slot car tires and driving them with the slotcar motor. NOTE: Sanding all slot cars front tires will decrease the tire diameter and lower the slotcar's center of gravity. Do not bear down too hard on the tires as this may overload the motor and cause a possible motor burn out. Moreover, do not run the slotcars at full rpm (rotations per minute) at high voltages with the tires in the air as the windings can be thrown from the armature. Keep slot car tires cleans and true at all times. Tread pattern has little to do with tire performance so bald tires will still run very well. Changing the tires of different ratio diameters amounts to making mild gear ratio changes. The larger the tire the lower the ratio and the smaller the tire the higher the ratio.



LUBRICATION
Points to lubricate with a fine machine oil athe the slot car axle busings, guide post at the swivel point and the slot car motor shaft ends at the bearings. Gears can be touched lightly with oil or a thin gease lubricant. Do not over lubricate slotcars as lubricated areas are dust collectors. therefore slot cars need constant inspection, cleaning and relublicating. Keep the slot car in a sealed plastic bag, closed drawer or other dust free container when not running. LUBRICATION



MOTOR
MOTOR The slot car motor is designed to deliver good performance and long life. It was not guaranteed to do anything other than operate well at the time of installation. Any tampering with the slotcar motor is done at your own risk. You will find that all slot cars will increase their rpm when the motor has been run from fifteen (15) to thirty (3) minutes and the brushes have seated themselves. This is when slotcars have motors that are considered run in or broken in. Most slot car motors are desined to operate on 12 volts. Going beyond this voltage will increase the slotcar rpm but has very little effect on the torque. Therefore you should raise the gear ratio accordingly or the benefit is minimal. Sometimes slotcars will run faster in one direction than the other. After determining this. locate your gear on the side of the axle which will drive your slot cars in a foward direction. Where possible, tune the rest of your slot car chassis to reduce drag and increase handling and you can have a winner without tinkering with the slotcar motor. After you have run your slot car motors for several hours, check the brush tension. Make sure the brushes have sufficient pressure to maintain proper contact at high rpm. Sometimes added rpm can be gained by changes to the spring pressure on your motor brushes. Too much pressure wears brushes quickly, necessitating closer inspection periods of all slotcars for maximum performance. If the brushes are worn short, replace them. Also, make certain that the brushes slide easily without binding or cocking in the brush carrier.



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MOTORING AND RACING Vintage 187 132 124 Scale Slot Car Racing Tips
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