Model Book

Cars 1

MOTOR
TUNING
the complete story

PRESENTED FREE
W ITH THE DECEMBER 1969 ISSUE OF MODEL CARS
 ■■

CHAMPION

B.I.C.O.,
2 LANCASTER ROAD, W.11
t im ' t io M 01 )i\) ■ w.oi
T h e B ritis h h ave a lw a y s b een an islan d
race; it m u st be th e w a te r.

C h a m p io n m a k e s you th e fa s te s t ra c e r
on th e islan d .

C h a m p io n W o rld S lo t R acing N o. 1.

B .I.C .O ., 2 L a n c a s te r R oad, W.11

T e le p h o n e N o. 0 1 - 2 2 9 1601
European D is trib u to rs fo r the p ro d u c ts o f
C ham pion o f Chamb/ee

3
self fluxing wire
FOR ALL MODEL CARS
AND TRAINS, Etc.
on t oz. Reels
28-36 swg, 26-33 B/S
Reels 2/6d. each.
Packing and postage 6d..
three or more 2 /- post free.
Also High Temperature Wire.
4/6d. per reel.

Trade enquiries welcome.

N. J. ELECTRIC, 1587 LONDON ROAD,

LEIGH-ON-SEA. Telephone: Southend 73694

top gear model products

Rear 7. C larend on Road. W a tfo rd . H erts . W O I 1LH
'TO P GEAR' C O M B IES threaded 5-40 in super cream , black, grey at 7/6d. p air
Sizes J” x 13/16" x f . i" x V * .
SP O N G IES in co lo urs liste d . Sizes 1 1 " x | " . 1 " x •§" at 2/6d. pair.
S IL V E R STEEL A X L E S Threaded 5-40 in 2 " . 2 J " . 2 } " . 2 J " . 3 " lengths at
2/6d. pair.
TOP GEAR CLEAN-UP TYRE CLEANER & C O N D IT IO N E R at 4/6d. bottle
PR E C ISIO N L IG H TW E IG H T 1 " x a lu m in iu m hubs threadod 5-40 at 2/3d. pair.
P & P on above item s 6d.
N e w Service: Havo yo ur co m m utato r retrued and return ed lik e now to 0002'
T .l R for real perform ance at 3/-. S tac k as w e ll ♦/-. P & P 9d. on th is item .
A p proved by C ham pion of Europe

| l f ^ 1 1 * M a | £■ 373 H IG H ST NORTH . M A N O R PARK

V
wOiXJL ILlUUClb LO NDON E 12 01-472 2508

East London Model Car Centre

M A IL ORDER. O ver C2, post froe; A rm a tu re s and M o to rs to order.
o th e rw ise add 1/-. H O U R S : 10-6 p m. S un d ay 10-1 p.m
C lu b s - w rite for d e ta ils of special M o n d a ys and Fridays. 7-10 p.m .
term s on c lu b orders Closed T hursday.
S p e c ia lists in C ham pion and M u ra R A C IN G : M o n d a y & Friday.
Products. D e ta ils on Requost.

4
 ELTHAM MODELS
Ian & Ray Skilling

MAIL ORDER CENTRE

MAIN AGENT FOR MURA MOTORS
MEDIUM PRICED MOTORS REAL 'GO' MOTORS
R iko w h ip 160 MURA
1969 B/Racod M ab u chi 29a 'B' Production
w in d (idoal (or beginners) 31/- The o n ly w a y to go - lo w
C ham pion 'B lack Power' 042 lo w p ro lilo can. b ulle t
1969 B/Raccd M abuchi 29g proof endboll Standard
w in d , b lack c o m . strong m otor ........................ 100 / -
sp ring s and h /s m k s in ­ Super 'B'
cluded ........................ 32/6 Same as 'B' above but w ith
C ukras 007 arm ature 24g.,
M u ra 5% Blue P rin t 2Sg . 27g dbl 27/28g..
M u ra th ic k caso. unm oltable 28g . d b l..................... 120 / -
endboll (id o al lo r ro w m d m g ) 38/- C ustom B ’
M u ra M ini-Brute The m ost p o w e rfu l m otor
Largo sizo arm ature. 160 caso M U R A have evor produced
Same length as short m ag ­ High tomp groon epoxy
num . unm eltablo endboll . 50/- A v a ila b le 24g.. 25g . 27/27.
C ham pion 'H oly Smoko' 27/28. 28/28 ..................... 135/-
55 x 28q w in d . 0 Z M agnets. Short M agnum
un m eltab lo endboll ... 55/- Has a ll tho featuros of the
'Hot' M o to rs except for tho
M u ra Stock O length (Id oal for 1/32 a/
29g w ind , th ic k caso. b a l­ w m d o rs). 27g . 28g . 29g
anced. epoxiod. unm oltable W in d s 100/ -
endboll ............................ 65.'- C H A M P IO N
Lent Red B all Orange Picker
Samo as Stock 0 o n ly s lig h tly 24 on 2Sg w in d Pow erful
th ic k e r case and opposito 0 Z. M agn ets B u lle t proof.
ro tatio n ............................ 70/- Orange, unm oltab le ondboll 105/-
MURA Big Chief
N EW . G roup 12 m otor 26 o r 27g. W in d . P ow erful
M u ra Case, black endboll D Z M agnets. Orange u n ­
007 stack. 29g w in d ... 34/- m oltable ondboll ............. 85/-
N EW . G roup 20 m otor MOTOR KITS
M u ra Case, black ondboll. C H A M P IO N
007 stack, opoxiod b a l­ 535 M o to r K it
anced. 27g. w in d ............. 50/- D Z M ags 010" Stack F/G
Team C ukras M o to r Comm. B ullo t proof w h ite
24g w in d 030" can. unmolt- ondboll Reel of 25g W ire 60/-
able groy ondboll and spare Cozinc K it
m auve ondboll (Sam o as A s abovo but w ith T B D
M u ra w h ite endboll) 75/- black unm oltable ondboll ... 72/6

N o w you've read o u r im p re ssive stock o f m o to rs — com e and

see them along w ith o u r large s to c k o f o th e r 'goodies'.

POST & P A C K IN G 1 / 6 - o v e r E3 FREE ( U K o n ly ) Ovorsoas 7/6 per p a rc e l-

all sont a ir m a il Please w rite nam e and address clearly.

54 WELL HALL ROAD, ELTHAM, S.E.9

Tel. 01-850 4324
5
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6
 Model Cars
MOTOR
TUNING Book1
•1 9 6 9 /7 0 Contents
Prepared by FOREWORD 8
Dan Glimne
for Model Cars 1. PREPARATION 9
readers 11
2. BASICS
3. CASE REWORKING 13
4. MAGNETS 17
5. SHIMMING 23
PART ONE OF A THREE-PART SERIES

Model & Allied Publications Ltd.

13/35 Bridge Street, Hemel Hempstead, Herts.
Publishers of
Aeromodeller, Model Boats, Model Cars, Model Engineer, Model
Railway News, Meccano Magazine, Radio Control Models & Electronics.
Scale Models, Plans, Technical Books, etc.
7
Foreword
T HISas series of booklets will try to cover the tuning of 'can' motors.
completely as possible. As an 'all-out' treatise on the subject
would be ruthlessly technical, though. I have instead tried to concen­
trate on clear, practical advice, yet retaining enough theory to give an
understanding of the factors we are going to play with.
In this day and age of the Flying Factory Motors, some of you may
feel that this series is unnecessary: however, tuning is not just re­
winding with thicker wire, and many modifications can be done to
even the toughest of factory bombs. Besides, they are very expensive
things, which not all of us can afford.
Also, since it is the most popular type at the moment. I have con­
centrated on the 16D-size motor. If you do run into any problems or
want advice concerning other slot racing motors, though, please feel
free to write in at any time, and I will try to answer via the magazine
I hope that readers will enjoy this, book No. 1. and the next two in
the series; above all. I sincerely hope that they w ill bo helpful to all
slot racers both in their experiments with and general handling of
slot car motors.
Dan Glimne

8
D isassem b ling the m otor. F irst, p u ll off the p inio n. Shaft k n u rls are filed flat
by run ning the m otor on ve ry lo w pow er and m oving the flat file lig h tly across them .

1preparation
Tuning a motor involves no black magic, just a little sound tech­
nical knowledge and a lot of hard work (10 per cent inspiration and
90 per cent transpiration, as the saying goes). Every detail must be
thought of and worked on. If you want to be a consistent winner, re­
member the key word in all tuning: exactitude.
How you go about it depends on what materials you already have,
and how much you are willing to spend. The best (and most expen­
sive) way is of course to start with brand new, best-in-the-business
components, but you who are not millionaires need not despair: quite
a lot can be done with 'stock' parts. For those of you who start out
with an old Mabuchi motor, here is the correct way to tear it down.
First, take off the pinion with a pinion puller, as not to damage the
motor. Then connect the motor to a suitable current source and let it
spin, while applying a small flat file to the shaft. This is to remove
the knurls that hold the pinion. Do not forget this step, or you will
risk seriously damaging the bearing when taking out the armature.
When the knurls are level with the shaft, remove springs and brushes,
prise out the tabs which hold the nylon endbell and the metal case
together, and take off the endbell.
Now carefully lift out the armature and secure the fibre and metal
washers on it. The magnets are removed by sticking in a screwdriver
and prising them out. Last, we strip' the armature: cut the wire close
to the commutator lug and unwind the pole, then do the same with
the other two poles, and take off the commutator. Should the wire
refuse to give up this easily, you will have to cut the whole coil with
a knife or an X-acto saw.
9
 C ut the w ire ends at the co m m utato r lugs and u n w in d the arm ature.
M agn ets are p rised o u t w ith a sc re w d rive r. D o n 't fo rg et to save the sp ring for
reassem bly.

NOTE: never use violence when tearing down a motor, it will all too
quickly result in damage (bent shaft etc.) and make the parts un­
usable. Also, the motor should be as new as possible, since the
bearings are prone to damage after running for a long time. Tearing
down other motors largely follows the same pattern: should the pinion
be soldered on, you will have to remove the solder on the shaft after
removing the pinion. This is again done by spinning the motor but
this time applying a strip of fine emery paper until the solder is gone.
If you are breaking down a motor held together by rivets (Mura
etc.), it can sometimes be difficult. However, a good set of knurled
pliers should be able to get a grip on those rivets.

•it it it it

10
2 basics
Before starting out. I would like to explain a few terms I am going
to use frequently.
A motor's characteristics are mainly three, viz. (1) torque. (2)
efficiency, and (3) R P M 's. The torque is a measure of the amount
of force the motor can develop, and is measured in inch-ounces
(gramcentimetres in the metric system). This characteristic is, of
course, very desirable in slot racing motors: the greater force we
can put through the gears and down to the wheels, the quicker the
acceleration in our car.
The motor's torque is greatest when the armature is motionless,
that is. when we give it a full 12 volts while 'stalling' the motor.
Then, the torque goes down while the revs go up, and at top R P M 's

M o to r d isassem bled. Some ite m s can be used for o ur race m otors, lik e case,
bearings, p lates, brushes, w a sh e rs , etc. D id yo u k n o w th a t a m o to r co n sists o f
som e 60 p a rts in a ll? F irs t m od is sc re w ing the case and e n d b e ll together. D rill
tw o d ia g o n a lly placed holes as sh ow n - s lo w ly , by hand. M a ke sure e nd b ell and
case are held tig h t together w h ile doing this.

11
 the torque is down to zero. (Yes. the graph is practically linear.) If
you now put your finger to the shaft, the revs w ill go down until the
torque has increased enough to overcome the frictional forces be­
tween the shaft and your finger. To completely stop the motor, you
will have to apply friction greater than the 'stall' torque.
The second characteristic is efficiency, which is simply the amount
of work the motor can do. It is usually measured in horsepower,
which, besides being a very impractical unit, is a pure insult to a
horse. It is this efficiency, or amount of work, we use to overcome
frictional losses in bearings etc., wind resistance and so on, and drive
the car forwards. Naturally, the greater the amount of work we can
obtain, the faster we can make the car go. Unlike torque, efficiency is
zero when R P M 's are zero, w ill rise with the revs to a maximum
(usually somewhere about 40 60 per cent of maximum revs) and then
drop off to zero at top speed. (W e are talking about free-revving the
motor.)
Please do NOT get torque and efficiency mixed up. as they are
different phenomena. True, there is a connection, as efficiency is a
function of (depends upon) the torque. Thus, torque is the indepen­
dent variable. While perhaps oversimplifying things a bit. we might
say that torque w ill determine the acceleration and efficiency the top
speed of a slot car. But again we must observe the connection be­
tween the two: we can increase the torque at the wheels by changing
to a higher numerical gearing, but this means a loss in distance, due
to the leverage principle involved in gears. Thus, efficiency w ill remain
the same, since it is simply torque multiplied by distance. W e have
therefore gained acceleration at the expense of top speed, which
should be well known to most racers.
Or does the above sound difficult? I hope not, as a good know­
ledge of what's happening' is an asset in the slotting game. Anyway,
you can always consult a good book on physics for more infor­
mation . . .
And finally R P M 's, revolutions per minute, which is in itself a fairly
useless characteristic. Usually we only use it in connection with the
two others, i.e. we can plot diagrams showing how much torque and
horsepower the motor w ill give at certain R P M 's. While we are at it,
I will point out that the R P M 's of a motor have no connection what­
soever with the car's top speed. The car's top speed is a function of
available horsepower, gearing. and frictional losses, nothing else.
To be quite correct about it, so is the motor's top R P M 's: when
maximum revs are reached, it simply means that the efficiency has
gone down to the point where it is just enough to overcome the
friction from the brushes, bearings and air being whirled around
inside. The zero efficiency mentioned above refers to the efficiency
given off. and this is zero since the motor at this speed can only
supply enough to keep itself running. When coupled into a car. we
get additional losses from wheel bearings, guide dragging against the
track etc., and this means that the revs w ill go down (and efficiency
up) until the motor can overcome these added losses. Thus, a motor
will never rev as high in a car as when it is running free. This can be
quite clearly demonstrated in practise: Mabuchi's small 13UO motor,
with a little judicious tuning, w ill easily outrev the larger 16D. but
mounted in a chassis, the 16D is by far the fastest, due to more
favourable torque and horsepower figures.
So do not stare yourself blind whenever a manufacturer adver­
tises the fantastic R P M 's of a motor, since it really tells very little.
12
I am still waiting for the day when they will put figures for 'stall'
torque and horsepower ratings in their ads.

* * * *

3 case reworking
And now. whether you start with new parts or parts scavenged
from the carcass of an old can', we will start building up our race
motor.
Modifications, as you w ill discover, are made for two reasons:
performance and reliability. (In a deeper sense, we are forever
haunted by Kelly's 'Law of Motion: 'If anything can happen, it will'.)
We will start with beefing' the case and cover the performance
aspects while on magnets.
Mabuchi
The standard Mabuchi case has a few fundamental weaknesses,
which must be repaired before attempting serious racing. One of
these consists of the two metal tabs holding the case and the nylon
front together: when you have taken the motor apart a couple of
times, those tabs will either snap right off or be so weak that the
motor might suddenly fall to pieces in a crash. Obviously we have to
fix some other system.

If yo u fo llo w in stru c tio n s in the text, re su lt should be a snug fit One m ore
thing: m ake sure the screw heads w ill no t interfere w ith the chassis (m akin g
the m otor im p o ssib le to fit in. e tc.).
On the old M ab u c h i cases, the b lin d bearing should be epoxied or soldered as
here. For soldering, m ake sure p a in t and d irt is rem oved on and around the
bearing.

13
For cente r ing the bearing, firs t tape the arm as show n. Then in se rt the arm in
th e case w ith m ag nets - tig h t fit is necessary - space w ith com. w ashe rs, etc.,
and p u t in endbell. B earing on case end should n o w be c e n te red and firm ly in
place w h ile e poxy cures.

Take the endbell you are going to use on your finished motor, put
it on the empty case and drill two 1.5 mm. (1/16 in.) holes, diagonally
placed, through case and endbell. Then take off the endbell and use a
‘rat tail' file to widen the case holes only, until a small self-tapping
screw w ill screw in precisely. Now, put the endbell back on to the
case, pressing it in hard as you screw the self-taps in. and you have
your fool-proof system. If you did a good job. it will last forever,
really: the first motor I built with this screw-in system, some three
years back, still works excellently.
NOTE: when filing up the case holes, remember to enlarge them
towards the bottom of the case, as this w ill ensure a tight fit between
endbell and case.
Now this works fine with 'stock' endbells and Mura unmeltables,
but beware if you are going to use a Champion endbell of the latest
'hard' variety: this material w ill stand fantastic heats but is so brittle
that a selftap w ill crack the endbell. In this case, after having drilled
the two holes, you must get metal screws (constant thread) and use
a tap to thread the holes in the endbell. Great care is necessary, and
so I usually recommend the Champion endbell for use only with the
Champion case.
Another weakness is the bearing in the case, for the treatment of
which we will look at the different models'.
The oldest Mabuchi case had a 'blind' bearing (hole not extending
through). Since it is a very low-quality bearing, I do not recommend

Figure 1: The tw o holes in case and endboll should be d iag o n ally placed as show n.
Figure 2: For rem ag netising m agnets s in g ly , pole pieces m u st be ground to fit
m agnet profile.
Figure 3: The com m on form of sh im m in g is re ctan gu lar pieces (dotted lin e s)
curved to fit betw een case and m agnets.

Fig 1 Fig 2 Fig 3

 it: however, if you insist on using it, scrape off the paint on the case
near the bearing and solder it firmly in place. As oiling this bearing is
a problem. I suggest drilling a small hole for easier access.
A better treatment for this case would be to knock out the old
blind bearing, enlarge the hole and put a Mura case-bearing in. The
big problem here is getting the bearing cente red, but this can be
accomplished in the following way:
After carefully enlarging the hole, wash the case and install a pair
of magnets. Get some thin tape and wrap around the armature, as the
photo shows. There must be enough layers so that the armature can
barely be squeezed in between the magnets. Put the Mura bearing in
the hole, put the armature between the magnets with the shaft end
extending through the bearing, and put the endbell on. If you wrapped
the tape evenly, the armature should now be centred in the case, and
the bearing in its right position. Epoxy the bearing in place.
NOTE: for best results, the epoxy should be applied to the flange
inside the case and the armature spaced so that it will press the bear­
ings firmly in place while the epoxy cures.
The 'interim' Mabuchi case has a self-centring bearing held in
place by an elastic washer, which, as a lot of people discovered,
would not stand the strain of a good 24-hour bash. Since a loose
bearing is unacceptable in a racing motor, take out the bearing, the
washer and the felt disc. Wash the case and the bearing thoroughly.
Get a piece of 2 mm. (5/64 in.) piano wire, approx 15 cm. (6 in.)
long, and pinch up a few knurls on the middle with a pair of cutting
pliers. These knurls should be so big that the bearing cannot pass
over. Then set up the case in a vice (light squeeze, or you will
distort the case), put the bearing in the bottom, run the piano wire
through the bearing till the knurls, and put an old endbell on. See
photo! Now just mix up some epoxy and apply it evenly around the
bearing. Because of the piano wire sticking out at both ends, the
bearing w ill automatically be aligned with the case, while the weight
of the wire w ill keep the bearing in place.
If you wish, you can solder the bearing instead of epoxying. If so,
do not forget to wash the case afterwards, removing the highly
corrosive solder flux.

The M ab u chi SP 80-serie s w e re equipped w ith a self-cente r in g bearing. Knock

th is out and rem ove e lastic w ashe r and fe lt disc.
A s described in the te xt, the bearing is held in place w ith a long piece of piano
w ire , as show n here. Solder or epoxy the bearing in place.

15
 NOTE: if possible, bearings should be epoxied rather than soldered.
especially high-quality oilite bearings such as the Mura. This is be­
cause these bearings are 'impregnated' with a lubricant, and heat will
boil this lubricant out. (Easily demonstrated: just put a hot solder iron
to a Mura bearing, and in a few seconds you can see a dark, foaming
liquid emerging from the surface.) If you have ’cooked" the bearing,
however, you can remedy this by heating the case (minus magnets,
of course) in the oven to some 300’F. and then, while the bearing and
case are still hot. soaking the bearing with a molybden grease. I
recommend moly because of its extremely good lubricating effects,
remaining stable at high temperatures. When it has cooled, wipe the
bearing of excess grease.
The new Mabuchi can, finally, has been equipped with a "ball bear­
ing' which is. in one word, inferior: precision is poor and the bearing
w ill got sloppy after a time (I've even seen such a bearing fall apart
during a race). I recommend knocking it out and replacing it with a
Mura bearing in the same manner as before. The flange w ill need to
be cut down, though, and again cente ring is the important problem.
But the result should be well worth the trouble!
Concerning ball bearings. I went up to see my prof, in Machinery
and asked him a few questions. Summing his opinions up. a good
oilite is superior to a ball bearing (even the genuine ones) in these
sizes. Despite what some people might say, there are no ball bearings
today made to take revving to 70 thou and still survive the loads and
strains (which can actually run into several thousand G) in a modern
slot racing motor. The oilite bearing is much better suited for this.
And lubrication should be oil or high speed' grease, since common
grease w ill overheat during high revs.
Hitachi
These are the motors making up most of the Riko line, as well as a
few other marques. Due to their great similarity with Mabuchi motors,
their treatment is the same (screwing the endbell with self-taps;
epoxying or changing the bearing), and so I feel that there is really
no need to specifically go through these types The reader should be
quite competent to handle them, having assimilated the chapter on
Mabuchis.

Others
Apart from one or two oddball’ marques, there really only remains
the 'super cases', represented by Mura and Champion. These I con­
sider without peer in the beefing department, and the only modifica­
tion here, if you feel like it. is exchanging the rivets on the Mura for
the screw-in system by enlarging the case holes and otherwise pro­
ceeding as described earlier.

★ ★ it ★

16
The end re s u lt should be a b e a u tifu lly finished job. w ith epoxy or solder flo w in g
o u t e ven ly around the bearing. From one p oint, solder is preferable, since it
w ill act as a heat s in k and d ra w heat aw ay from th e bearing.
For cooling and lig htness, the M u ra case and e nd b ell are cut o u t as show n.
M a k e sure edges are trim m e d off afterw ards.

4 magnets
It is my opinion that few people realise just how important a good
magnet job is. If I were given a stock Mabuchi motor and presented
with the choice between a full-treament armature and a complete job
on case and magnets. I would choose the latter as the way for lower
lap times and more reliability. A good armature w ill have a definite
effect on lap times, true, but just wait until you have learned the
various tricks of 'setting up' magnets.
If you do not know yet how an electric motor works, it is high time
to learn - it is actually very simple, and necessary for digesting the
tuning tips in this article. As usual, a good book on physics should
prove satisfactory. Suffice here to say that the slot racing motor's
principle is that two magnetic fields, one permanent from the magnets
and one alternating from the armature, are forever trying to get
aligned. The motor's strength is the strength with which these two
magnetic fields affect each other, so the stronger the magnets, the
stronger the motor. The reason for installing better magnets is the
same as for rewinding the armature - we simply want stronger mag­
netic fields, thereby making the motor stronger and capable of doing
more work, equals lower lap times.
However, you just don't push in a pair of strong magnets and sign
up for that important race. There are a couple of things to be con-
17
A t the o ther e nd , c u to ut i s done as show n. M o re or less can be rem oved, d e
pend ing upon y o u r ta s tes.
The C ham pion case already has cooling holes on the endbell side altho ug h a
little different from a treated M u ra . One disad vantage w ith the Cham p is that
yo u w ill have to fabricate yo ur o w n b rac ket if yo u w is h to use can d rive . A lso ,
the case botto m can be lig htened a little á la the M ura.

sidered before this.

First, the case. The purpose of this is not just to provide a con­
struction in which to put the magnets and the armature in correct
positions, but also to conduct the field from the magnets. For this
purpose, the case should be made of rather thick material. In a thin-
material case, like the Mabuchi, flux leakage will occur (in 'laymanese',
the magnetic field will 'leak out' from the case, instead of staying
inside where it does more good).
For this reason, we shim the magnets. This means that we use extra
metal inside the case, partly to provide more material for conducting
the field, and partly to bring the magnets closer to the armature. (The
field strength is inversely proportional to the squared change in
distance - or in clearer terms that the closer the magnets are to the
armature, the stronger they w ill affect it.)
This shimming brings us more problems: if you measure a Mabuchi
or Hitachi case with an accurate set of calipers, you will find that the
case is narrower towards the bottom. This has its reasons in the
manufacturing process: the case is made by 'drawing' the metal down
in a hole, and this hole has to be slightly wedge-shapod. or the case
would be impossible to get out of the hole again. Now. because of
this wedge-shape, the magnets in the case w ill not be parallel with
the armature. If you shim the magnets so close that they w ill be
touching the armature at the bottom end. there will still be an irritat­
ing air gap in the other.
There really is no certain way to come to grips with this problem.
An obvious answer would be wedge-shaped shims behind the mag­
nets. but this would be far too difficult for the average racer, if any
claims for accuracy are to be made.
The Mura and Champion cases, though, are different: they are
stamped out from sheet metal and then bent into shape, which en­
sures a near perfect straightness.
18
 While on alignment, we must take a look at the magnets also.
Magnets, any magnets, w ill vary a few thousandths in thickness,
both from magnet to magnet and from one end to another of the same
magnet. Since the difference sometimes can run up to 8 or 10
thousandths, this is more serious than people think. With the air gap
difference along and on both sides of the armature, it is impossible to
make a perfect shimming job, and thus we have a drop in per­
formance.
Another fact few people know of is that today's 'super- magnets
are not really very good, as far as modern day techniques go. A
magnet's strength is measured in gauss, with the Arco DZ's and the
new Mura B's running around 8-9.000 gauss. Compare this with
modern loudspeaker magnets, which can go over 25.000 gauss! If an
enterprising manufacturer ever came out with magnets in this
material, the ones we use today would not be worth their weight in
scraped-off wire insulation. If I may venture a few guesses, a car with
these magnets would be able to run winds of 20 or 21 AWG and be
unbeatable on fast tracks. It should be no feat to knock off a good
1/2 sec. on the American King track record, which at the time of
writing is 4.74 seconds. But in the meantime, I guess we w ill just
have to stumble along with our toy magnets.
And now that you know a little of the problems we are up against,
we can start preparing the magnet job.
If you are running a Mura/Dynamic case you should cut up the case
as shown. This w ill give better cooling and a gain in performance,
since the slight loss in magnetism is more than compensated for by
the lesser weight. The cutting up can be done with an X-acto saw,
but if you have a Dremel Moto-Tool or something like it, it will go a
lot faster. Do not forget to sand off the edges afterwards.
A few other tricks with this case: some people will close up the
holes on the flat sides with round pieces punched out from .030 in.
steel, to increase the effective magnetic field. Solder or epoxy them
in, and don't forget to check that nothing protrudes into the case, or
the shims won't fit. Next, if you are using can drive (pinion on case
end), cut down the bearing so that about 1/16 in. extends from the
case. Make a neat job. and afterwards get out a small round file and

The C ham pion case at le ft show s a tten tio n to c u t o uts in no un ce rtain term s.
On a M ab u c h i ('M a B u c h y ) case, bottom end tab s (th ic k a rro w ) should be cut
off and flat end tabs (th in a rro w ) bent back to seal the case.

19
 some very fine emery paper and completely deburr the hole and the
edges. Care is the key word here. A last trick is taking out the
bearing and polish the inner face to a high gloss: this will seal the
pores of the oilite and make a perfect face for the armature spacers.
A little care must be exercised when putting the bearing back in,
since the metal strip with the bearing hole has now been lightened
so that it will easily distort if violent means are employed. Do not
forget to epoxy the bearing in.
On most of the Mura cases, the spot welds holding the case to­
gether are over large and w ill foul the shims; so sand these down.
After checking that all cuts have been deburred, wash the case
thoroughly in paraffin, dry it off, install armature and endbell and spin
the armature around a few times to check that nothing is binding.
The Champion case usually goes as is, the only major modification
would be sealing the long hole with a piece of steel made to fit.
Otherwise, it should be enough to just check the case and the bearing
to see that there is nothing inside that w ill foul the shims or the
armature alignment.
The Mabuchi case has four tabs in the bottom protruding into the
case. Break these off and sand the bottom smooth. On one of the
flat sides, there are two tabs also bent inwards. These should be
pressed back flat with the case. Make sure the inside of the case is
smooth, or the shims won't fit. Since the metal is so thin, I do not
recommend any cutting up á la Mura - possibly two narrow slots on
the endbell side for cooling. Sealing the rectangular holes on the flat
sides is difficult, since the inside must be smooth. However, if you
can do this, it w ill be well worth the effort.
Again, Hitachi cases are treated similarly to Mabuchis. Make sure
you wash the case clean after all the work is done.
At this point, I would like to take a little time out to dwell on the
subject of different cases. When building the motor, we are mostly
concerned with torque and horsepower figures, but since our real
motives are lower lap times, a little thought must go on the handling
aspects. The present cutting up of Mura cases is done mainly for
handling, since the car w ill be able to corner faster with less weight
in the back. This is easiest seen on fast tracks like Tottenham's
Blue King. (If you race 1/24's on short, winding tracks. I would
recommend leaving the case as is but step up the gearing a few
decimals and lengthen the guide lead to something like 1 1/4 in. The
added weight will be compensated by the higher gear ratio and the
uncut case and long guide will slow down the handling, making the
car easier to drive.) On the 1/32 cars, a well-treated and expertly
shimmed Mabuchi case is often preferable to the heavier Mura,
making the rear end lighter for better cornering - unless it again is
something like a Blue King track, which calls for jet power. Even on a
1/24th car, it can sometimes be an advantage to run a Mabuchi case
in a light chassis, as evidenced in the Kean cans of not so long ago.
This is up to your own experimentation, however.
Back to the magnets. As I pointed out, magnets will be varying in
thickness, so this should be corrected. The best way is to bond the
magnets on to a steel shaft about 1/2 in. in dia. and send out this
assembly to be centreless ground removing a minimum amount of
material. Look around in the neighbourhood and see if you can find
a machinery shop that does centreless grinding.
If no such facilities are available, the only thing to do is to wrap
some very fine emery paper around a piece of round bar stock and
20
H oning the m agnets : in sert the 1/2 inch round bar sto ck in a vice, w rap fine em ery
pap er tig h tly around it and push the m agnet back and fo rth, m aking sure the
th ic ke r end is pressed harder to w ard s the em ery paper. W ip e off the m agnet and
m easure often. T h is is the m ethod recom m ended by A m e ric an Tom M alone in
M R J.

start honing away. Occasional wetting with paraffin will make for a
more even surface. For checking the magnets, you must have a
caliper accurate enough to read to 001 in., preferably the dial type.
These are expensive, running in the 6-8 pound bracket or even more,
but indispensable for critical work like this. Sand until both magnets
are equal in thickness and also equally thick from front to rear.
Yes, it is really work, but it pays off. I am aware that most people
skip this stage because of the amount of work involved, so you need
not really worry, since it puts everybody on equal footing with un­
even magnets. Even in the pro-eat-pro land of California, there is only
(as far as I know) the Checkpoint Team that does this regularly. But
as you will notice from the charts. Checkpoint Team drivers have
never lost the Califo rn
iaChampionship . . .
Even if you do not treat the magnets this way, I would recommend
polishing the back of the magnets with some extremely fine emery
paper, to make sure that they w ill lie perfectly flat against the shims.
Afterwards, the magnets must be carefully wiped off, since the metal
dust w ill stick like glue to them and foul up the flat surface we want.

For cooling. th e H itac hi here has been modded by cuttin g a sm all hole á la
C ham pion in the case and e nd b ell N o t too large - the m etal is rathe r w eak
The M u ra 'semi-can' shim is p ro b a b ly the best all-round shim available. It is a
’case-inside-the-case' as you can see here.

21
 If possible, the magnets should be remagnetised before putting
them into the case, especially if you have been working on them.
The best way to do this is to shoot' them one by one in a magnetiser
where the pole pieces have been ground to the exact shape of the
magnets. Most of the U.S. motor builders are doing this. Check for
polarity and shoot' the first magnet, then turn the pole pieces around
and shoot the second.
If you want to 'rezap' your magnets while in the case, the pole
pieces should instead be ground to fit on the outside of the case. The
endbell and armature are removed and instead a piece of round bar
'soft' iron inserted between the magnets. This round bar should be of
a diameter to fit exactly, with no air gap between it and the magnets.
After checking for polarity, just shoot. This rezapping with the iron
bar inserted is very effective, but not quite as good as shooting the
magnets individually.
All magnets should be reshot occasionally. There are many things
to reduce a magnet's strength, heat, shock, other magnetic fields
(yes. even the one from the armature) just to name a few. If you
have had heat enough to melt an endbell, or blasted the wall at the
end of the straight, your magnets have most probably lost much of
their strength, and the only thing to do is rezap them. And of course,
cars and motors should be stored as far away from each other as
possible!
Interesting to note is that in slot drag racing in Southern California,
where the dragsters use the big Pittman DC 85 or RAM 850 motors,
the magnet is reshot after every single run! The design permits this
without removing the motor from the chassis.

it ★ * *

22
5 shimming
Shimming - as well as case cutting and magnet honing - is one of
the areas where you can really get the jump on factory motors. No
manufacturer can afford to give this kind of individual treatment to
his motors, or the Muras and Champions would go for twenty quid
apiece.
Many magnets come with their own shims: these are of high-quality
steel and should be used. Otherwise, the Mura 'semi-can' shim is ex­
tremely useful and will go with most magnets. Your own shims can
be made out of steel of the right thickness. Search around for steel
sheet in machinery shops. Some people w ill cut their shims from tin
cans, the kind you buy your beer in, but these are usually not very
good for magnetic purposes. Old Mabuchi- and Hitachi-cases provide
excellent shim stock, though. A few firms sell shimming steel for slot
racing motors, and these are preferable for their quality.
Most often, the homemade shim job is the rectangular piece, cut to
the same height and length as the magnet and inserted between the
case wall and the magnet. Sometimes the more ambitious have made
a shim a la the long U' that the old Arcos came with, or even their
own 'split shim' like the new Arco DZ's.
Use scissors (shim steel is thin and easy to cut) when cutting
out your own shim, but make sure there are no bent edges any­
where. Remember, the slightest unevenness on the shim will mean
that it cannot lie perfectly flat against the case insides and the
magnet, with a resulting air gap (small but nevertheless deteriorating
to performance). Sand the edges as an extra precaution. The part
of the shim directly behind the magnet must be given the right
curvature for that perfect fit: get a suitable piece of round bar stock
and bend it with your fingers along the surface, until the curvature
is right.
If your shim covers both the rounded and the flat insides of the
case, trouble must be taken to get the bend between these perfectly
straight. Mark it out with a ruler and pencil before putting the piece
in a pliers and bending it with your fingers. Note: do not use knurled
pliers for this, as the knurls w ill mar the shim and destroy the flat
surface.
I must stress that great care and patience are important here, how-
23
Com m on sh im types. To the le ft yo u have the 's p lit' sh im , of w h ic h , of course,
tw o m u st be used, top and bottom . In the m iddle, the ve ry com m on 'piece' shim ,
c u t and curved to fit behind the m agnets. To the rig h t, the 'U ' shim , here re ­
presented b y the Cham pion-m ade one.

Fig 6 Fig 5 Fig 4

Figure 6: Extra-shim m ing th e A rc o D Z 's (so m etim es necessary after honing the
m ag nets) can be done w ith th in sh im s betw een case in sid e and the
Cham pion s p lit shim .

Figuro 5: A ve ry good sh im m in g type is the 's p lit sh im ' as illu s tra te d here.

Figure 4: A ls o ve ry com m on is e m ploying a 'U' sh im (again dotted lin e ) as above.

Bending th e sh im s is done by g ettin g suita b le p ieces of ro und bar or tube and

fo rm ing the th in m etal w ith yo ur fingers. Care m u st be used.

The sh im s th a t came w ith the D yna m o to rs are ve ry s im ila r to those w ith the
n e w A rc o D Z's. T he y are o f the 's p lit' typ e and both are v e ry good. N ote here
th a t these p a rtic u la r m agnets m u s t be sanded d o w n to fit the shim s.

24
ever frustrating it may be to throw away nine shims before the tenth
turns out right. Do not settle for less than perfection! Check and re­
check again that the shim really fits perfectly and lies flat and tight
between magnets and inner case walls.
Mura-case: One of the hottest combinations right now is putting
the Arco DZ magnets with their split shim into the Mura case. For
this, however, the top and bottom sides of magnets must be sanded
down slightly to fit. Sand slowly and check several times, until the
magnets will fit in the case with shims. The magnets must not be
forced in. Sometimes the case will bow out slightly where the halves
meet on the Mura case, but this can be rectified by a light squeeze
in a vice. Check for curvature with the magnets.
And now for a little trick: with the magnets in, grip the case with
your index finger and press the magnet hard towards the side of the
case. (Don't worry about cracking the magnet ) This setting will
make a difference of several thousandths. Now, insert the springs top
and bottom and check the distance between the magnets. The dial
type calipers I mentioned is the right thing here. Measure the
armature: the air gap between armature and magnet should not be
over .005 in. on each side, or extra shimming w ill be required.
Using only the split shims, the air gap will actually be too big
for use with a Mura 007 armature. (The Champion arm won't fit - too
large.) For maximum performance, you must insert extra shims. My
personal combination here is using just one rectangular shim behind
each magnet, between the magnet and the split shim This extra shim
is the full length and height of the magnet and carefully curved to fit.

NOTE: this shimming is largely a matter of trial and error. Install

magnets and shims and measure the air gap, and change to thicker or
thinner shims until it is perfect. The ideal air gap should be about
.002 for an absolute rocket motor, but beware, as small gaps like that
require honed magnets and perfect alignment - though performance

If yo u can’t get your finger in betw een the m agnets (one of m y problem s, since
I'm 6 ’ 4 ). you can instead use the handle o f an X-acto knife (the thic ker
type ) to press the m agnets hard to w ard s the case insides.
The C ham pion 5001 case, w ith hole o n ly on one side, is one of the best of the
thin-m etal cases. Here equipped w ith D y n a-shimmed m agnets

25
will be magnificent. I have once seen a 13UO shimmed to .0004 (!),
but I consider this on the reckless side. Keep in mind that both
armature and magnets w ill enlarge slightly when hot, so that air gaps
that small can shrink to zero - not to mention what will happen if
the magnets should shift slightly in a crash.
If you have not honed your magnets, you w ill have to run bigger
air gaps to be on the safe side. As I said before, you have to spend
a little time trial-and-error-shimming, to get it perfect. Be sure to
press the magnets hard towards the case inside every time you
install them.
NOTE: shims and magnets should be installed in one unit. Putting
in one part at a time is more work and less precision.
Other combinations for the Mura case: the Mura 88 full-height
magnets should be used with a Mura 'semi-can' shim. Note that this
shim comes in two thicknesses. .008 and .015 in. The Mura 88's are
very thick, and so it is usually only possible to use the thin Mura
shim. Should you happen to have the room, the 015 shim should be
used instead of extra-shimming the 008.
NOTE: it is better to use one thick shim instead of two thin ones,
because of something called contact losses'. This is again our old
enemy the air gap, since it is impossible to have the two shims fitting
perfectly against each other - air gaps down to the near-molecular
scale w ill prevent this.
The Mura/Certus/Versitec magnets are very good. These, though,
are usually installed with the Mura semi-can shim and held in place
by the tabs on the latter. Since the Versitec magnets are about
.060 in. lower than Arcos and Muras, however. I consider this danger­
ous: the magnets w ill all too easily shift in a crash and lock up the
armature.
Instead, get some .030 steel and cut out four strips that will fit
on top and bottom, between the magnets and the shim. See photo.
With these installed, you should not have any more problems with
slipping magnets of this type. If you're the lazy type, you can now
buy these strips from Certus under the name Top and Bottom Shims',
part no. 72.

Figure 7: For extra-shim m ing the M u ra 'semi-can' shim , use p la in 'piece' shim s
betw een m agnets and M u ra shim

Figure 8: Som etim es, in o rd er for the sh im s to fit. m agnets m ay have to be

ground as show n, top and bottom and edges, th e la tte r so that
the sp ring s can hold th e m agnets firm ly in place

SPRINGS

26
Figure 9: The best w a y of extra-shim m ing the Super Arco 'U' shim is w ith
another U-shim as show n.
F ig ure 10: On all thin-m etal cases, take care to shim along the flat sides as
show n here and in photo, for m axim u m field conduction. A sim ple
te st of ho w m uch m agnetism is le akin g o u t is tryin g to s ee ho w
big an o bject you can lift w ith the finished m otor - th e sm aller,
the better.

Extra-shimming the Mura semi-can shim should be done with the

shims between the magnet and the Mura shim. I have seen jobs with
very thin shims inserted between case inside and Mura-shim, but
these should really be thin, or they will foul up the curvature.
The Super Arcos (the type preceding the OZ's) come with a
U-shaped (or horse-shoe) shim. Extra-shimming these in a Mura case
should be done with another U-shaped shim fitting between the case
wall and the Champion-shim. In a pinch, plain curved rectangular
pieces w ill do nicoly. these too inserted next to the case wall. See
figures. If you wish, you can even throw away the Champion U-shim
and use a .015 Mura shim with extra shims between Mura shim and
magnets.
For the Champion case. I really recommend only the DZ's, since
they will be a perfect fit. If you hone the magnets, however, extra
shimming might be necessary for the Champion armature. I am toying
with the idea of a combination of the Champion split shim and the
Mura semi-can shim for Arco DZ's and a Mura 007 armature, but this
is on the project stage as yet.
For snug fit w ith the M u ra /C e rtu s /V e rs ite c m agnets, steel s trip s m u st bo fitted
top and bottom .
S h im m in g jo b in a M u ra case. 'Piece' sh im s (th ic k arrow ) have been in sta lle d
next to case w a lls (m agnets are Super A rc o s w ith the 'U' sh im ) an d , to fill
o ut' the U shim , a flat piece (th in a rro w ) has been in sta lle d along the flat side.
N o te sp ring ho ld in g m agnets in place.

27
O utside sh im m in g w ith a C ham pion
26D 'U ' shim clam ped on a H itachi
case.

On the Mabuchi and Hitachi cases, special care should be taken to

shim along the flat sides for maximum field conduction. Otherwise,
shimming is as I have described on the Mura cases. Having studied
text, photos and figures, you should now be an expert on setting up
magnets.
NOTE: always save old magnet springs, as these can be used over
and over. If necessary, you can make up your own springs, if you
can find piano wire springy enough. As an extra safeguard. I per­
sonally always epoxy my magnets and shims with a thin coating
of Araldite along the edges, to make sure that they will stay in place
during racing.
NOTE: in very special circumstances, you w ill have to resort to
'outside shims'. This usually consists of a U-shaped piece of shim
metal clamped on the outside of the case. Common here is using the
Champion U-shim that came with the 26D Arco's, as it will fit per­
fectly on a 16D case.
Lastly, I must again stress the importance of working carefully and
exactingly, with every part cleaned from dirt and dust, joining metal
tightly against metal and securing everything in the case. Just try
the whole works yourself sometime, with honing, remagnetising and
careful shimming, and I guarantee you won't believe the difference in
performance.

* ★ ★ *

28
Synopsis for

MOTOR TUNING
Book 2

FREE to all Model Cars readers with

the January 1970 issue:

Basics of rewinding
Multiple winds
Connection Types
The Metal Stack
Tuning
Limitations
Setting up a motor

All in Book 2 available from first week in

December

29
 inc. post & packing
As you collect this series of Motor Tuning
books. Model Cars can offer this attractive
green binder with 'Motor Tuning' in gold block
titling on the cover, in which to keep your
books safe and sound for bookshelf or work­
shop.
There are, unfortunately, a limited number
available so you should order early.
Cheques or Postal Orders to:
MODEL CARS MAGAZINE
13-35 BRIDGE STREET
HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, HERTS.

30
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