orcusomega
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 653
- Location
- Royersford, PA
So I have been working with my son Alex for the last few weeks to get ready for RC Race season. I have been helping him build his own Savage, and he has done a great job, actually. So yesterday, the first race of the season comes up at Hobby Hut, so we scramble to get the truck ready, but ran out of time. So we head to the track early to do the shake-down run, and get Alex his first shot at the Driver's Stand!
Well, Murphy (as in Murphy's Law) decided to join us. We got their early, 3 hours before the close of registration, figuring we could get a good spot out of the sun, and get the last minute testing done on the Savage, and get it ready to roll... get in a few practice runs... go home happy.
So we get there - and there is already close to 100 ppl there! We find a spot, but it is all the way in the back, in the sun, where we can't even hear announcements - but that's OK - we're here to have a good time, we'll just pay attention, and check in often...
We open up the Jeep, set up our worktables, get out the chairs, tools, everything we need to be able to run... Break out Alex's Savage and turn it on - start cycling through the servos to check battery, check the linkages and SNAP - the mixer lets go!!
For those of you who have not bashed with me before, I carry a TON of spares - and I mean a TON - but guess what I did NOT have a spare of?
Luckily a guy across the way had a turnbuckle from an RS4 that looked sorta like a mixer, so he donated it to the cause. It took me almost an hour of dremeling, grinding, re-fitting linkages, the works - but FINALLY it was done! So I put the mixer in, re-test the servos, linkages, etc in preparation to start the motor, so far so good. I get the motor fired, but it is running like CRAP. Seems the MSN is all FUBAR - long story about this one but the carb definately needs some work and no matter what I do, I can't get this thing running right - even after setting everything back to OEM. OK, I can get this - and as soon as I try re-starting it for the umpteenth time - SNAP - the pullstart cord comes off in my hand...! *&&%*^#^$&!!!! OK, I can deal with this - I go back in the truck, and pull out MY Savage, and start pulling it apart (good thing I hadn't registered yet lolol). I pull my Picco .27 out, and drop it in his car. Yes, a 9yr old with no racing experience is going out with my Picco instead of his 4.6, but I an not about to give up, I want him to have his shot! I get the Picco into the truck, reset linkages, blah blah blah. Fire it up, and it is running OK - needs to be tuned, but that's no big deal. We start running it in the field off to the side of the track (for the record, he has a Spektrum radio - so no interference with others) to shake it down. 3 mins into the run, it won't go. Engine is running, but the truck just isn't moving. Steering works - WTF??? Go get it, bring it back, and the throttle servo is shot!!!!! OK, this is getting MORE than ridiculous! Pull out my Savage, pull out my servo, put it in his - and guess what, the servo arms aren't the same - CRAP - go back pull all my linkages, put them in his truck, re-fit to the custom mixer and OK, we are good! We take the truck out again, and he is running it around a bit.... but the steering is not quite right - OK, the servo saver nut needs to be tightened... Get that squared away, and now it's time to head to the stands - his heat is in 5 mins!
By this time, there is a bunch of folks who have been hanging out with us we we went through all this - some from the HPISF, some familiar with it, and others just normal Joe's. And I gotta say, it was TOTALLY COOL to see that, when it came time for Alex to drive, a BUNCH of folks came down to watch and help! Instead of one guy in the pit, Alex had 3 - me, Mike(?) and Ben. He get up to the top of the driver's stand, and is waiting to go... I am in the pit, and I can't get the damn motor started!!! Announcer is looking for him to check in by rolling through the gate, but I cannot get the damn motor started - it was just running 10 mins ago, and I have not changed a thing! As I am pulling the starter cord, it pulls out!! AND HITS BEN IN THE FACE!!!!
At this point, I definitely attracted attention - I totally flipped out. No cursing, it was fairly family friendly except the Dad freaking out in the pits, and the poor kid was about to cry. Man, I have never felt like I had let him down more than I had in my entire life at that moment!
We go pack to our bench, and I am so frustrated I am ready to run the damn truck over with my Jeep. Alex is on the verge of tears, but I let him know there were more races, and I run for parts. I get to the store, and the guys is totally cool, helps be get what I need, etc. Get everything back to the track, put the truck back together, get it running. Now I am BEATING on this thing, I want it to break NOW not on the track. It is running quite good, actually. Few more minor gremlins pop up, but they are swiftly killed and eaten. Alex is excited the truck is running, and seems to be running well!
So I'm gonna break the story here for a second. Alex is a great kid, but his hopes have been gotten up and then dashed too many times today. I was worried that if we kept this up, our rare Dad and Me day was gonna get to be a drag! He and I don't get to spend too much time just to two of us - his brother has Down Syndrome, and takes a lot of my time and energy. So I pull him aside and we talk. I let him know that the next race is not for another hour or more and asked him if he wanted to stick it out or if he just wanted to go home to the local HS and go bashing. He looked at me with the biggest smile and said "Yeah, let's just go bashing. We'll figure out whats wrong so next time you can race with me!" Then he said something that every parent here will love. He told me that next time if I was not able to drive my truck too, he didn't want to go at all 🙂
Long story short (too late!), we go to the HS, and there is a huge pile of gravel and construction stuff out back, so we pull up, break out the same workstation we had at the track, and SOB the truck fires right up, and away it goes. He went through prolly 6 tanks of fuel or so - we have a few MINOR issues (RX battery box kept popping open) but he had a BLAST and it was great to see the smile on his face. We started out with a truck with a mostly new body - well that's pretty well trashed now 🙂 He is now TOTALLY hooked on Nitro (anyone wanna but an E-Savage?). And even though we had all sorts of issues, he still thought it was the best day ever 🙂
So, Murphy tried to ruin the day, and almost did, but it worked out alright. I used to race carpet track 1/10 and 1/12 way back in the day so I know this is pretty much a normal day at the track sometimes 🙂. Of course my truck is now in a million pieces, some of which I am sure are in the grass back at the track, but that's alright - Still had a great day with my son, and I think it got him more into the hobby I hope we can share a lot more now that the weather is finally nice!
Sorry for the ramble, but thought I would share!
Bob
Well, Murphy (as in Murphy's Law) decided to join us. We got their early, 3 hours before the close of registration, figuring we could get a good spot out of the sun, and get the last minute testing done on the Savage, and get it ready to roll... get in a few practice runs... go home happy.
So we get there - and there is already close to 100 ppl there! We find a spot, but it is all the way in the back, in the sun, where we can't even hear announcements - but that's OK - we're here to have a good time, we'll just pay attention, and check in often...
We open up the Jeep, set up our worktables, get out the chairs, tools, everything we need to be able to run... Break out Alex's Savage and turn it on - start cycling through the servos to check battery, check the linkages and SNAP - the mixer lets go!!
For those of you who have not bashed with me before, I carry a TON of spares - and I mean a TON - but guess what I did NOT have a spare of?
Luckily a guy across the way had a turnbuckle from an RS4 that looked sorta like a mixer, so he donated it to the cause. It took me almost an hour of dremeling, grinding, re-fitting linkages, the works - but FINALLY it was done! So I put the mixer in, re-test the servos, linkages, etc in preparation to start the motor, so far so good. I get the motor fired, but it is running like CRAP. Seems the MSN is all FUBAR - long story about this one but the carb definately needs some work and no matter what I do, I can't get this thing running right - even after setting everything back to OEM. OK, I can get this - and as soon as I try re-starting it for the umpteenth time - SNAP - the pullstart cord comes off in my hand...! *&&%*^#^$&!!!! OK, I can deal with this - I go back in the truck, and pull out MY Savage, and start pulling it apart (good thing I hadn't registered yet lolol). I pull my Picco .27 out, and drop it in his car. Yes, a 9yr old with no racing experience is going out with my Picco instead of his 4.6, but I an not about to give up, I want him to have his shot! I get the Picco into the truck, reset linkages, blah blah blah. Fire it up, and it is running OK - needs to be tuned, but that's no big deal. We start running it in the field off to the side of the track (for the record, he has a Spektrum radio - so no interference with others) to shake it down. 3 mins into the run, it won't go. Engine is running, but the truck just isn't moving. Steering works - WTF??? Go get it, bring it back, and the throttle servo is shot!!!!! OK, this is getting MORE than ridiculous! Pull out my Savage, pull out my servo, put it in his - and guess what, the servo arms aren't the same - CRAP - go back pull all my linkages, put them in his truck, re-fit to the custom mixer and OK, we are good! We take the truck out again, and he is running it around a bit.... but the steering is not quite right - OK, the servo saver nut needs to be tightened... Get that squared away, and now it's time to head to the stands - his heat is in 5 mins!
By this time, there is a bunch of folks who have been hanging out with us we we went through all this - some from the HPISF, some familiar with it, and others just normal Joe's. And I gotta say, it was TOTALLY COOL to see that, when it came time for Alex to drive, a BUNCH of folks came down to watch and help! Instead of one guy in the pit, Alex had 3 - me, Mike(?) and Ben. He get up to the top of the driver's stand, and is waiting to go... I am in the pit, and I can't get the damn motor started!!! Announcer is looking for him to check in by rolling through the gate, but I cannot get the damn motor started - it was just running 10 mins ago, and I have not changed a thing! As I am pulling the starter cord, it pulls out!! AND HITS BEN IN THE FACE!!!!
At this point, I definitely attracted attention - I totally flipped out. No cursing, it was fairly family friendly except the Dad freaking out in the pits, and the poor kid was about to cry. Man, I have never felt like I had let him down more than I had in my entire life at that moment!
We go pack to our bench, and I am so frustrated I am ready to run the damn truck over with my Jeep. Alex is on the verge of tears, but I let him know there were more races, and I run for parts. I get to the store, and the guys is totally cool, helps be get what I need, etc. Get everything back to the track, put the truck back together, get it running. Now I am BEATING on this thing, I want it to break NOW not on the track. It is running quite good, actually. Few more minor gremlins pop up, but they are swiftly killed and eaten. Alex is excited the truck is running, and seems to be running well!
So I'm gonna break the story here for a second. Alex is a great kid, but his hopes have been gotten up and then dashed too many times today. I was worried that if we kept this up, our rare Dad and Me day was gonna get to be a drag! He and I don't get to spend too much time just to two of us - his brother has Down Syndrome, and takes a lot of my time and energy. So I pull him aside and we talk. I let him know that the next race is not for another hour or more and asked him if he wanted to stick it out or if he just wanted to go home to the local HS and go bashing. He looked at me with the biggest smile and said "Yeah, let's just go bashing. We'll figure out whats wrong so next time you can race with me!" Then he said something that every parent here will love. He told me that next time if I was not able to drive my truck too, he didn't want to go at all 🙂
Long story short (too late!), we go to the HS, and there is a huge pile of gravel and construction stuff out back, so we pull up, break out the same workstation we had at the track, and SOB the truck fires right up, and away it goes. He went through prolly 6 tanks of fuel or so - we have a few MINOR issues (RX battery box kept popping open) but he had a BLAST and it was great to see the smile on his face. We started out with a truck with a mostly new body - well that's pretty well trashed now 🙂 He is now TOTALLY hooked on Nitro (anyone wanna but an E-Savage?). And even though we had all sorts of issues, he still thought it was the best day ever 🙂
So, Murphy tried to ruin the day, and almost did, but it worked out alright. I used to race carpet track 1/10 and 1/12 way back in the day so I know this is pretty much a normal day at the track sometimes 🙂. Of course my truck is now in a million pieces, some of which I am sure are in the grass back at the track, but that's alright - Still had a great day with my son, and I think it got him more into the hobby I hope we can share a lot more now that the weather is finally nice!
Sorry for the ramble, but thought I would share!
Bob
