Just got my Tekin RX8 ESC and T8 sensored brushless motor out of the mailbox. Follow me as I open the box!

The outside of the box
http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/500/medium/rx8unbox-01.jpg (http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/34203)

The box opened
http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/500/medium/rx8unbox-02.jpg (http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/34204)

RX8/T8 ESC/Motor removed from the box
http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/500/medium/rx8unbox-03.jpg (http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/34200)

Included Accessories
http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/500/medium/rx8unbox-04.jpg (http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/34201)

Everything that is included
http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/500/medium/rx8unbox-05.jpg (http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/34202)

Closeups of the ESC and motor

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/500/medium/t8-01.jpg (http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/34205)

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/500/medium/t8-02.jpg (http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/34206)

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/500/medium/t8-03.jpg (http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/34207)

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/500/medium/rx8-01.jpg (http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/34208)

If you mount it using screws from inside the case, please let us know how hard (or easy) it is to open the case so you can screw it down.

The case mounting holes are meant to be screwed from the bottom up to the case, not from the inside out. This can't be done since the RX8 and all Tekin escs are screwed together, not clipped or taped.

Here is the RX8 and T8 mounted in a Losi 8ight. Wiring is not done and I just temperately ran the sensor wire.... I may get a TQ sensor wire for it.

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/500/medium/rx8-t8-8ight-01.jpg (http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/34252)

Hank,
Where is that RC Product Designs kit I sent you???
It would look great with that kit too!!
Dan

Hi Dan. I never installed it. I got this car used and it was already setup with the Losi conversion.

Finally got the Tekin RX8 and T8 install completed in the Losi 8ight. Noticed after I took these picture that I didn't have the ESC fan mounted with all 4 screws yet. I haven't had a chance to run it yet other then up and down the street. First impressions are super SMOOTH. There is absolutely no cogging at low speeds and it feels it could run all day "rock crawler" speeds. I'd say it's easily as smooth as any 10th scale setup. High speeds is easily as fast as the Losi 1900kv motor and I have the timing set around 2 deg. right now. Recommended is 5 to 10 deg. so I plan on boosting that up before I have a hit the track on Saturday.

I'll report back with track and racing condition feedback this weekend. Below are some pics. Click the pics to go to the Photo Album where you can get a larger by clicking on the picture there.

Installed in the Losi 8ight
http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/500/medium/rx8-t8-8ight-02.jpg (http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/34327)

With battery installed
http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/500/medium/rx8-t8-8ight-03.jpg (http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/34328)

Full view
http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/500/medium/rx8-t8-8ight-04.jpg (http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/34329)

So, Hank. What's the word on this combo? Do you like it better than the (losi?) one you were running before? If the performance matches the hype, I might have to make it one of my first upgrades.

Nice pics Hank! I'm on backorder with 3 stores since april 1. I hope someone comes through on the second shipment. Thanks for the sneak peak!

OK, got a chance to ring it out this past weekend. Ran 6 packs through it. All I have to say, IMHO, the power of the 2050 motor is massive compared to the Losi 2100. The motor/ESC combo is super smooth at both low and high speeds. At MX131 there were only 2 places on the track where I could use full throttle for more then a moment. I can see why most Tekin team drivers run the 1900kv motor.

Just a few notes on what I have picked up from talking with Tekin. Most of the motors are slightly under rated. You can add 50 to 100kv to most of the ratings, the 2050 is even a bit more.... around a 2200kv. All ratings are done at 0 deg. timing so you can get more power by advancing the timing.

They recommend you normally use 5 deg. of timing with no more then 10 deg. Using the Hotwire, a 100 setting is 30 deg of timing, so you'd want a setting of 15 to 30 on the Hotwire. Over that amount the performance doesn't increase much and the motor really heats up and the run time drops a lot (I haven't tried this, I was told this). Motor temps on a hot day should be around 170 deg.

I ran a 15t pinion on my Losi 8ight with 7 deg. of timing. Outside temps were the low 80's. After about 10 minutes of running hard my motor temps were in the low 170's. Since I would like a bit more wiggle room on the temps and I couldn't use all the power I had, I'm going to drop the timing down to 2 deg or so then next time I go out and run.

Only problem I had was I broke a blade on the fan. The track had a lot of garbage on it so I suspect a rock got caught in the fan. It uses a standard 20mm x 20mm x 5mm 5v fan, so you can get replacements many places. Servo tape won't hold the ESC with the abuse an 1/8th scale dishes out, I had to tiewrap mine down. Remove the fan and use skinny tiewraps that will fit down between the fins of the heatsink, then put the fan back in.

Overall I am very pleased with the RX8/T8!

Shoe Glue That Baby In

Glad to hear it worked well for you Hank.

The wire ties are decent, but tend to break. We like to see it screwed down from the bottom using the supplied 4/40 x 1/4" screws. Bouncing speedos tend to short and make smoke or break a wire off.

Did you mount the servo wire tie down on the motor?

The kv’s are very close. We rounded down for the descriptions from the measured kv’s of the preproduction motors. A few kv’s did go up in the production versions. Most likely due to the rotors being more consistent now with production tooling

All kv’s are rated at neutral timing. There can be some difference from controllers and how we all handle timing.

Max Timing will raise the kv of the Y wound motors 150 to 200.
Max Timing will raise the kv of a Delta motor 100 to 150kv

We do not recommend timing above 50 in the Hotwire with our motors. They handle it fine, but do not need it. They do go faster and get hotter, but run time really suffers with high timing. Up to 50 on the Hotwire slider can be used to tune a little instead of changing a pinion. Timing of 50 to 100 is really meant for the 1/10 scale long can motors like Orange, Blue and SP.

Actual vs measured motor kv’s below:

4030 buggy motors

2650 - 2664

2050 - 2120

1900 - 1930

1700 - 1780

1450- 1460

4038 Truggy motors

2250 - 2340

2000 - 2100

1700 - 1705

1550 - 1560

1350 - 1410

If your setups seem faster and you need to gear back more than these numbers indicate perhaps we are able to pull the load better with our motors, or we are driving the motor better with our controller. The default timing on the Rx8 units shipped was 32 and would raise the kv another 50 or so on each motor. In the new software coming shortly the default has been reduced to 10 as it was suppose to be to begin with.

Tekin Prez

Thanks for the info and clearing up some of my errors. Yes, I did tie down the sensor wire to the motor. Guess I'll have to go and drill the battery tray and use the supplied screws for the ESC. BTW, I didn't see a screw to use with the sensor wire clamp. The original one wasn't long enough to use. I found one in my box-o-screws.

There should have been a 3mm x 10mm flat head socket drive with the tie down? Longer than 10mm can be bad.

We really like the screw down mount, but even they get loose with use like every other screw on the car. It is just a abusive application that really beats on everything. Even the wires can break down from the constant bouncing. Good installs are the key to finishing.

Good installs are the key to finishing.

DISCLAMER - I have not seen a TEKIN fail. This is a general statement.

+1 All of the ESC failures and fires I have seen in 1/8th buggy were due to improper or poor installation.

I am still running my Castle MMM V1 and the fan works great.

Where did you get your Tekin from? someone at my track has been waiting forever for his.

Hey Guys,

One thing I want to stress to everyone after reviewing install photos is to remember that these are 1/8 cars that take a ton of abuse. To take that abuse things are allowed to FLEX and MOVE. Please please make sure that your wires area also allowed to FLEX and MOVE a bit. I'm the first one to applaud a clean wiring installation but make sure there's some extra length in the wires to allow the flex along with the chassis.

The solder posts are not meant to be pulled on or have constant pressure on them. So take a minute and make sure you're wiring layout is clean AND suitable for abuse.

This has been a public service announcement brought to you buy Tekin...