Original MBX5T Engine Mount

Modified MBX5T Engine Mount

So I finally got around to modifying the one-piece MBX5T Engine Mount that came with the kit to make it fit my Axial 32 Spec 1s engine today.  I actually picked up an engine mount for the MBX6T the other day since that one comes in two pieces to see if it would fit, but unfortunately the hole alignments are different between the two models so the other engine mount didn’t fit.

I decided to just cut the engine mount with my Dremel.
As you can see in the pictures of the engine mount from the top and bottom views, the engine mount comes as a single piece and the problem is the rear of the engine mount because the Axial 32 Spec 1s engine has a pull-start which gives the back of the engine a bump that doesn’t fit inside the engine mount.

So I grabbed my Dremel and started cutting.  It actually wsn’t very easy to cut through the mount, and I ended up breaking a few cutting discs in the process, but I finally managed to get the cut done.

Once I got the back cut, I had to go back and grind the edges a bit more to make room for the rear lip of the engine.  To make things a bit more complicated, the hole for the bottom screws was pretty close to where I was grinding so I had to be careful not to go too far and cut into the hole, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to get the screw in there from the bottom of the chassis.

Here’s what the modified engine mount looked like after I was done with it and once mounted onto the engine.  I know it’s not pretty, but it did fit.

Here’s a 360 degree view of what the Axial 32 Spec 1 looks like from all four sides with the modified engine mount in place.

Now, to get the engine actually mounted onto the MBX5T, I had to make one further modification.  Because the lip of the pull-start module at the back actually stuck out by a few millimeters I had to raise the engine a bit in order for it to fit properly onto the chassis.  My buddy Seb suggested I use some 4mm washers underneath the engine mount to raise the engine which is what I did.

Engine Mount Raised With 4mm Washers

To raise the engine, I used three 4mm washers stacked on top of each other for each of the four holes that mount the engine. Getting that done wasn’t very easy though. Trying to get three washers to stay on top of each other while you place the engine on top and try to get the screws mounted from below proved to be quite impossible.

After trying to do it a few times I got frustrated as the washers wouldn’t stay on top of each other in perfect alignment. Then I had the idea of gluing the washers together on top of each other so that they stay, but I didn’t have any crazy glue left as mine dried up. Then I thought about using thread lock to do it. It worked perfectly!

I put a little bit of thread lock on the surface of the washers and created little 3-washer blocks that stuck together as soon as the thread lock dried.

Full Gallery of Images from MBX5T Engine Mount Modification

Over the last couple of days I charged all my batteries and picked up some nitro fuel for my Savage X.

This afternoon I finally got it running again.

It’s been two years since I’ve had time to play with it (or any RC’s) so I had to totally reacquaint myself with how everything works on the Savage X.

The first step was to get the engine started.  It’s been so long I couldn’t even remember the process of doing that exactly, but after finding my Savage manual I figured it out.

Starting a Savage X is actually quite simple:

1. Turn on your radio, then receiver.
2. Prime it by plugging the exhaust with your finger and turning the engine with the Roto Start until you see the fuel reach the engine with no air-bubbles left.
3. Push down with your glow plug ignitor while at the same time turning the engine over with the Roto Start.

It took a couple of tries, but considering the car sat there for two years it actually started up pretty quick.

Once I got it running, however, I had to play with all my engine adjustments.  To start with, it was idling really high so when I lifted the chassis the wheels would start turning forward so I had to play with the idle adjustment to turn the idling down.

Once I got it to the point where it would idle without the wheels wanting to turn I started playing with my fuel mixture.  I really can’t remember why I had things setup the way they were on the engine, so after making a few small adjustments I just decided to re-set the High Speed Needle adjustment back to the factory settings and start from there.

I have an Axial Temperature Gun so I was watching my engine temperature to make sure I don’t overheat it.  I took the car for a spin in my back yard for about 10-15minutes and just drove it around at low-med speed just to get a feel for the engine and to watch the temperatures.  I’m pretty sure I finished breaking in the engine two years ago before I stopped playing with it, but just in case I’m going to take it easy on it and kind of go through some of the same steps of breaking the engine in again.

Here’s a list of things I think I still need to do to get this monster in top bashing shape:

• Get the engine properly tuned and fully broken in.
• Look into steering servo.  Current one seems to be really weak.  I think I bought a stronger one 2 years ago but never installed it.  If so, get it installed.
• I bought a reverse module 2 years ago but didn’t install it yet so get that installed as well.

Once those are done, this puppy should be ready for some serious back yard bashing!

Two years ago I picked up this Mugen Seiki MBX5T Prospec kit and finished building it to the point where I needed to install an engine.

Unfortunately, the engine mount that came with the kit did not fit the Axial engine I bought so I had to put the build on hold to find a proper engine mount or to modify the engine mount that came with the kit.

After a couple of weeks of looking around for an engine mount kit that would fit, I realized (1) I needed to make my own by cutting the one that came with the kit, and (2) it was time to invest in a Dremel drill.

Another week or so passed before I picked up a Dremel drill, but before I had the time to make the engine mount modifications I had to put my RC hobby on hold to focus on a new business venture I had started.  Summer turned to fall and fall turned to winter, and now here I am almost two years later with a brand spankin new Mugen MBX5T that’s 90% built except that it has no engine.

So, this will be one of my projects I’ll be working on in the next while to get this little rocket running.  Here are some pictures I took of my Mugen in my back yard.  It looks so bare with no engine and with the unpainted body.

My MBX5T with no engine.

My Mugen MBX5T and my puppy Zoe. A stare-down.