08/08/2026
Attention: New Auto World T-Jet armature discovery- is it new, good, bad, or just a fluke? Ok, so I pick up from Hobbit Lobbit a Cheap AW Deluxe pit Kit with the '68 Firebird Body inside, I basically wanted it for the body and parts, so the body went direct to another project, but then decided to put together the chassis anyway for fun. I blueprint it while assembling and things go together about as you expect with no real issues- just typical AW lose QC crap and yes I glued the windings on the arm and didn't notice anything that caught my attention then and there, but...more to follow on that. After assembly I took it for a demo drive and everything seemed normal, the traction magnet was medium strength, and the car was slightly faster than average, then after a few laps I pulled it into the pits and checked it out. First thing I noticed was it was running Hot, VERY HOT. So, I go thru everything and check for binding etc, but really couldn't find anything abnormal but did another tune on the chassis and sent her back out on the track. but really no change, car was getting faster now but getting hot after a few laps, so into the pits again and let's look at the armature closer, and. Ok, let me back-up and give you some background history on the JL/AW chassis and the arms in particular, the chassis have changed and evolved since the early Johnny Lightning days, especially in the last 15 years since AW went to the Ultra-G redesign chassis and other changes...Both JL & AW have used a 3lam armature that's always been in the middle 15ohm range, and some have even crept up closer to 16ohm but those weren't the norm. During the last several years the AW arms have had their winding get fatter and fatter and changes have even been made to the bottom of the gearplate to accommodate the fatter winds although the ohm range has stayed the same. Well in my new chassis I noticed the windings weren't as fat and chubby in the middle as normal (which also increases the chance of throwing loose windings outward). But on this NEW arm the windings weren't chubby at all, they were fairly flat and skinny somewhat like certain Dash arms are that were lower ohm and ran hot, looking not quite as flat and skinny as the Dash quad though. So I ohm'd the arm and it's fairly equal but right in the middle of the 14ohm range ! So there you have it, the smoking gun, but not a smoking arm...yet ?! So is this a fluke, or....?
