# 440 pickup shoe change out - impossible?



## Rolls (Jan 1, 2010)

I'm clearly missing something and I need help. 

I am so angry with this chassis I could throw it out just in spite. How the heck do you deal with the stupid pickup brush spring? I can't replace a stinkin' shoe after an hour of trying. I can't even see the little piece of carp. Aaaargh. I could spend the whole weekend at this rate and still not get it done. I'd rather chase 50 tjet p/u springs across the room and hunt them down in shag carpet than do this for one more minute. 

Please tell me there's a simple technique to replace the darn p/u shoe and reseat the spring. I have no pride left.


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## Rolls (Jan 1, 2010)

2.98 per chassis is $5 too much. The spring coils around the brush barrel so as to perfectly block the pickup hanger from going on. What side do you push it to? Neither works. Is an electron microscope required? This is the opposite of fun and in no way relaxing or rewarding. The spring may be mangled now, but since I can't see it, it's hard to tell. I hate this car. I want to crush it.


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## Rolls (Jan 1, 2010)

I fixed it. That is one stupid design, though. The spring is mangled I'm guessing. Not a fan. Guess I'm not gonna like doing this on the Mega-G either. Maybe I need to get one of those giant desktop magnifying glasses with the fluorescent light around the outside? Seems kind of extreme since I can change change any coil spring without any tools at all, though I like to use the tweezers if they're in easy reach. 

Also, these 440x2 are the only chassis that can't reliably negotiate the criss-cross track. Do others have the same problem, where the 440x2 will negotiate the criss-cross fine for a while, then something probably shoe related changes and from then on the chassis hooks up on the criss-cross and flies off like it hit a tree? No other cars have this trouble at all.


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## LeeRoy98 (Jul 8, 2005)

I find the pickups and brushes on a Tyco 440 or new Mattel to be some of the easiest to replace. I push the spring to the inside, catch the spring end on the pickup shoe tab, curl the end of the pickup around the brush barrel and then pop the end over the tabs (sounds a lot harder than it actually is).
Also, you can put the pickup on without the spring applied. Turn the chassis upside down and take an exacto knife blade and gently push the spring down and around the stop on the pickup shoe.

Gary
AKA LeeRoy98
www.marioncountyraceway.com


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## Dyno Dom (May 26, 2007)

Rolls, relax, the X-2 is a good electrical design. Install your motor brushes
& springs into brass barrels. Place p/u shoe springs onto brush barrels close to comm. Push barrels into front housing snug up to arm commutator. (motor mags & rear housing complete) Spread chassis & push up completed motor assembly into chassis motor box from bottom. Make sure upper & lower tabs
are properly in chassis slots. Hook rear of p/u shoe onto brush barrel & pull
front of shoe onto front chassis tab. For p/u spring install, I made a simple tool. Take a small blade hobby screwdriver & cut a slot in the center blade
w/a dremel tool. Use the slotted blade tool to hook the long portion of p/u shoe spring under your p/u shoe.  Some may deviate & alter sequence
of assembly, it's OK, just get that motor humming! :thumbsup:


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## Rolls (Jan 1, 2010)

Thanks, guys. To be fair to the 440x2 and that pickup and spring arrangement, I don't think much about doing the coil springs on Aurora chassis probably because I've been doing 'em since I was a kid. 

So what I've done is carefully read your tips over 3 times, then took a fresh 440x2 chassis, paid more attention to what it looked like before I started, and just did it a few times over to get comfortable with it. Well, by changing my expectations a little, using your helpful methods and coming at it fresh, I have to say it really is quite doable. 

The springs are harder to see and I probably didn't really want another reminder that my reading vision is not what it was, but I can't really put that on the Tyco corporation, can I? 

I sure do appreciate your help, Dom and Gary. Makes all the difference. 

Thanks! 

Rolls


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## Rolls (Jan 1, 2010)

P.S. Oh - I also figured out the criss-cross issue while I had the body off... The 440x2 pickup geometry and downforce conspire to allow the front edge of the p/u to lead the car to one side of the slot, almost off the rail and that sets the scene for that pickup to hook the rail at the crossover point. :freak: Solution? Put a *SwamperGene*-style roll at the very leading edge of the shoe. Works great!

Also, it looks like the first 440 that hooked the criss cross rail so violently actually pulled the rail up just the tiniest bit... other chassis didn't care, but it made the other 440's that much more likely to fall prey to the "snag." So I super-glued that bad boy rail right back down. 

And didja know that the newest Tomy criss-cross tracks with the red and white striping are actually completely new designs? The rail crossover is all new and quite different compared to the old ones. At first, it seemed better, but maybe it's harder on the 440's? Time will tell. I hope so, because in general it seems to be easier on pickup wear than the old design was, especially on high downforce cars.

Moral of the story? It turns out you can learn more by reaching out for help, studying the issue more closely and practicing new techniques than you might by just stomping on the old car and crushing it to pieces.


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## LeeRoy98 (Jul 8, 2005)

I used to race in a class using stock Tyco chassis and parts with only silicone slip ons allowed. I found that if I gently stretched the motor brush springs to a point where they extended about 1 coil beyond the end of the brush tube, the motor had a much greater top end. 
The trick to putting the brushes back in is to place the spring into the tube but put the brush into the bulkhead opening. You can then bring the brush tube to the brush while holding the tube slightly high. When the spring makes contact with the brush, gently align and push the tube into the bulkhead opening.

Gary
AKA LeeRoy98
www.marioncountyraceway.com


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Rolls I used to be able to swap out a new set of shoes and gears in less than 15 seconds when we raced enduro's back in the late 1980's with those cars. And I'm talking about brass pinions, not the plastic gear with the centering tit. I'd have at least two complete rear ends to swap out and loose shoes sitting in my pits. But age and eyesight for me, like for you probably, has done that in I'm sure. I now have 3 sets of glasses to work on my cars; my normal set of 1.5 reading glasses, a set of 2.5 decal and painting glasses and my 3.5 'working on the car' glasses. I love the dollar store for cheap reading glasses, that's for sure.


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

Rolls, sorry for giggling at your expense. Getting old sucks and some of these tiny little slot car parts can be frustrating to work with. It just takes practice and repetition. At least the Tyco chassis very flexible unlike some of the snappy Tomy SGs. Get a lighted magnifier and take your time.


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## Rolls (Jan 1, 2010)

Clearance for all to giggle. I did, afterward! Ya' know, you and Pete are hitting the nail on the head. I do think that somewhere in the mix is the fact that these cars take me back to my youth, and that one was giving me a stark reminder that I'm getting old!! 

Sure glad I took a breath and got a fresh cup of coffee, rather than crunching the innocent car! The little 440x2 was just trying to throw a little wisdom my way!


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## resinmonger (Mar 5, 2008)

At some point, we'll all get so old we'll need 1/18th scale cars so we can see the parts... :freak:

There's a big opportunityfor a company to get ahead of demand... :drunk:


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

And don't put down the concept of that lighted magnifier!!!! I use one all the time, and most of my circuit board pictures are shot through it!! LOL The only problem I have with mine is in order for it to focus right, it has to be so close I can't get the soldering iron under it to do it's work. 










There ain't no way I could do this without it!!!


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## resinmonger (Mar 5, 2008)

I'm not too sure about that Joe. Is this what Steve Martin really meant when he said we should "Get Small"? :freak:


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## Rolls (Jan 1, 2010)




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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

I'm just trying to fit tiny presents in tiny boxes Russ!! :lol: This reminds me, I need to make more circuit boards... Oh the pain!!:freak:


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## swingerguy340 (Jul 17, 2007)

LeeRoy98 said:


> I find the pickups and brushes on a Tyco 440 or new Mattel to be some of the easiest to replace. I push the spring to the inside, catch the spring end on the pickup shoe tab, curl the end of the pickup around the brush barrel and then pop the end over the tabs (sounds a lot harder than it actually is).
> *Also, you can put the pickup on without the spring applied. Turn the chassis upside down and take an exacto knife blade and gently push the spring down and around the stop on the pickup shoe.*
> 
> Gary
> ...


this is what I do works every time..


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