Baja build after a few years away

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Yeah I'm not thrilled with the integy gear. Lot's of slop.... Hmm I didn't consider reaming out the pocket there. I really don't want integy gear on this rig so I don't mind thinking of getting something else. Couple people have suggested RPM arms. I think I'll try those and keep the Integy for back ups as I run plastic fronts on my Marder and that has served me well in crashes, plastic snaps, bends, breaks before the alloy mounts or pins.
 
It has been 10 years since I had one of these, so take it fwiw: If I was in the dunes and sand, I'd run the aluminum for the looks. Having had a buggy on a circle track years ago, I wont run anything but RPM on the front, or the bottom back. They're light, they flex without snapping, and they just work.

Give that we're talking building a small track for these(small in fifth scale terms), that's the setup I'll run on this one.... And may not even run an aluminum upper rear this time, just better turnbuckles.

I bet the pocket is not deep enough, meant to be a fixed thing.
 
Not sure how I feel about plastic for lower rears. I don't want flex. My Marder gives me the ability to run alloy lowers in the rear but still use plastic ball joints. They will snap before the alloy does so that's enough security for me just that the baja has a less designed arm so idk. I'm considering going with the RPM extended arms front and back if I can find them, just such a heavy rig to not have alloy back there. Decisions decisions!
 
MonsterAir said:
Yeah I'm not thrilled with the integy gear. Lot's of slop.... Hmm I didn't consider reaming out the pocket there. I really don't want integy gear on this rig so I don't mind thinking of getting something else. Couple people have suggested RPM arms. I think I'll try those and keep the Integy for back ups as I run plastic fronts on my Marder and that has served me well in crashes, plastic snaps, bends, breaks before the alloy mounts or pins.
Click to expand...
You'll never break or bend an Rpm arm, unless your running in like 5° weather.
MonsterAir said:
Not sure how I feel about plastic for lower rears. I don't want flex. My Marder gives me the ability to run alloy lowers in the rear but still use plastic ball joints. They will snap before the alloy does so that's enough security for me just that the baja has a less designed arm so idk. I'm considering going with the RPM extended arms front and back if I can find them, just such a heavy rig to not have alloy back there. Decisions decisions!
Click to expand...
Flex won't be an issue. The drag racing guys run all plastic arms and no issues there
 
MonsterAir said:
Not sure how I feel about plastic for lower rears. I don't want flex. My Marder gives me the ability to run alloy lowers in the rear but still use plastic ball joints. They will snap before the alloy does so that's enough security for me just that the baja has a less designed arm so idk. I'm considering going with the RPM extended arms front and back if I can find them, just such a heavy rig to not have alloy back there. Decisions decisions!
Click to expand...

You DO want flex. You just want flex that comes back in to shape. This car weighs WAY to much not have any arms, top end alloy or otherwise, flex. The aluminum will still flex, especially over time, but will not spring back.

I'd also rather replace a plastic a-arm than the dogbone or piece of the diff.
 
135089646_10214929115061200_3775255518329073045_o.jpg
135742796_10214929115221204_3793657465551888942_o.jpg



Not done, the exhaust and a lot of it is just sitting there, but it looks like a different car in person

Goals this weekend are to get a torque wrench on the jug, see if it will run, and get a bracket for the exhaust made(I don't believe that this was ever run correctly with this exhaust, it was flopping loose). I also want to get a new body and rear plastic skid so it has side pods, and a similar but different body.

Usps lost my shock boots so... time to order more as well.
 
Please post up some pics when you do! I'm kicking myself in the a$$ for not ordering one, got a HD turtle racing saver instead because Rovan says the symmetrical rack won't work with disc brakes. I'd like to know if there is any work around there.
 
MonsterAir said:
Please post up some pics when you do! I'm kicking myself in the a$$ for not ordering one, got a HD turtle racing saver instead because Rovan says the symmetrical rack won't work with disc brakes. I'd like to know if there is any work around there.
Click to expand...
I'll post detailed pictures when I start to install it.

I liked the turtle saver, it was precise and handled the heavy rig well, I just wanted to try this style this time....won't lie, the silver aluminum will look nice as well.
 
Little bit of a set back this morning, the OBR motor will not start. I have compression ( sufficient i think), it seems to be getting fuel to the cylinder, and the plug has spark, though I suspect an old plug to be the culprit in the end. It also munched a pull start.

I have ordered a rope end gasket kit, plug, a new carb(not running finicky clone junk on this motor), and will be taking the motor down again, cleaning it a bit more, then rebuilding it. If it still does not run, I think a new jug may be in order, but we shall see.
 
Seandonato73 said:
Easy mate, no need to pull her down just yet. Swap the plug first and see where you go from there.
Click to expand...
Honestly the motor came to me in several pieces in a box. The ring was stuck solid in the piston, and it took several days in marvels mystery oil to break it free. I cleaned it up and the motor seemed to have compression. The carb is a piece of crap off a rovan that i believe may be faulty anyway.


The jug needs to be re-torqued anyway, and I was...suspect of the head gasket as is. I want another look at the ring and jug surface anyway, and will replace to gasket while I'm going. Today was a temporary bolt up to see if it would run.
dougstar said:
Start with a new plug and re set the H & L to factory
Click to expand...

Definitely re-set the needles when I moved the carb over to this motor, it did have a brief splutter when the pull start imploded, but never repeated when I put the other pull start on....that one is, unfortunately, elderly, not working well, and I just gave up and ordered a couple of spares.

I do not think this carb is metering right on the low needle, but it's off a clone motor that I think the previous owner ran somewhere just lean of "plug BBQ". I've had the 900 series carbs on my other bajas in the past, went ahead and started fresh with one while I was eliminating problems instead of flailing with a suspect carb. If the motor runs well with the new carb, I will put this one one and test it as a back up carb, or maybe resurrect the poor old OBR 2-bolt I still have from years ago :-)

This was it, slightly worse for it's trials and tribulations.

134134532_10214937981802863_3126828694820426643_o.jpg
 
Last edited:
I'll post some when I take it back down. I probably should re-ring it, truthfully piston and re-ring, but we shall see, the ring seemed to be in good condition once I cleaned things up. OBR has the piston in stock, but I was waiting to see if the jug had any life left before making a decision on ordering.
 
Back
Top