Answered: Changing robot in autonomous

In autonomous would it be legal to expand your robot out of the 18,18,18 size limit manually? For example, if you wanted to make your intake system expand could you do it manually and put an axle through it to keep it up.

Let’s take a look at the applicable rule from the VEX Gateway Manual. I’ve bolded the portion which is specifically relevant to your question.

So based on rule <SG5>, it would not be legal to manually expand your robot.

With this what if you were to have sprockets hooked up to your intake motor(s) and that expanded it. From there could you remove the chain and put an axle through the top to hold it in place?

No, this is also not allowed. Let’s take a look at this rule again.

Modifying your robot to gain additional functionality is not allowed for under this rule. Thus what you have described is illegal.