dying motors, or happy clutches..?

ive noticed that after a faint re-design on the squarebot that, when i try to switch directions quickly to avoid and obstacle, that the motors make a horrendus clicking noise.

i added the larger wheels to allow ground clearance, removed the upper plate and extensions, then stuck the 2 plates together to make room for the brain box, batteries and RF reciever… i have the knobby wheels in the rear, and the all-purpose ones in the front, and they sit about 1-2mm apart. could the extra weight be killing off my motor gears, or is it just the clutches engaging to prevent damage…?

also, ive noticed that after only a few minutes of use, the motors dont respond hardly, if not at all, and are warm to the touch… do the motors have a thermostat on them that shuts them off to prevent over-heating, similar to the one in cars?

for the record, incase it may help at all, everything equipped on my bot came straight outta the starter kit.

I bet your robot is really fast?

It sounds like your robot drivetrain is geared too fast for the 2-motors to handle. What is your gearing to the wheels? Can you post a picture?

These are important for diagnosing the problem.

Regards,
John

Yes, the motors have some thermal protection in them.
If they start to get hot, they cut-back their output until they cool down. Once they are cool, they should work at 100% again.

the gearing for each motor is a 60t driving a 12t, and the rear wheels are on a shared axle… it does get across the basement floor in a hurry, though. those motors have more guts than i had expected…!

hm… ill hafta invest a chain set and an advanced gearing kit, and perhaps with a little luck i can set up the 36t gears into disc brakes…if not, im sure i can dremel some larger washers to meet the demand. not to mention a few more motors, as to give it 4WD so its not to hard on the main motors… i wonder if theres a way to program it so i can engage 4WD at the push of a button?

if both your motors are connected to the back and the two wheels share an axle when you turn the motors when turn against each other and wear down the clutches

you’re clutches may be stripped. (The part that connects to the motor, in the motor it’s self) Or the internal gears may be broken, You should have some replacement motor gears so check it out. if the clutch is striped you will be able to notice. Check itout.

His clutch isn’t stripped, just popping because the motor is over-loaded.

It is true, that once a clutch pops once, it is easier to pop after that. This is why Vex sells packs of (3) replacement clutches for $4.95.