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Full Version: Fly magnets too strong!!
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Hi All

Is anyone having trouble with Fly Car magnets being too strong.
Just bought the Rally Ferrari 250 GTO and the car hardly moves, have had this before with Fly. Have 2 Targa Florio Porsche 908/2's on back order suppose these could be the same? 
Running on Scalextric track not sure if wood or Carrera, etc tracks would have the same issue.
Have taken the magnet out and it runs ok but can sometime lose traction as less down force on the tires.
Only seem to have this problem with Fly!!!

Cheers
Graham
Hello Graham,
I had the exact same problem, although my track is Ninco and these have the rails slightly above the track surface. Due to the rails situation, I assumed it was just Ninco users who would suffer (other cars like AutoArt and the Scalextric GT40 are the same). 

I generally run without traction magnets so not really a problem for me. 

Leo

PS - I just had a look at my GTO and it might be possible to fit a plastic shim/spacer below the magnet to raise it upwards.
Thanks Leo, will give this a try.
Only received the car today so will have a good look tomorrow.
Just frustrating that I’m having to fiddle about with a brand new car just to get it to run as it should do!
(25th-Jul-20, 02:12 PM)GT Sprite Wrote: [ -> ]...Just frustrating that I’m having to fiddle about with a brand new car just to get it to run as it should do!
That's what slot cars are all about! If you're taking the car out of the box and putting it on the track without even a tire truing and an oil up, then you're doing yourself a major disservice! You'll never see what the car "should do".
Just last night I was wondering why these 2 Flyslot cars (same model different livery) I have were soo noisy I decided to put one on the bench. Sure enough all it needed was some oil around the front axle where it meets the chassis and the rear axle bushings. Icing on the cake when I lightly lubed the motor on each end. All I hear now is the hard rubber tires going around! They are brand new cars now. Wrench
Try it, you won't be disappointed!
Thumbup
Mmmm....interesting point of view.
My gripe is the car doesn’t work out of the box. You would expect to get it to go faster or smoother with fine turning. Every other manufacturer works perfectly well without having to change the magnet or trim the tyres. The car should at least run but it doesn’t work at all. I’ve just spent £45 on a car that limps around the track. To be honest it’s a design fault; Slot It, Scalextric, Ninco and SRC run as smooth as silk straight out of the box, so why shouldn’t FLY cars? You wouldn’t expect to tinker about with any other product to get the best out of it because it doesn’t perform correctly on delivery. No amount of tyre trimming or oiling will get this car round track!!
Let me ask, what is powering your track? And what controllers are you using to run the cars. These 2 items make the most difference in getting a car to go on any track. I guarantee if you sent me this car in question, and I put it on my track to run, it will go like mad! Yeah, unless of course a gear is chewed or an axle is bent - but that's a clear defect.
My Carrera track is custom wired with a 10A adjustable voltage power supply and I use Slot.it controllers that are amazing. I run all my cars at 12v (1/24 and 1/32) - except the couple 1/24 Carrera cars that require 18v.
Hi Leo

Thanks for your advice I've replaced the Fly magnet with a MRRC version gaffer taped to the floor pan.
The car works a treat but a shame this has to be done, I know Fly have had a troubled history over the last few years but you would think they'd get their basics right!

Thanks again 
Graham
You need to remember that mass produced slotcars are made on a production line where each operative has a set amount of time to complete their part of the assembly process. If something doesn't go quite right they have to move each car on down the line even if they haven't got the assembly perfect and if it is really bad it should get pulled on quality inspection.

 The problem with the GTO could well be something simple like the factory fitting a stronger magnet than Fly specified because they ran out of the correct strength. Don't forget many factory workers wouldn't understand the difference the substitute magnet would make to the way the car runs so they have just found a way to get the product out on time and avoided holding up production of the next item due for assembly. In the manufacturing world time is money.    
 I remember SCX 4 wheel drive rally cars 20 years ago that had exactly the same problem.
 
 I never expect to take a car out the box and find it runs perfectly. Some may run ok but there are always little bits and pieces which can be done to improve them. I race on a wood track with copper tape so no magnetic effect which shows up every little fault. Magnets hide a lot of problems. For instance Ninco cars, amongst others, never run well on wood straight out the box because the tyres and even the wheels just aren't true so they hop all over the place but they are fine if you run with magnets as the downforce from the magnets hides the problem.
Thanks Autoavia, yes very good point. 
I think also the issue could be that the engine is front mounted. I’ve had the same issue with another GTO, the car would hardly move and I think this had also caused the pinion to split. Changed both and the car runs fine. A 917 and a 906 I bought recently, rear engine ran fine.
I have another GTO and two 908/2’s on back order, presume will be front and rear mounted on these so will see how they compare.
Thanks again
Graham
I forgot that Fly have a thing about mounting the motor where the original engine would have been. Generally speaking slot cars with front mounted motors don't work well although again magnets hide many of the problems. You can't beat the weight of a motor over the rear wheels for giving traction when running non mag. Certainly beats the understeer that front mounted motors seem to cause.
 I seem to remember that there was a time when split pinions were quite common on Fly cars and older stock often has tyres which have gone hard and reacted with the plastic plinth.
 Fly make great slot car bodies but their running gear has never been good for running non mag on wood although glueing the axle bearings into the pod, glueing  the motor in and glueing the motor pod to the chassis does stop a lot of the hop.
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