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Got myself a nice MSC Metro in Pendle's sale but reviews question the efficacy/functionality of the four wheel drive, mentioning that the drive belt is too loose. Anyone else got one? Did you just discard the belt or find an alternative? If so, can you point me at one please?

Magnets have to go so just add weight in the same place?

[Scuderia_Turini]

Yo T-D,
I have 2 of the Belga versions :-)

The front wheels rub on the arches so I have put 1mm shims between the chassis and body posts to give clearance. Part of the problem is that the drive band is stretched a lot so it pulls the front towards the rear. The front axle blocks form the front body attachment so it can distort the shell. Best to discard the drive band. Personally I think that belt drive saps motor power so removing it will enhance performance.  Perhaps earlier cars had a slack belt?
The magnet is ahead of the motor and I prefer weight just ahead of the rear wheels so have 1 (or so) gram weights each side (and magnet removed).
I don't race competitively though... and running on Ninco.

If your car has the lamp-pod fitted, treat it with respect -  it is easily broken off :-(

Leo

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Interesting.

The yellow drive band only just gives enough friction to drive the front wheels but slips quite easily so I have removed it. I've also removed the magnet. Weight will be added later.

It looks like there has been a factory fix for the body rubbing on the wheels, as there was no evidence of that - and on removing the body I found it already had red shims of about 1.5mm on each body post.

I've loosened off the body screws but may enlarge the screw holes a little too.

It does have a light pod on the front which seems pretty stout - but I shall be careful anyway. (Mine is the #13 Computervision version. Don't know which came first.)

All four wheels are pretty concentric, as were the tyres once refitted, as they were poorly mounted from the factory.

I like the rubber(?) aerial, front spoiler lip and mud flaps. Nice touch.

[Scuderia_Turini]

I just checked and both of my cars have/had black bands. They also have the factory red spacers, now that I think back, I added an extra 1mm to make the stance more rally than race.
The Belga ref is MSC 6025, Computervision is 6017 (pod) or 6003 (no pod).

Yeah, the aerial is very pliable so reasonably robust.

Leo

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So it would seem they changed the driveband then?

Mine's a 6017 with pod. A good thing?

[Scuderia_Turini]

Now, I'm worried about the belt on my shelf-queen being too tight.  Pendle sell various MSC belts...   https://www.pendleslotracing.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=drive%20belt&narrow=%5B%5B%22Brand%22%2C%22MSC%20Competition%22%5D%5D&disable_semantics=1.

With mine folded flat the length is approx 8.7cm so I guess that equates to a 18.8cm belt (MSC-2279). Although, these are toothed and mine are just plain rubber bands.

When you remove yours could you please measure it?  

Video of how I measured mine is below:

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Mine is exactly 9cm folded flat.

[Scuderia_Turini]

Thank you T-D,  ours are probably the same circumference. For my shelf-queen, I just slipped the belt off the rear pulley to de-tensioon the belt.

Leo