Posted 20 June 2015 - 02:40 PM

Rapid Red Modification Write-Up

Dis-assembly

Internal Shell Modification

Wiring

Reassembly

Rapid Reds are cheap and abundant, but there are few guides for them. The following is a very detailed look at how I do Rapid Red modifications. Some steps are optional and may vary if you use different parts. This is not meant to be the "best" mod guide for a Rapid Red, this is just how I do it. The goal for this mod is near top tier performance with no compromises to the external shell and within a limited budget. You should be able to get 110+ FPS with this setup, which is very close to the glass ceiling of flywheel velocities for a single stage. Rev time is under half a second from stall to full revs as well. This guide makes the assumption that you know how to solder. There are videos on youtube that can help you learn how to solder, so check em out (It's not hard! Give it a try!). Yes this build uses LiPo batteries. No they are not unsafe hand grenades waiting to melt your face off. Check out these links for some info on safe handling: Safe handling Phillips screwdriverSmall screwdriver or other prying toolNeedle nose pliersXacto knife or other knifeSoldering ironWire strippersWire cuttersSolderEpoxy Putty (I use JB steelstik or Harbor freight Epoxy Putty)Epoxy (I use Harbor Freight 5 minute setting kind)Hot GlueRotary tool with various bitsDremel cutting blade or hack saw/bandsawSandpaper (fine)(Optional) Testing battery with alligator clips (I use two D batteries in a pipe with alligator clips taped to them)(Optional) Volt MeterTwo Meishel Motors Link (Named by redditors after I kept recommending them)5 Amp Micro Switch Link LiPo Battery 950mAh Micarta sheet or similar Garolite/g10 (I get mine locally so I can't provide a link to exact)2pin JST connector Link (Only use the Female side)Heat Shrink Link Wire Red 1 Meter Voltage Alarm With voltage display Remove all shell screwsButterfly open the Blaster and unscrew and cut wires to Thermistor (Discard Thermistor)Remove dart pusher screw, spring, and assembly and set asideRemove trigger screw and trigger and set asideRemove Clip sensor cover screws and set asideRemove Clip sensor coverRemove and discard clip sensor locks (two pink pieces and spring)This is the switch for the clip sensor lock, it will be discardedRemove screw and cover plate and set asideRemove rev trigger and set asideRemove and discard trigger lock and springThis is the jam door lock, we will be discarding thisRemove screws to wire guide cover and remove wire guide cover and set asideRemove screws holding barrel assembly and flywheel cage and set asideRemove barrel assembly and flywheel cage as one piece, they will separate after removalCut and remove all wiring and switches and discardCut or solder away these connectionsPry up the rubber motor mount thingsRemove this screw to remove the skirtRemove this screw and discard skirt. Some people swear by leaving this in, but it has caused me nothing but trouble. If you leave this in and are having jams or irregular feeds, try removing it.Push the clips in and pry flywheel cage apartRepeat on other sideInsert a small tool under the flywheel and gently pry up. Try to do this as evenly as possible and avoid any tools that may cut into the flywheel. I typically use a small screwdriver, butter knife, or needle nose piers.Push the stems of the motors to pop out the motors (I press them against the table or something hard until they pop out)Discard or save motors for a different projectWe will be removing these pegs to make room for our Lipo batteryUse a dremel cutting wheel to notch them most of the wayYou should be able to wobble them out from hereUse sanding drum and/or polishing stones to remove excess materialWe will be removing material to make room for the switch. Remove as much as is needed for your switch, but don't go overboard. Every switch is different so check your switch against the shell to figure out best placement. You may need to use the cutting wheel on your dremel to trim the length of the lever on your switch to fit as well.Material removed! (I ended up coming back and taking a little more out to fit my switch)Grab your favorite E-putty and build up a table for the switch to be adhered toCheck fitment and sand e-putty as necessary after it curesWe will be removing material from the rev switch cover to make it fitDon't forget to smooth down the backside as wellCut the battery bay with a hacksaw, dremel cutting blade, or bandsaw. I started with a Dremel cutting blade and finished with hacksaw since my hacksaw blade was extremely dull.Now remove the cross material in the middleSand down with fine grit sandpaper to avoid any sharp edges that may damage your LiPo BatteryDremel or drill out these solvent welded spotsPry upDiscard these bitsDremel out any material you need to for clearance of the voltage alarmCut a 31mm wide strip of a thin but stiff material (I used Norplex-Micarta that I found locally)You'll want 4 pieces of apropriate lengths I used one 58 mm, one 48 mm, and two 39 mm pieces.Mock everything up and notch/grind pieces that don't fitEpoxy them in place starting with the sides Use the blue piece on both sides while epoxying in the side bits to make sure they are lined upClip unnecessary pins from the voltage alarm and cover them in epoxy if desiredEpoxy the top plate on the blue piece and epoxy the alarm in placeThis gives you an idea of where to position itFill these holes with epoxy then put the blue piece in. The blue piece only gets epoxied to one side.Epoxy the bottom piece and blue piece at the same time to ensure they line up.When the epoxy just starts to set, put the shell on to ensure it dries in the correct positionThese ribs get in the way of FK sized motors, so get rid of them with a dremel or exacto knifeIf your motors are loose, use something to shim them in place (I use sticky tac)This is the diagram for how I wire the blaster, but there are other ways it can be done. I just approached it in a very simple manner.Tin as many connections as you can ahead of timeStart running and soldering in your wiring to the switch and try to get the wire to clip into the stock guides.Run the other wire to the switch and solder it. Now is a good time to put the blue wire guide back on too.Solder your battery connector on and heat the heatshrinkI like to hot glue wires in place so they dont get pinchedSolder the motor leads as wellIt should look like this nowIt's a good idea to test the blaster with a alkaline or any other non-LiPo battery source at first. I use alligator leads to connect the positive to the first motor terminal in the circuit, and the switch terminal that leads to the battery. You don't want to have a short when you connect your LiPo battery. You can also use a Voltage meter to check for shorts, and make sure your motor lead solder isn't touching the metal motor housing.Begin reasembling the front section and then screw it in placeYour trigger may hit the switch like mine did after you glue it in place (Epoxy or hot glue will work), but that is an easy fixDremel off some of the trigger if needed. (Cover plate for the clip sensor was put back to aid in trigger feel, but is optional.)Lubricate all moving surfaces with white lithium grease or silicone grease and reassemble the blaster.Shell screws againConnect your battery and test your blaster. If it doesn't work right away quickly disconnect the battery. If anything is hot at this point you may have a short circuit somewhere. If the battery appears hot or puffy, place it outside in a fireproof area. Safely recycle the battery (check google for instructions).And you're done!Run 100+ darts through your blaster to get a good build up of foam on the flywheels. The more foam the better the flywheels will grip. This setup is capable of very high FPS numbers. With good foam build up, I achieved 115 FPS average with Koosh darts from the same motor/battery setup in this video.

Edited by meishel, 20 June 2015 - 03:02 PM.