How to route MOSFET wiring though the gearcase?

[Jackarutu]

While I have experience in airsmithing and would be rich if I had a dollar for ever version 2 or 3 gearbox I have rebuilt or upgraded I haven’t very much experience in upgrading to computer controlled MOSFET wiring harnesses. It seems to me one of the first problems is where the wires cross the gearbox on a version 2 type where the motor pinion gear mates with the spur gear. I’ve had several weapons that were owner adapted brought in where the problem was the pinion gear had chewed up the wire harness where it passes though this area.

So thinking to myself if I want to venture into this game of upgrading to MOSFET controllers how to solve this problem.

I’ve thought of using RTV silicone to hold the wiring nice and tight in the shoulder of the lower gear case. Or possible the drilling of a hole on each side of the motor opening and routing the wires outside and around the pinion gear area. Or milling a grove in the corners where the wires could set deeper in that area.

I think I remember that some company may even make a gearbox that has a hole cast in that you feed the wires though but maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part?

I would like to hear from others who have gone down this road before me on how they have tackled this problem area.

Also when one increases the wire gauge size the problem becomes even greater.

[Danke]

I pre-bent the MOSFET wires, used some silicon and drilled holes in the box for a loop of safety wire to tie them down. I had to really work the pistol grip (M4) around the external safety wire.

[m102404]

Depends on if you're front wiring or rear wiring....different for v3 vs. v2.

In a rear wired V2, you run the black motor wire as normal....and the red motor wire two different ways
1. run the red wire in the rear, down around the bevel gear, up around the trigger to the switch (connect to switch), then turn it back, down past the trigger and out to the motor. Gandalf has a nice pic of that on Airsoftmechanics.com
2. run in the back of the mechbox, straight to the motor (but then you need two switch wires)


The switch wires can be done 2 ways...
- in from the back, through the mechbox (really tight if you run on of them in the mechbox...that's if you did option 1 above) to the switch
- around the outside of the mechbox (between the mechbox shell and the body) in from the front. Carefull not to pinch them, and they can be smaller guage since there's not a lot of voltage going through them.

For front wired (thinking of an M4)...it's a dogs breakfast.
Motor wires
1. in from the front, red to switch, both past the trigger, red to motor/black to motor
2. in from front, past trigger, red to motor, black to motor

Switch wires
- With option 1, in from front...one gate wire to switch
- With option 2, both in from front...one wire to each contact...keep them tight and tucked out of the way

* again gate wires can be pretty small

The biggest issue with 4 wire front setups is getting it all through the receiver/delta ring/outer barrel. Tight.

Finding appropriate guage wiring (I usually resort to 18AWG) with thinner shielding is key.

[ThunderCactus]

Just use quality 18 gauge wiring that has less strands (less strands means more rigid wire), and just bend it out of the way of danger across the shell of the mechbox. As long as it's hugging the wall it shouldn't get chewed up.

[Jackarutu]

Thanks for the quick reply's. One can't get better help than the experence of those who went before.

Perhaps we could expand this thread to enclude helpfull hints about how to manage mosfet wiring in a crane stock?

So far what I've expermited with is folding the wires at the circuit board and then pushing it all back as far as it will go into the tube and then curling the connector side of the wiring like a spring and pushing it back into the tube.

[Danke]

That's the way I put mine in and it was a pain finding the perfect length of wire with enough room to work the screw past but not silly long.

Maybe if you ran a Deans plug in line you could wind down the buffer tube and then hook up the wires with a long probe.