Hello Everyone

Well, after much huffing, puffing & (mostly) suppressed expletives the first few stages of 'Project 'Mog' are complete.

Squeezing in the XL motor for the drive was really frustrating, taking over 5 hours (for those who don't know me, I'm disabled & build by mouth? If you're interested, my story is in this forum under Disabled Technic Builders). And this was after releasing the lower rear shock mounts and prying the upper chassis beams apart to remove the 2 black pins and the grey axle they were holding. 

After a great deal of brute force and more than a little ignorance, I had the motor in & lined up with the drive axle & connector pin but try as I might I could not get it any further. The connector was caught on the 'lip' of the hole on the motor and no amount of pushing and shoving was going to get it in place. My darling wife had to give it that last shove. Now it's in it works well, keeping the 'Mog 4 wheel drive.

After a bit of trial & error and suggestions by Eurobrick members (Thank you, you know who you are) I changed the gearing in the portal axles to 8 top and 24 bottom. Leaving the original setup of 16 top, 16 bottom made the 'Mog too fast to be 'realistic'.

After fixing an XL motor with gear wheel attached between the front seats and a gear wheel to the HOG steering shaft & testing it I found the steering to rather quick but thought no more of it.  At this point you're thinking that frightfully quick steering would have made me think that something might be a miss but for reasons that (conveniently!) escape me, I didn't notice. It wasn't until the early hours of the following morning it suddenly dawned on me. I had the gears on the wrong shafts! I've now got 12 tooth on the motor & 36 tooth on the HOG shaft.

To help reduce the turning circle I've removed the 4 'stopper' half pins form the chassis.

I've mounted the receiver on top of the 'engine'.

I've relocated the battery box to the front of the load area. This is the change I'm most pleased with. It solves the 'Mogs slightly lopsided appearance caused by the battery boxes weight. I don't think it looks too bad.

Now I was left with a very convenient empty space which was handy as I needed to include a pole reverser to operate the air pump independently of the drive and steering motors but couldn't fit it behind the left front wheel where others had. After fitting a base plate into the battery compartment the pole reverser fitted in nicely. The space also allowed me to hide the wires including the (too long but only) extension lead needed to extend the air pump motor lead.

The 'grabber's' been changed to a digger as it adds to its playability for Jake

And finally I've put a 'door' on both sides. This helps hide the air pump motor and on the other side, the pole reverser and jumble of connector wires. I'm not entirely happy with the 'doors'. As part of the next round of changes I'll change them for a better design. I think I'll use the design from my 8258 Crane Truck.

I know the locations of the steering & drive motors maybe aren't where many of you would have placed them but they were the only way I could think of doing them without a great deal of dismantling, something I'd rather not attempt at the moment. 

I've not been making changes to sets for long. In fact I've only done one other and that was motorising the 8048 Buggy. That came out OK but like the changes I've made to 'Mog, aren't particularly elegant. Hopefully with experience I'll get better, practice makes perfect etc,.

I'm hoping to try adding side tilting to the load area. I'm thinking of fitting an M motor into the battery compartment the other side of the pole reverser and a PF actuator fitted somewhere behind the pneumatic switch. We'll see, I've a feeling it's likely to be a case of easier said than done.

Another thing I'd like to do is to lower the steering motor etc and fit the receiver above it so it sticks up slightly above the top of the cab. I'm hoping that if I can do this it'll improve the signal pick up from the controller.

I'm also going to build trailer soon loosely based on the one on my 8063. This one will have power tipping though.

I welcome your comments and would appreciate any constructive criticism.

And lastly, some thank yous.

As hard as this has been it has been made easier thanks to the help I received following my request for help in locating a tool to make joining beams easier for me.

Eurobrick member robuko not only heeded my call but, and I still can't believe this, actually went to the trouble of designing and making one, a gesture for which I shall be forever grateful. It's made from Lego and works a treat.

Thanks also to DLuder for taking the time to answer my 'call' with his suggestion.

]

Edited June 10, 201212 yr by grum64

looks like you did a good job on the mod of your model

sounds like that I put the motor on the same place but I am not sure about it

hopefully you have picture's soon

Fantastic that you have made your first MOD.

I have a lot off respect for you.

I can't wait too see the pictures.

Greetings Edwin

Edited May 9, 201212 yr by VFracingteam

looks like you did a good job on the mod of your model

sounds like that I put the motor on the same place but I am not sure about it

hopefully you have picture's soon

Thank you.

I'll try to get the pics sorted ASAP. I've got a couple on my iPad. I tried to include them but couldn't so I'll have to get some taken & try doing it from the laptop.

Fantastic that you have made your first MOD.

I have a lot off respect for you.

I can't wait too see the pictures.

Greetings Edwin

Hi

Thank you for your comments.

I'm very pleased with it so far & have a few ideas, not all of which will be practical. We'll see.