1:24 Slot Car Motors

The Terms Endbell Drive, Can Drive, Reverse Endbell Drive, etc. often appear when you look through parts catalogs, etc. The terms refer to where the armature shaft exits the motor. If the armature goes out of the brush/endbell side its called an endbell drive or bell drive type motor. If the armature comes out of the can side of the motor, its deemed a can drive or reverse endbell drive motor. Many chassis are made for only one style of motor. Some motors also have the shaft out of both ends and those are noted as double shaft motors.

Typical Can Motor. The Case Front arrow is also pointing at the Endbell Assembly.

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List of 1:24 Slot Car Motors

13D Motors: Basically a 16D armature with a smaller more compact can to fit in F-1 and cars like the Monogram Midget Racer. Most of the versions came as candrive and can take the place of an older candrive 16D motor.

FT16D

16D Motors: A Mabuchi creation, good all around power in a small package. The 16D has been around since the sixties and is the backbone of modern big scale racing. Chosen for its ability to make horsepower, its light weight and low center of gravity. Not really a can drive or endbell drive, however it mounts as a endbell drive motor.

Note:
Most home racers do not have the available amperage to use the commercial style 16D motors. The commercial grade 16Ds take about 1 to 2 amps and if you have a good enough power supply you can run them. The Parma Deathstar 16D is the current evolution of the Mabuchi "tin can". The power band calls for larger tracks. Being an endbell drive motor with a blind bearing makes pinion removal and replacement difficult without speciality tools.

26D Motors: Designed for racers who wanted more power than the 16D and less weight of the 36D. Most of these came with ball bearings. Versions include mostly endbell drive ones but can drive and double shaft models were also produced. Discontinued since the end of the slot car boom of the sixties, however they pop up on eBay once in awhile.

36D Motors: Another Mabuchi motor from the 1960's that did not last after the slot car boom - currently available from Parma as #471 Mabuchi 36D Can Drive. REH has them available in various styles under American Line, Motors, and their own brand. They range from can drive, bell drive, and double shaft versions. Still available in quantity from many sources. Great power and braking, but high center of gravity.

Compatibility Tip:
A Can Drive 16D motor and 36D have the same end so you can use them interchangeably. It is likely that the 13D motor will work where a 16D is called for. Remember that the size of each of the motors are different but otherwise the Can Drive end is the same.

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Can Designations

A-can A Mabuchi 16-D
B-can The first Mabuchi motor used in slot racing was the 16-D. It was never called the A-can, but when a new design with a lower center of gravity came out, it was naturally called the B-can. It was a totally new design, and did not have any of the features of the 16D with the exception that a 16D sized armature was used. The B-can acheived success in competition, but never got fully in production before the "C" can came out.
C-can Developed by Mura's Bob Green. It obsoleted more motors than any other in the history of slot car racing. It is still in use today. Mura Group 10 motors with the two small holes is the original design C-can. It is also known as the "green" can because of its inventor. This design has broken more records than all the others combined.

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Older Motors

Pittman 706: The Pittman is an example of a sidewinder motor with the integral rear axle and gear. Other similar motors are the Pittman 704, 705, the Ram 426, 426A, 222 and Strombecker Devastator.

Laminated Pole Motors: Ram 850 and Pittman 85 motors. Most of these were used in dragsters for slot car drag racing. Wheels were most of the time directly mounted to the motor and commonly ran on 18 to 24 volts. Other examples include Kemtron X503, Mustang and Bronco.

Citations: Two Fords Network

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