Been a while, damn! Biggish post incoming.

T2 never got any major work done ahead of the '14 champs as with Rango's last minute problems it had to be set aside. With the whole front end getting mashed so badly in 2013 - cue visual aid*:


*5mm steel top bars and 3.5mm steel scoop, much of the damage done across 2 fights against Inertia XL.

It needed a substantial rebuild or be left to die. Ahead of the '14 champs I relieved it of the mangled lifter and was left with:



From there, after opening up the ancient-feeling CAD (and some of the cardboard variety), I came up with a plan to replace the front end and move to a timing belt for the weapon. The original 6mm chain snapped constantly and the gearbox sprocket was completely sheared in a blow from the house bot at Maidstone in '13. With a lighter but stronger weapon shaft (tube), much spindlier top-bars (they bend regardless so might as well be easier to bend back and be much lighter!), the front could be hardox. As I can't weld I had Mario make the wedge I designed. He did a nice job in little time.

Then came Rango's major wobbler and T2 left for the UK with a rough and partially assembled weapon. We had to make some parts at Yeovil to get it to do anything, and it did, until the weapon gearbox's torque limiter gave up life and it couldn't lift anything.

I've spent some time giving it TLC and a partial rebuild. The complete wedge after I fitted the pulley (25mm wide HTD5, aw yiss) and flanges + little storks for the top bars:


I decided the best way to fix the torque limiter issue was to completely lock it up and set the belt tension so it can slip under extreme shock. Locking it up ended up being very simple, a particular plumbing spacer (in white) fit the task perfectly. Modifying and fitting the timing pulley was something I got done in April.



Today I finished rebuilding the front end which now has a deadshaft, on which the wedge floats so it's self leveling. Minus top bars (will be made in the UK, can't source the material soon enough here) it's now pretty much there, dad joined in this afternoon for the final reassembly. It's odd working on T2, it's very different to recent projects (in terms of tolerances) which is both frustrating and liberating.




The armour in front of the front wheels looks a bit odd just hanging, but somehow reattaching it to the main bulkheads is more trouble than its worth at the moment. Makes little difference in the long run, this robot could have been retired almost 18 months ago. :P

Quick test drive tonight was good. This thing still drives like it's angry at the world. Good fun. Roll on MMM.