4M Electric Dragster User manual

ElEctric DragstEr
To Parents: Read all instructions before
providing guidance to your children.
1. Please read through these instructions before you start.
2. Adult supervision and assistance are required at all times.
3. Intended for children of ages 8 and up.
4. This kit and its finished product contain small parts which may
cause choking if misused. Keep away from children under 3 years old.
5. To prevent possible short circuits, never touch the contacts inside the battery case with any metal.
B. USE OF BATTERY
1. Requires two “AAA”, 1.5V batteries (not included).
2. For best results, always use fresh batteries.
3. Insert batteries into the battery compartment according to the correct polarity.
4. Remove the batteries from the kit when not in use.
5. Replace exhausted batteries straight away to avoid possible damage to the kit.
6. Rechargeable batteries must be removed from the kit before recharging.
7. Rechargeable batteries should be recharged under adult supervision.
8. Do not attempt to recharge non-rechargeable batteries.
9. Do not mix old and new batteries.
10. Do not mix alkaline, standard (carbon-zinc), or rechargeable (Ni-Cd) batteries.
11. Make sure that the supply terminals are not short circuited.
C. CONTENTS
1 motor (with wires and
worm gear attached)
1 motor housing
1 motor/axle
coveraxe
1 battery case (with wires)
1 long axle (with cog
attached)
1 short axle
4 wheels
2 metal rods
1 front axle assembly
top & base
screws
2 terminal caps
2 CDs
Also required but not included: 2 x ‘AAA’ 1.5 volt batteries, small crosshead screwdriver.
1 tail fin
If the motor does not run:
• Check that you are using fresh batteries.
• Check that the batteries are inserted the correct way round in the battery case.
• Check that all four wires are touching the metal terminal caps.
If the Dragster runs backwards:
• Remove the motor/axle cover and check that you have connected the wires the correct way round (see step 3).
If the Dragster does not run in a straight line:
• Loosen the two screws holding the metal rods on the front axle assembly, straighten the assembly and retighten the
screws.
F. TROUBLE SHOOTING
G. HOW DOES IT WORK?
The larger the rear wheels, the greater the dragster’s speed. You can work out the speed of the dragster by multiplying
the speed of the gearbox (about 100 revolutions per minute) by the circumference (distance around the edge) of the CD
(about 37 cm). This gives an answer of 3,700 cm (37 metres) per minute or 60 cm per second. The speed also depends
on the smoothness of the surface the dragster runs on. Speed also depends on the wheels. The CDs are very thin, with a
hard edge, and offer very little rolling resistance (a force that tries to slow the turning of a wheel). Wider, softer wheels,
such as flat bicycle tyres create much more rolling resistance.
H. WHAT NEXT
Decorate the tail fin with your favourite sticker patterns. You could also change the wheels to show off the graphics of
old CDs you find.
I. FUN FACTS
• A dragster is a specialised vehicle. It is designed for racing over short distances. Its large rear wheels, with wide slick
tyres are driven by a powerful engine. This combination gives very high acceleration.
• Some enthusiasts put large rear wheels on their cars to make them look like dragsters.
• CDs make very good wheels because they are so thin. This means that they roll very easily over a at surface – much
better than fat wheels with tyres.
• Strange but true! Most dragsters do a ‘wheelie’ when they start off because of the immense power of the engine.
Sometimes the whole body tips over backwards by accident.
• Strange but true! Billions of CDs are made every year. Some estimates say that more CDs are made than any other
objects – including matchsticks.
J. QUESTIONS & COMMENTS
We treasure you as a customer and your satisfaction with this product is important to us. In case you have any comments
or questions, or you find any parts of this kit missing or defective, please do not hesitate to contact our distributor in your
country, whose address is printed on the package. You are also welcome to contact our marketing support team at Email:
[email protected], Fax [phone], Tel [phone], Web site: WWW.4M-IND.COM
COPYRIGHT 2005-2008 4M INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT LIMITED
41-03905/1/V1
A. SAFETY MESSAGES
280808

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Battery case
1. Identify the motor housing and find the two small fins on it. These fins are at
the rear of the housing, on the upper side. The battery case fits onto the upper
side. Feed the wires from the battery case through the centre hole in the front
of the housing. Push the battery case onto the plastic pins on the housing and
secure the case with two screws.
2. Turn the motor housing over. Push the motor into the space in the centre
of the housing, so that the worm gear fits between the two short towers that
support the axle.
3. Now you need to connect the wires from the battery case to the wires from
the motor. There are two terminal holes on the outer edge of the housing next
to the holes that battery wires are fed through. Push the bare end of the red
wire from the motor and the bare end of the red wire from the battery case into
one of the terminal holes. Push in a terminal cap so that it traps both bare
wires. Repeat with the black wire from the motor and the black wire from the
battery case.
4. Rest the axle on the axle supports on the motor housing. The cog on the axle
should interlock with the worm gear on the motor.
5. Put the motor/axle cover over the motor and axle and secure it with two
screws.
6. Push a wheel onto each end of the long axle (the one with the cog on it). Now
turn the motor housing over so that the battery case is on top.
7. Find the two metal rods. Each one has a straight end and a bent end. Slide
the straight ends into the plastic sleeves on each side of the motor housing.
Twist the rods so that the bent ends are facing each other, and secure the rods
with screws through the holes under the motor housing.
8. Push a wheel onto each end of the short axle.
Congratulations! Your Electric Dragster is ready to go!
Follow these steps to assemble your Electric Dragster. Numbers refer to the diagrams.
D. ASSEMBLY 9. You may need help with this step as there are several parts to hold at once. Look at the two parts of the front axle
assembly. The one with two screw holes in it is the top half. The end with the screw holes faces the motor housing. Put
a screw in the central screw hole and secure the two halves together, trapping both the bent ends of the metal rods and
the short axle. Secure the rods with two more screws.
10. Push an old CD onto the outside of each wheel. The CDs should click into place.
11. Carefully push the base of the tail fin into the slot on the rear of the motor housing until it clicks in place.
12. Set the switch on the battery case to ‘OFF’. Insert two ‘AAA’ 1.5 volt
batteries into the battery case. The negative terminal of each battery (the flat
end) goes against one of the springs in the battery case.
E. OPERATION
Place the Electric Dragster on the floor where there is plenty of space for it to
zoom along. Switch on the motor and watch it go!
Try marking out start and finish lines with string and timing your Dragster
along the course. Why not organise drag races with your friends?
Black wire
Red wire
Black wire
Red wire
Worm gear
Long axle