Break In/starting For First Time

[MONTFJ40]

I have a storm pro w/ an o.s. RZV01B...Last night i tried to start it for the first time, but i reversed the screws...i.e.,turned the low end screw 3 turns from close and left the other the way it came, got a little mixed up, i got it to start and idle, then it shut off and i realized that i mixed them up, so i opened the high end screw, one on top, 3 turns from closed and set the low end so it was flush w/ the casing, now i can't get it to start, maybe it's flooded??? So, i removed the glow plug and tried to flush out the fuel, could someone please walk me through the basics of firing up the engine, from the very begining...Please tell me like i have no idea what i'm doing, as is the truth. When i got it to start there was no smoke coming out of exhaust, so i think i was doing something wrong...So if i close both screws all the way, i.e., turn them clockwise till they stop, where do i go from there?

 

[Gmanlusk2004]

the "screws" you are referring to are called needles. And what you should do is be 3 turns out on the high end needle, and flush w/ the housing on the low end needle. That's pretty basic.... and that's what you have described. What it sounds like is either your glow heater needs to be charged, or you need to replace your glow plug. Also a common mistake is not even having fuel in the tank.

L8r,
Garrett

 

[MONTFJ40]

The glow starter huh, how long do those usually hold a charge? And, yes there is fuel in the tank...so once i let it idle for the first tank i should start leaning out the high end needle a little at a time right, and just leave the low end flush w/ housing???? Is that correct?

how long do glowplugs usually last?

 

[indyjohnny]

your needle settings sound good hsn 3 out, and lsn flush.. if your sure your not flooded then you may just not have a prime.. I usually just pull the pressure line off my exhaust pipe and lightly blow into the tube, till I see fuel make it to the carb, plug the tube back in and fire it up.. usually starts right away.. if this doesn't work.. better try a new plug and check your ignitor for charge.. good luck

 

[nitro dave]

montfj40- make sure you are setting the needles to factory settings when breaking in the engine. The documentation will tell you. If the manual says 2 full turns out on the HSN(high speed needle) then you close the needle all the way clockways, be careful not to over tighten, the needles are delicate. When the needle stops, back it back out 2 full turns, or whatever your manual says. This is the starting point for break in. Leave the LSN(low speed needle) at factory settings during break in.

Make sure that you have fresh fuel, and batteries in your glow ignitor. You can check your glow plug by pulling it from the head and sticking the ignitor on it, if it is not fouled up, and glows brightly, you are good. You will need to prime the engine, by that I mean you need to get fuel to the carb. Plug the stinger of your exhaust with your finger and give the pull start a few tugs, you should see fuel moving up the fuel line into the carb. Stop when you see fuel just enter the carb, you don't want to flood it. If the fuel is not moving to the carb, you can take the back pressure line from the pipe and blow into that a little to get fuel moving. When fuel is in the carb, hook the glow ignitor up to the glow plug, open the carb a little and give her a few tugs, it should fire up pretty easily.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you follow your instructions exactly for the break in procedure. This will maximize your enjoyment and the life of your engine. The temptation is to start letting it rip right away. I would search this forum for break in tips and the like, you are bound to find a lot of reading material.

Lastly, how long do glow plugs last? Who knows, I have had some that fouled up right away in a few tanks and some that have lasted the life of the engine. They tend to get fouled up more during break in due to the high amount of fuel going into the engine.

Hope this helps, don' hesitate to ask questions, someone around here will know the answer.

 

[RobH]

you said you bought your storm last year (and the engine too i assume). the v01b has been discontinued, but you can still download the manual for the engine:

http://www.osengines.com/manuals/21rz-v01b-v01b-p-manual.pdf

If you don't have the manual, you should download it and print it out.

If you have this manual, pages 14 and 15 go over the break-in process. Page 13 shows you exactly where the carb adjustment are, what they do, etc.

on page 18, there is a picture of where the LSN should be for break in. Put the LSN fluch with the outside of the carb and then turn it one full (360 degree) turn clockwise.

Page 14 say you should open the HSN 3 full turns from lightly seated, so you were right on that one.

Reading the manual is step #1 always. As you get in the hobby, you'll learn that reading and understanding the instructions will go a long way to save you money and agrivation in the long run.

I'm kind of concerned about what you're using for an exhaust manifold spring as per your last thread. Hope it doesn't pop off on you.

Good Luck,
Rob

 

[FlyinRazorback]

HSN - 2.5 turns out
LSN 3.5 turns out

During break-in you may want to richen the top about 1/2 -1 turn. I strongly suggest using Stephen Bess's break-in method

From the very 1st time you start your engine, plop the car on the ground & begin running it in a parking lot in 2-3 minute intervals, tuned only *slightly rich* getting the temps up in the 200F range on a normal day. Every 2-3 minutes, shut the engine down & let it cool completely with the piston at BDC, and then fire it back up; continue this cycle until you've run 15 min or so, and then bump up to 3-4 minute intervals. Vary the RPM and don't be afraid to get the temps in the 200's. What you want is heat cycling of the components without the incredible stress that comes with breaking an engine in when it's overly rich & cold. After cycling the engine in this mannerfor about 20-25 total minutes, it'll be ready for the track and race tuning. I realize this method goes against the old-school "idle on the box" routine, but you'll be amazed once you've completed this break-in routine, your OS will still have amazing pinch w/out sticking at the top AND your OS's compression will last far longer than it will with the "old school" method.

You say you run the engine at "factory settings" for the first FIVE tanks? That alone causes lots of stress, as the factory OS settings are very rich on every OS I've ever owned or tuned. The piston & sleeve haven't expanded to operating temps, and every time the engine turns over, the piston slams into the pinch zone at TDC. The not-so-surprising result can be a cracked con-rod at the crank pin--that's where the majority of the stresses occur as the engine turns over. I've only heard of about 6-8 OS engines breaking con-rods, and they're ALWAYS during the first gallon...and almost every time it's because the guys have performed the break-in procedure you described. Doesn't seem like a mystery as to why it's happening. Drawing out the break-in routine really stresses the engine & actually wears away compression along the way. This method I've outlined will feel weird at every step, but after you try it once, you'll notice a big difference in your engine's performance & lifespan.

Hope this helps; give this break-in method a shot--you have nothing to gain except longer life & more power

 

[RobH]

P.S., OS likes to call the Low Speed Needle (LSN) a Mixture Control Value. What they call the "Needle Value" is the High Speed Needle (HSN). I don't know why they insist on using their weird jargon, but that's those are the valves we commonly reffer to as the LSN and HSN respectively.

FlyingRazorBack needs to RTFM! :jk:

FlyingRazorBack is our resident v01b and buggy racing expert. I would take his advice over the manuals anyday.