Can I get a nitro guide the starts at the beginning? No one starts at the beginning.

[Yang]

Everyone's guides are like "step 1: Start the car and let it run"

As if it were that simple!

Why do no guides actually explain what to do if the car will not start? I've literally spent hours and hours trying to get nitro engines to start with no luck.

 

[mzanzirc]

Everyone's guides are like "step 1: Start the car and let it run"

As if it were that simple!

Why do no guides actually explain what to do if the car will not start? I've literally spent hours and hours trying to get nitro engines to start with no luck.

There are a couple of things to check if the car is not starting.

1. Is the carb getting fuel? If you no fuel is reaching the carb, you might have a airleak somewhere. Nitro engines work by pressurizing the tank to get fuel to the carb. Prime the engine.
2. Is your glow starter working correctly? A gent here the other day had endless issues starting his nitro. Ended up being a faulty glow ignitor.
3. Is the glow plug working? Take the plug out, put it on the glow starter. If it burns bright, its good. If it's dim, it's either the plug or the ignitor. It could also be the wrong type of plug?
4. Is your carb opening set properly? Too big and it wont start. I'm guessing too small, it wont start as well.
5. Give it some throttle trim. Like a manual choke.
6. Unscrew the glow plug a crack before trying to start, and when it starts, screw it in hand tight.
7. Heat the engine with a heat gun if it's hard to turn over with the pull start.

I'm thinking the pro's will give some more finder details on what could be wrong.
But a nitro needs 3 things like a normal car engine.

Fuel, air and "spark" in the form of the glow plug.

And good luck! I've recently got my first nitro and although I had to fix it because I broke something, it started right up after I made sure of all the above.

 

[Yang]

1. Yes, it spits fuel when priming the engine and the air filter is off
2. 3. Got an orange glow yes. And I'm using OS 8 plugs that are supposed to be quality
4. 1mm-2mm open
5. Tried, doesn't work
6. Tried this
7. Tried this. I'm using a drill start too

Youtubers with this same engine just pull the pullstart 3 times and it starts. Are they just cheating you?

 

[alfredwong2003]

1. Yes, it spits fuel when priming the engine and the air filter is off
2. 3. Got an orange glow yes. And I'm using OS 8 plugs that are supposed to be quality
4. 1mm-2mm open
5. Tried, doesn't work
6. Tried this
7. Tried this. I'm using a drill start too

Youtubers with this same engine just pull the pullstart 3 times and it starts. Are they just cheating you?

No, not really, your milage will varies. There are starting guides in a perfect world and there are trouble shooting guides in an imperfect world.

If too much fuel is splitting out, you could have flooded your engine.

 

[mzanzirc]

1. Yes, it spits fuel when priming the engine and the air filter is off
2. 3. Got an orange glow yes. And I'm using OS 8 plugs that are supposed to be quality
4. 1mm-2mm open
5. Tried, doesn't work
6. Tried this
7. Tried this. I'm using a drill start too

Youtubers with this same engine just pull the pullstart 3 times and it starts. Are they just cheating you?

You could be flooding your engine maybe? If you say it spits fuel, maybe there is too much. I blow into the fuel line from the exhaust and as soon as I see the fuel reach the tip of where it connects to the carb, I stop.

Is your HSN needle at the factory settings? Or have you maybe changed it?

I heard that sometimes the factory settings on a RTR is TOO rich and could also cause it to not start. Maybe return the needles to factory if touched, or if not touched, turn the high speed needle in a SLIGHT bit. Like the width of a screwdriver.

 

[Yang]

The manual HSP settings are too lean. The recommend 2 /1/2 turns and I already blew an engine running that. The store owner told me to do 4 turns out.

I've tried all kinds of needle settings, read every guide, watched hours of youtube. Nothing works.

 

[mzanzirc]

The other gent who had issues also mentioned his glow ignitor is working. But in the end it was the ignitor. It lit the glow plug, but not enough.

I'm going to hazard a guess and say you are flooding your engine. I doubt you will feel a flooded engine with a drill start. With a pull start, one can easily feel it getting too tight to pull.

Flooding the engine and keeping on cranking it with a drill start could cause damage in the engine.

So lets start "fresh".

Double and triple check your glow plug and glow ignitor. Replace both if you can for the test.

Take the glow plug out, turn the car upside down and pour any fuel out. Also crank it a few times with the drill start without the glow plug in to make sure it expels any fuel in the chamber. Put the glow plug back in. (replace with a new one if you have spares).

Find out what the factory settings are for the needles. Set them back to factory and then back the HSN out to richen the mix as per the hobby shop.

Heat up the engine with a heat gun.

Then prime by taking off the fuel line from the exhaust and blowing into it until fuel reaches the end of the line and the start of the carb. (How are you priming the engine? Blocking the exhaust stinger and putting the drill on it, or blowing into the fuel line?) Priming the engine with a drill start could also make it flood quicker. The drill is much faster than a pull start. Make sure your glow ignitor is fully charged, put it on the glow plug and make sure it's seated correctly. Give it a tiny bit throttle trim to open the carb a small amount, then give it a bump with the drill start.

Upload a video and post if here. Perhaps we can hear or see something that is keeping it from starting.

 

[alfredwong2003]

The other gent who had issues also mentioned his glow ignitor is working. But in the end it was the ignitor. It lit the glow plug, but not enough.

I'm going to hazard a guess and say you are flooding your engine. I doubt you will feel a flooded engine with a drill start. With a pull start, one can easily feel it getting too tight to pull.

Flooding the engine and keeping on cranking it with a drill start could cause damage in the engine.

So lets start "fresh".

Double and triple check your glow plug and glow ignitor. Replace both if you can for the test.

Take the glow plug out, turn the car upside down and pour any fuel out. Also crank it a few times with the drill start without the glow plug in to make sure it expels any fuel in the chamber. Put the glow plug back in. (replace with a new one if you have spares).

Find out what the factory settings are for the needles. Set them back to factory and then back the HSN out to richen the mix as per the hobby shop.

Heat up the engine with a heat gun.

Then prime by taking off the fuel line from the exhaust and blowing into it until fuel reaches the end of the line and the start of the carb. (How are you priming the engine? Blocking the exhaust stinger and putting the drill on it, or blowing into the fuel line?) Priming the engine with a drill start could also make it flood quicker. The drill is much faster than a pull start. Make sure your glow ignitor is fully charged, put it on the glow plug and make sure it's seated correctly. Give it a tiny bit throttle trim to open the carb a small amount, then give it a bump with the drill start.

Upload a video and post if here. Perhaps we can hear or see something that is keeping it from starting.

I would add one more thing, shut off the HSN when you try to un-flood your engine. I myself would start from a 3 turn out after. Some of the engine HSN itself has a very small range between flooding the engine and leaning too much. I had one Chinese engine has only a window of half turn.

 

[johnnydmd]

What car and engine is this? There's a pretty big difference between 2.5 turns out and 4 turns out.

 

[Yang]

What car and engine is this? There's a pretty big difference between 2.5 turns out and 4 turns out.

HSP 1/10 road car with VX-18 engine

 

[Yang]

Brand new OS Number 8 plug. Brand new bottle of nitro. A lipo igniter is on order.

Video here: https://streamable.com/sppug5

 

[alfredwong2003]

I would take out the glow plug, put your hand or tissue over the engine head and cranks a few times and check if fuel is getting out. If a lot of fuel is coming out, then shut off the HSN and keep cranking it until no more fuel is coming then open the HSN 3 turns and try again. If no fuel is coming out at all, drop a few drops of fuel into the carburetor and try or prime enough to get some fuel out the head.

 

[gandalfnz]

Are you sure the engine is primed, I can't see the fuel going trough the tubing?
Those engines are great, and very easy to start and tune!

There is no fuel in that engine.

Open up the idle a few mm's more, on your remote.

 

[mzanzirc]

I'm also not hearing that normal prr prr prr sound of the engine while cranking. Could be that the rotostart is drowning it out.

There must be something small wrong. Perhaps take it to your local hobby shop and let them have a look. If only to get it fired up to show that the engine is indeed working.

 

[Yang]

Are you sure the engine is primed, I can't see the fuel going trough the tubing?
Those engines are great, and very easy to start and tune!

There is no fuel in that engine.

Open up the idle a few mm's more, on your remote.

Yes I am blowing into the tube until fuel hits the carb intake. And I'm already at max open throttle trim.

I tested by turning it upside down and there is fuel coming out. So there is fuel in the engine.

And even when I drop some nitro into the glow plug hole with a syringe it wont start.

 

[gandalfnz]

Yes I am blowing into the tube until fuel hits the carb intake. And I'm already at max open throttle trim.

I tested by turning it upside down and there is fuel coming out. So there is fuel in the engine.

And even when I drop some nitro into the glow plug hole with a syringe it wont start.

Try avoiding having to blow in the tube to get the fuel into the carb, for safety reasons among others.
Put your finger over the exhaust stinger and crank it, you should see the fuel enter the carb very quickly when you do this.
Dont stop as soon as the fuel touches the carb, it still needs a few more cranks for the crank shaft to suck the fuel into the cylinder.

This also tells you whether you whole system is sealed, if its drawing the air from somewhere, fuel will travel very slow, if at all!

If it wont even try to start when you put the fuel directly into trough the glow opening, then its either your glow starter or glow plug.
Is it a Ni-Cad or Ni-Mh glow starter?
Those cheap ones are quite bad, I have had a few cases, where I test the glow plug outside and it glows, but then the moment I put it in the car, the voltage on the glow driver drops (is near empty) and it just can't glow bright enough.
I use a lipo glow starter, best investment to be honest.
As far as I know, HSP still uses Ni-Cd glow drivers, which are ancient, and should be thrown in rubbish.

Hope that helps!

 

[Yang]

Try avoiding having to blow in the tube to get the fuel into the carb, for safety reasons among others.
Put your finger over the exhaust stinger and crank it, you should see the fuel enter the carb very quickly when you do this.
Dont stop as soon as the fuel touches the carb, it still needs a few more cranks for the crank shaft to suck the fuel into the cylinder.

This also tells you whether you whole system is sealed, if its drawing the air from somewhere, fuel will travel very slow, if at all!

If it wont even try to start when you put the fuel directly into trough the glow opening, then its either your glow starter or glow plug.
Is it a Ni-Cad or Ni-Mh glow starter?
Those cheap ones are quite bad, I have had a few cases, where I test the glow plug outside and it glows, but then the moment I put it in the car, the voltage on the glow driver drops (is near empty) and it just can't glow bright enough.
I use a lipo glow starter, best investment to be honest.
As far as I know, HSP still uses Ni-Cd glow drivers, which are ancient, and should be thrown in rubbish.

Hope that helps!

NiMh according to the label. There's a chat group in my city for RC guys and I asked one to lend me an igniter to test if my car is broken. He said just bring the car to him tonight and he'll start it. Although he seems to think the igniter isn't the issue because he said if it's making the plug glow it's working.

 

[Yang]

I took it to this guy with lots of experience and we managed to start it and get it idling. He did stuff that is mentioned in no guides. People really need to put this stuff in their guides!

Firstly he said that my rotostart is not powerful enough so he got out an ACTUAL power drill. He left the igniter on quite a long time. Much longer than I was. And he span the engine for a good 6-8 seconds even when it was sounding like it was starting to fire he kept spinning. He'd then pump the throttle on the radio and it sounded like the engine cleared it's throat and suddenly burst into life. He also did something with my linkages and servo horn.

I'm sure those youtubers are paid off by banggood to edit all this out. Cause they imply it can just start straight out the box with a pull starter when we had to use an actual power drill to start it.

His advice to me was buy a power drill. We even used the same rubbish igniter I was using to start it.

It's night time now so I can't do the break in yet.

 

[johnnydmd]

Looking at your video, I have a few comments.

1. That rotostart is plenty powerful enough. I have used that one for years on big blocks, and small blocks.

2. Looked like you were doing very short bursts. Let that thing spin a bit.

3. If you use a power drill, you must make sure that it's set to slip if it hits resistance - aka, your engine is flooded - otherwise you WILL destroy your engine right quick.

 

[Yang]

With it taking this much effort with a rotor/drill start spinning at high speed for a good while, I wonder how the hell they expected people to start the engine with the stock pull start.

You have no hope in hell of spinning it that fast with a pull start. Now this might be because it's not broken in and a non broken in engine is hard to start. But again... the car comes with a pull start... and if we needed to spin it on a power drill for 6-8 seconds how did they expect anyone to start it for it's breakin?