glow plug is white

[truggy83]

Hello I tried retuning my jato yesterday and I believe I got it tuned pretty good. I made a stupid mistake though. When I went to shut it off, it has that red thing on the fuel line that you use to pinch it shut. Well if you push it a certain way, it locks the red thing in place permanently pinching the fuel line shut. I went to restart it and of course it wouldn't start so I figured the glow plug went bad. I called it a day and took it home. When I was doing my after run maintenance, I noticed that the fuel line was locked closed with this clip and that is why it wasn't starting for me . I took the glow plug out and the tip of the filament is like a darkish color and the tip was slightly wet with fuel. The rest of the filament is a white color. I don't see any cracks or brakes in the filament and it still seems to glow good. Does this mean I am tuned to lean or am I at the optimal tune.

 

[hamz9561]

It sounds like it is running a bit lean from he description of the plug.

 

[olds97_lss]

I would agree, a hair on the lean side, but not bad.

Here's an article on glow plug reading:
http://www.rc-truckncar-tuning.com/Glow-plug-reading.html

 

[mtaylortank]

I took my pinh thing off and put finger over the muffler if i dont run out of fuel first... I heard from a few people that is fine to do and without that thing on you wont leave any tubes pinched...

 

[truggy83]

thanks. now if it would stop raining for a day I would be able to run it and retune it richer.

 

[MotoGod]

I tap the toe of my shoe on the flywheel to shut mine down ;-)

 

[mtaylortank]

how do you fit your tip of your shoe close enough to the flywheel of your buggy what do you run???? and wouldnt that stress the motor alittle bit more than coverin the exhaust or pinching the line??

 

[olds97_lss]

There are few schools of thought on killing an engine.
1) Plug the exhaust.
- this causes the engine to get full of fuel usually
2) Pinch the fuel line
- This causes it to lean out. Doing it frequently may not make your glowplug last as long.
3) Touch the flywheel.
- not really any downside as long as you use something plastic just to rub on the flywheel enough to kill it.

Most engines have very low torque when at idle. So a quick touch of the flywheel is all that's needed. I use my tuning screwdriver handle.

 

[mtaylortank]

that is very good to know my friend had a day where his exhaust would unseal and it was funny to watch him try to do the finger on the exhaust test it woult get real loud and of course he would hit the throuttle as soon as it got loud. (loud enough to jump you) Them things are loud without exhaust and manifold....and talk about a mess on the rig after that happens tooo..