California Help Tuning Engine in San Diego

[D3MON]

@D3MON @Rolex: I had my tune and I lost it. Now I have a couple of questions:

1. Yesterday I went out and I couldn't start the engine. After some attempts my reaction was to start playing with my LSN. I wasn't able to start it so I then started to play with the HSN. After it, I lost the tune. Should I have tried to start it more with the settings I had? Use a little throttle?

2. I am now using the tuning chart provided by @Rolex to get my tune back. I have return the needles to factory setting. It wont cold start idle how it used to, and it wont start the same way. Which brings me to the question: how should I start the engine? Use some throttle? How should I warm up my engine during a 70F day? When I had my I would start it with 3-4 pulls, kept the glow igniter on for 10 sec, then I would let it idle for a min until RPM increased slightly. I was able to hear it.

3. If my engine wont turn on once I have my tune back. What should I do? I feel I should not mess with the LSN.

Typically I play with my throttle while starting just out of habit, normally just little blips. the LSN after you get its initial setting, and unless you are using different fuel percentages, it should not change very much if at all.
+1 to @cbaker65 , record somewhere what the needle settings were at so you can go back to them if needed.
as far as warming up the engine, i ususally fire it up with the glow igniter on and idle for 30 seconds to a minute, remove the glow igniter, then around until it warms up to close to temps. given that it is a new engine it wouldnt be a bad idea to use a heat gun to warm the block up a bit before starting, but a little unnecessary.
Side Note: (also whenever you are turning it off for a while, mark the flywheel with a sharpie or marker at bottom dead center, so you can return it there when it cools. (saves pinch of the engine)).
if it doesn't start when you get your needle settings back, hold the throttle slightly open and try starting again, some will actually change their throttle trim to open the carb a bit for initial start (i dont do this nor recommend it because dialing it back in isnt worth the hassle to me.)

Hope this helps!

 

[josegarcia8578]

I actually marked my LSN with a marker for the factory setting and I did not mark it after the tune. I will do that.

Okay, I thought it was bad leaving the glow igniter on the engine for too long? I'll keep it on longer then!

If it idles roughly for a minute, should I adjust the lsn? Or should I just go to the HSN setting first and then LSN?

 

[D3MON]

I actually marked my LSN with a marker for the factory setting and I did not mark it after the tune. I will do that.

Okay, I thought it was bad leaving the glow igniter on the engine for too long? I'll keep it on longer then!

If it idles roughly for a minute, should I adjust the lsn? Or should I just go to the HSN setting first and then LSN?

oh yeah you have the weird LSN, forget about that. i ususally just count turns out from snug.
it wont hurt anything having the glow igniter on there for 30-40 seconds on start up. glow plugs are not like spark plugs, to where it wont ignite the fuel unless there is compression as well. where spark plugs will ignite the gasoline even if no compression.

let the engine warm up to operating temperature before you tune it at all. (disclaimer: if it is significantly different ambient weather i like to richen the HSN 1/4 turn, just so i know my engine isnt going to be Lean.) other than that, you will tune yourself in circles tuning a cold engine.
once its up to operating temperature, (or if really rich it will be lower than operating temperatures) then start adjusting needles as needed.
usually a few minutes (2-5) of running around should bring the engine temp up enough to start tuning it in.

 

[josegarcia8578]

@D3MON thanks for the tips.

I made the mistake yesterday of trying to tune the idle or adjust it to sound better with a cold engine by adjusting the lsn. It wasn't stable at all. If it starts, should I warm it up by using throttle and running the engine cold until warm? This is assuming that I can start it Haha

 

[D3MON]

@D3MON thanks for the tips.

I made the mistake yesterday of trying to tune the idle or adjust it to sound better with a cold engine by adjusting the lsn. It wasn't stable at all. If it starts, should I warm it up by using throttle and running the engine cold until warm? This is assuming that I can start it Haha

given how new that engine is if possible id get a heat gun to warm up the block a bit. can get a heat gun for like 15$ at harbor freight, just set it to the low setting and keep moving the heat gun around over it to slowly warm it up to 130-150F.
typically really only necessary for break in (on some engines), but i overthink things in the name of trying to make engines last as long as possible.

whether you used a heat gun or not:
then just run it around (not being aggressive on the throttle), and do a few warm up passes and circles etc till its warmed up.
especially while getting an engine tuned its not uncommon to have to blip the throttle to keep it running.

 

[josegarcia8578]

After a while, the engine should start up easier, over time?

Thanks, for the info. I expected or wanted the engine to idle good straight from a cold start. I will try I
Out your method and then go for a tune.

If bothers the HSN and LSN are lean, if I richer the HSN, this should also richer the LSN, correct?

 

[D3MON]

it will a bit, not alot, that is the reason why you start with the HSN when leaning out, as you wont want to over lean the LSN while leaning out the HSN.

 

[cbaker65]

I actually marked my LSN with a marker for the factory setting and I did not mark it after the tune. I will do that.

Okay, I thought it was bad leaving the glow igniter on the engine for too long? I'll keep it on longer then!

If it idles roughly for a minute, should I adjust the lsn? Or should I just go to the HSN setting first and then LSN?

If it idles roughly ,then it is probably loading up with fuel ,I would leave the LSN alone an go to the HSN an
start to lean it out ,there ,it should start to smooth out some an the rpm's should change!

 

[josegarcia8578]

So I went out to try to start the engine and this happened when I ran it to warm it up:

 

[josegarcia8578]

The fastener holding the clutch assembly backed out Monday, I reattached it. Then yesterday, the first gear popped off. I then reattached it myself and today the fastener holding the clutch fell out. Causing the destruction. Bad luck?

 

[josegarcia8578]

This was yesterday

:

 

[D3MON]

very much, bad luck! if anything threads into metal, threadlock the S#$% out of it with some blue threadlocker. especially in the drivetrain. sometimes manufacturers will do this in production, others do not, and sometimes they miss a few rigs.
when you get a new one definitely reset the mesh. used to use the piece of paper method but then found it easier to just do it by feel. especially with multiple gears like that. hope you get it back up and running soon.
was the truck hitting powerband as you were running it?
my friend just had a engine mount screw back out and shredded his spur on his nitro rs4 then on mine later that day mine on my MGT backed out, i got lucky because i have a steel spur gear for that though and caught it before it destroyed my clutchbell. it definitely happens. i dont usually thread-lock engine mounts but on problem ones i have before.

 

[cbaker65]

Or if you don't have thread loc off hand ,you also can use ca glue or crazy glue!

It may still run with the missing gear ,that appears to be first gear ,just make sure that those parts are
tight with adhesive .just put a small drop there on the threads against the bell gear!

 

[D3MON]

Or if you don't have thread loc off hand ,you also can use ca glue or crazy glue!

It may still run with the missing gear ,that appears to be first gear ,just make sure that those parts are
tight with adhesive .just put a small drop there on the threads against the bell gear!

the only thing is that the secondary shaft is not going to spin fast enough to engage the second gear as the first gear is not going to be spinning it.
+1 on the glues!

 

[josegarcia8578]

Wouldit be fine to put lue thread locker? Which part is the bell gear?

 

[cbaker65]

the only thing is that the secondary shaft is not going to spin fast enough to engage the second gear as the first gear is not going to be spinning it.
+1 on the glues!

Yea your right ,I just thought about that after I posted ,DOH ....I just had mine in my hand spinning it ,my
first gear is stripped as well!

His engine may have loosened up ,so he should check that!

 

[josegarcia8578]

I think I found the culptrit:

 

[josegarcia8578]

The threading is messed up, this attaches to the flywheel. I will need to check the flywheel out. That explains why it keeps on coming off. In terms of the gear getting messed up, I took the engine off to retighned th bold and I didnt check gear alignment. I didnt know I had to do that. Is this what you meant by check the mesh using paper @D3MON ? Can you explain that?

 

[josegarcia8578]

Wait, this goes through the flywheel and attaches directly to the crank shaft. I hope the thread there isnt messed up.

 

[D3MON]

Wouldit be fine to put lue thread locker? Which part is the bell gear?

the bell gear is the gears mounted directly to the engine. the 3 mounted to the transmission are the spur gears.
for setting the mesh with paper you slide a piece of paper between the bell gears and the spur gears then hold the engine squarely against the spur gears semi tight. dont need to squeeze it.
to check spin the clutchbell and make sure that gears spin freely. also rock the clutchbell back and forth to make sure there is not too much slop!
the threads in the crank are super hardened typically and should be find. try threading a new bolt in to make sure that there is no binding or anything with the threads.