How do you heat up a nitro engine without using all of your fuel in the bottle? 12-27-20

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newnitro2020

Gone - bye bye.
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I have a half quart of nitro fuel I ends up using it all up trying to warm up the engine and I could never get it to warm up where I can tune. It would take me ages before it gets warmed up to at least 200 degrees. It'll be between 130 and 150 degrees but not at 200 or 230.

I know I came off ignoring the last time I post but I honestly don't know when I'm doing and if I did know I wouldn't be posting the things that I post.

So how do you go by for the first time tune a Nitro engine in a way that you can warm up the engines to its optimal temperature. This is something I just found out you have to warm up the engine to the optimal temperature for the engine to be tuned properly. Every time I watch people's videos I always thought after you start the Nitro you run a few passes and then tune. But I found by doing that I learned that it would run cold. Could understand why, until I learn that what they mean by warming the engine is getting it to its optimal temperature. I'm sorry if this is a long post.


Disclaimer! I must warn anybody that I'm not text literate as well as reading. I appreciated the answers I can get. Thank you. I had to use software to read stuff for me or spell stuff for me.
 
Outside temperature has everything to with engine temp I test @70 degree days. Not winter temps. Where are you getting reading from? It should be right next to the glow plug. Not the top of the cooling head. Buying fuel buy the Quart is a big rip off.
 
Outside temperature has everything to with engine temp I test @70 degree days. Not winter temps. Where are you getting reading from? It should be right next to the glow plug. Not the top of the cooling head. Buying fuel buy the Quart is a big rip off.
Are you saying not to tune when it's cold? I remember a summer time I tried to tune an engine but couldn't get the engine to get warm enough it would be between 150 to 160.

It would run extremely rich almost to the point of either stalling or just the car sagging what a blur kind of sound. There's got to be a way to warm up an engine without using up all this fuel.


You say A quart is a rip off how so? If you buy a gallon of fuel you be paying about fifty bucks. I need a little more information.
 
Are you saying not to tune when it's cold? I remember a summer time I tried to tune an engine but couldn't get the engine to get warm enough it would be between 150 to 160.

It would run extremely rich almost to the point of either stalling or just the car sagging what a blur kind of sound. There's got to be a way to warm up an engine without using up all this fuel.


You say A quart is a rip off how so? If you buy a gallon of fuel you be paying about fifty bucks. I need a little more information.
Winter you have to tune your engine differently. It takes more time as the engine won't warm up. I don't bother.

Buying quarts is a rip off!!! 4 quarts = 1 gallon. So if you pay $12 a quart and a gallon costs $35. You pay for the hazmat charge every time. I buy fuel by the case $100 local. 16 quarts x $12 = 4 gallons .
 
Winter you have to tune your engine differently. It takes more time as the engine won't warm up. I don't bother.

Buying quarts is a rip off!!! 4 quarts = 1 gallon. So if you pay $12 a quart and a gallon costs $35. You pay for the hazmat charge every time. I buy fuel by the case $100 local. 16 quarts x $12 = 4 gallons .
good info
 
Again start with factory settings. make sue to use a fuel filter. You may have to idle up to keep engine running. motor should start and run. If not then something is wrong.
 
It sounds like you're running way too rich.
Yes it'll spit out fuel I don't know which way to lean out the low speed or the high speed answer your question. I know it was hot out and I couldn't get the engine to warm at all no matter what. It took me an hour and a half before I finally got it to warm up. But that was basically me using up a whole quart of fuel just for having trouble between engine starting and warming it up.
 
Again start with factory settings. make sue to use a fuel filter. You may have to idle up to keep engine running. motor should start and run. If not then something is wrong.
Will you say idling up, you're saying to open the idle little more just to keep the engine running enough so you can tune it and then once it's fine tune at some point you can close it so doesn't end up over revving or getting lean?
 
Yes! Then let it run with the glow driver on for a while. It should stay running. You have to adjust the low so it will stay running and not lean out. Keep adjusting the low 1/8 turn so when you blip the throttle it doesn't rev up when you stop and let it idle. Try the pinch test. pinch the line and see if the engine revs up or down. Up too lean open 1/8 turn. if it slows down ant takes more than 5 seconds to rich. close 1/8 turn. All the high does id max speed. So don't mess with it.
 
try something like this.
Dynamite 12V DC Nitro Engine Heater | Tower Hobbies
I have a select a temp heat gun that I used years ago. set it for 185 and I was good to go

I also use one of these, even in the summer to get my head temp up to operating range for the first run. Great tool!! Also pick up a cheep heat gun from Harbor Freight Tools and use it when needed. Pre Heating the engine helps keep it in good shape and last longer.
1500 Watt Dual Temperature Heat Gun (harborfreight.com)
 
Personally I’ve never used a heat gun or engine warmer , it’s very cold out right now you can use a hot glow plug, or simply make the engine run a little leaner, much like your real Car the Ecu will sort everything out for you, you must Notice your real car is faster on cold days then hot summer days??
same principle applies however you don’t have a computer to control your RC Nitro engine. ;)
Cold weather Hot Glow plugs Run the Engine a Bit more Lean it will be a bit faster ,
And in the summer you’ll need to richen the Engine to keep it cool, and go back to medium/cool glow plugs .
Tune the engine to suit weather .
you are the ECU for your nitro car .
 
Some engine only use a hot plug. Running leaner in the winter ruins you engine faster.
 
thanks everybody for all the information!!!!
 
Depends how mean you wish to make it? Never done my engines any harm, I have quite a few to be fair, Nova Rossi, Picco, OS, to name a few .
I use Champion 20. People Slat it , but again never Done my engines any harm .
Turbo plugs standard plugs what ever ? They’re all Good . Not to mention my cheaper ones from RTR cars .
 
High speed needle needs to be adjusted a little lean just to get the engine to warm up better if it's that rich where it won't clean out. Answer to the thread.
 

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