hpi savage 4.6 bb old fuel 2.5 years how to get it running?

Welcome to RCTalk

Come join other RC enthusiasts! You'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

pelicanprentice

RCTalk Racer
Messages
113
Reaction score
10
hey! last time i used my hpi savage x 4.6bb. It was about 2.5 years ago and I can’t completely remember if I took out all the old nitro fuel inside the gas tank when I put it in storage.

Well I just revisited it today and the gas tank was empty, I looked inside and it looked normal i didn’t really see anything alarming. I poured some new fuel in and primed it and gave it some hits with my roto start and glow plug. It seems to spin normally with the roto start. I checked the glow plug and it doesn’t heat up all the way to the top. It only heats at the bottom. I guess it probably got gummed up sitting for so long or something so I’m gonna buy a new one

Before I put the new glow plug in and test it out, anything else I should do? Like is there a way that I can get any old fuel that might still be in the engine from before or something?

I think I remember if I take the glow plug out and hit it with the roto start, fuel should leak out or something right? i was thinking maybe some new fuel would clean out any bunk inside. i dont want to take the engine apart however

The fuel line seems to be flowing properly like I don’t think there gummed or anything.

I have some 99% isopropyl alcohol and paint thinner and other stuff on hand if that helps!



Thanks!
 
hey! last time i used my hpi savage x 4.6bb. It was about 2.5 years ago and I can’t completely remember if I took out all the old nitro fuel inside the gas tank when I put it in storage.

Well I just revisited it today and the gas tank was empty, I looked inside and it looked normal i didn’t really see anything alarming. I poured some new fuel in and primed it and gave it some hits with my roto start and glow plug. It seems to spin normally with the roto start. I checked the glow plug and it doesn’t heat up all the way to the top. It only heats at the bottom. I guess it probably got gummed up sitting for so long or something so I’m gonna buy a new one

Before I put the new glow plug in and test it out, anything else I should do? Like is there a way that I can get any old fuel that might still be in the engine from before or something?

I think I remember if I take the glow plug out and hit it with the roto start, fuel should leak out or something right? i was thinking maybe some new fuel would clean out any bunk inside. i dont want to take the engine apart however

The fuel line seems to be flowing properly like I don’t think there gummed or anything.

I have some 99% isopropyl alcohol and paint thinner and other stuff on hand if that helps!



Thanks!

I would at least take the engine off ,take starter & backplate off an spray WD40 inside an let it sit awhile ,an then rotate all
the internals ,an rinse it out some more with WD40 ,put it back together ,should be ok!
I would not use any harsh chemicals that may upset the seals & O-rings on the carb needles!
You can also use the fuel to rinse out the tank ,an rinse the inside of the engine with a little fuel to disipate
any WD 40 after the WD 40 bath!

This method maybe controversal ,but sense you dont want to do a complete tear down ,that is what I would do!..:cool:
 
I would at least take the engine off ,take starter & backplate off an spray WD40 inside an let it sit awhile ,an then rotate all
the internals ,an rinse it out some more with WD40 ,put it back together ,should be ok!
I would not use any harsh chemicals that may upset the seals & O-rings on the carb needles!
You can also use the fuel to rinse out the tank ,an rinse the inside of the engine with a little fuel to disipate
any WD 40 after the WD 40 bath!

This method maybe controversal ,but sense you dont want to do a complete tear down ,that is what I would do!..:cool:

great thx for the input! can i just take the glow plug out and put the wd40 in there? or does it have to be the engine taken out side

i assume the wd40 residue just evaporates? thx
 
great thx for the input! can i just take the glow plug out and put the wd40 in there? or does it have to be the engine taken out side

i assume the wd40 residue just evaporates? thx

You can do that ,but it really wont break any of the residue up out of the bearings or anything!
You can try taking the filter off an squirting WD in the carb an rotate the engine to get it inside
of it ,do that a few times an turn the truck upside down an rotate the engine ,but again ,it is not
a for sure thing that what ever is in there ,any residue from the old fuel is going to come out ,I am
not sure if any residue will hurt the engine if you run it like that!
I have let engines set for a couple years an ran them with out issues ,the only issue I had ,was needle
O-rings drying out causing the carb to leak!
 
WD 40 is the worst ting for a engine. Only use after run oil a couple drops inside the engine and spin it over. Want to prevent gum up then use fuel with castor oil. Put a new plug in and new fuel and see what happens.
 
as Cbaker said above, really recommend taking off the backplate and rinsing it out. whether with old nitro fuel or WD40, brake cleaner (non chlorinated only) Denatured alcohol, etc.
make sure if you do use a cleaner (denatured alcohol, brake cleaner, etc) to re-lube the piston and sleeve and bearings.
last thing you want is for a chunk of debris to get somewhere and mess something up. better safe then sorry imo anyways.
using anything harsher can mess up o-rings and seals.
 
great thanks a ton! correct me if I'm wrong but if i run it for half a tank once its running, would that automatically end up cleaning out the gunk or any build up inside or do i still have to take it out and clean from backplate?

thx
 
It should clean it out. Again use fuel with castor oil and you won't have any gunk inside. If you have gunk inside your engine your fuel doesn't have castor oil in it. You can add it. Always use a fuel filter to prevent a lean run and damage to your engine.
 
great thanks a ton! correct me if I'm wrong but if i run it for half a tank once its running, would that automatically end up cleaning out the gunk or any build up inside or do i still have to take it out and clean from backplate?

thx
it "could", but hard to know for sure without looking until its too late. the engines are really simple to remove and to open up. as long as you have a clean work surface, and dont use metal tooling internally, it would be difficult to mess them up. just few things that are good practice is to move the piston close to TDC when you remove the backplate, (usually pull start and rotostart engines don't matter, but some have a groove the piston sits down in, in the backplate portion that extends into the block) clean the exterior of any loose debris, make sure to get all the loose stuff off with the filter on or the carb plugged so nothign falls down in, and take pictures and note where screws go for re-assembly.
 
I had a similar issue when I brought my stuff out after riding a shelf for a couple years. I did pretty much the same thing Cbaker recommended. Removed engine and removed glow plug, back plate and carb. Saturated with WD40 and let it sit overnight. Used fuel to rinse everything and reassembled. I also rinsed out fuel tanks with fuel before the first fill. I replaced all of the fuel lines with new ones.

I'm haven't heard anything about WD40 being bad for an engine. Not contradicting opposing views, just stating that I'm hearing something new.
 
WD40 is a degreaser rust remover. It' doesn't lubricate anything. After run oil is a lubricate and pernitrates degummed engines. Castor oil will clean and protect your engine from getting all gummed up. So no need to do all that work to get a nitro engine running again. It's called preventive maintenance. The only time you should disassemble a engine and clean it out is when you break an internal part. Cleaning out you engine every year is a waste of time and can cost you money stripping out screw holes.
 
Last edited:
Giant Bone to pick here..Why do people recommend and use WD 40? Its not a cleaner of anything its not a lubricant .. what is it its a water displacer.. it coats anything it touches..then dry's to a sticky coating.hurd and seen guys use it on tires for carpet..( wd 40 does make a can labelled wd 40 lubricant no the traditional blue and yellow can but orange n black) if I'm gonna clean something to get what ever I'm trying to clean clean I'm gonna use a task specific product.ie brakeclean/alchohol(everclear is my choice) a few others.. then if I want to prelude something I'm gonna use a micro lubricant Zmaxx is my go to have a few cans ,drip bottles around my place..also some Red marine grease.
 
WD40 is a degreaser rust remover. It' doesn't lubricate anything. After run oil is a lubricate and pernitrates degummed engines. Castor oil will clean and protect your engine from getting all gummed up. So no need to do all that work to get a nitro engine running again.
agreed, wd40 is not a good after run oil (IMO, some people swear by it though), nor lubricant, but it does act as a solvent and will help to break up gummed up oil. the castor oil to keep it from gumming up, and keeping the internals clean though, i do not agree with.
 
pull 4.6 off tear it apart and lube and clean with a tooth brush some alcohol and lube with a thin oil.keep old nitro to start your charcoal fires or outdoor fires dont use it buy new.doing things on the cheap will come back and sink its fangs into you...
 
Did not say to lube with WD ,just said to clean or rinse the engine with it!

However ,..I did get one thing right in this thread ,you all figure that one out!..
 
pull 4.6 off tear it apart and lube and clean with a tooth brush some alcohol and lube with a thin oil.keep old nitro to start your charcoal fires or outdoor fires dont use it buy new.doing things on the cheap will come back and sink its fangs into you...
the methanol in the fuel is an alcohol solvent that will re-dissolve the gummed up oils back into the fuel while still being safe for everything in the engine. obviously dont use fuel that has absorbed a bunch of moisture, and flush it out once done. definitely re-oil with an ARO of choice during assembly.
Did not say to lube with WD ,just said to clean or rinse the engine with it!

However ,..I did get one thing right in this thread ,you all figure that one out!..
was pretty spot on advice, safe way to go to confirm bearings are still in good working order, confirm if rust or not, and able to inspect for rust.
 
thanks a ton for all the help! i went to get a new plug from hobby shop but they only had a traxxas 3232x, it seems to be a long plug. is that fine to use? i honeslty dont know the correct size and if it is too long i can just double gasket it. its for a hpi savage x 4.6 big block

thanks!
 
They look longer because of the body length. The thread end is the same length as an Os #8 plug. I us both.
 
Back
Top