Kyosho inferno neo 3.0 nitro engine help

[GUY WETZEL]

well to make a long story short....i received a neo 3.0 ready set and out of the box the motor would not crank at all. After unsuccessfully trying to contact kyosho customer service with no success I took it upon my self to diagnose the engine. First there was no shim Behind the flywheel, there was no chrome on the top of the cylinder, and the cylinder is egg shaped leading to the engine never gonna be able to run right out of the box. Also the receiver in the car is non functional so the car was doomed from the very start. Is there an engine I can swap this out with without having to do heavy modifications?. Any help would be apperciated.

 

[cbaker65]

well to make a long story short....i received a neo 3.0 ready set and out of the box the motor would not crank at all. After unsuccessfully trying to contact kyosho customer service with no success I took it upon my self to diagnose the engine. First there was no shim Behind the flywheel, there was no chrome on the top of the cylinder, and the cylinder is egg shaped leading to the engine never gonna be able to run right out of the box. Also the receiver in the car is non functional so the car was doomed from the very start. Is there an engine I can swap this out with without having to do heavy modifications?. Any help would be apperciated.

Does it have a warranty?
I would send it back if you havent messed with it too much!

Ready set!....

 

[GUY WETZEL]

Does it have a warranty?
I would send it back if you havent messed with it too much!

Ready set!....

I have tried to contact them for weeks and they will not contact me. Probably be the last one of that brand I buy

 

[Racer 1966]

So you bought directly from Kyosho? I'm guessing you are in the US. Is this the phone number you called?(+1) 949-454-8854

 

[GUY WETZEL]

Yes thats the number I called and it was given to me by the place I bought the car from

 

[Madness RC]

I don't know if I'm wrong but making a statement but I always thought it looked at Kyosho more for people with knowledge on their own about RC.


One because the customer service.

2 because of the way they make their instruction manuals aRe as far as how they explains stuff which is sometimes can be played out poor for someone who doesn't have the experience.






I remember years ago kyosho used to be a very good brand and that almost everybody had it everywhere. Simply because it was the Great Plains distributor much like team Losi being Horizon Hobby basically.


I mean some of their manuals as far as how they explain it radio and how you need to set the endpoints is good. But their troubleshoot section is lousy.

 

[Nitrohead v2.0]

Anyone know what engine I could put in the Kyushu inferno neo 3.0, was thinking about putting a lrp.28 spec 4 in, will it fit?

 

[Greywolf74]

Anyone know what engine I could put in the Kyushu inferno neo 3.0, was thinking about putting a lrp.28 spec 4 in, will it fit?

The KE21SP stock engine it comes with is a big block so you should be able to fit a .28 in it but a .28 is total torque overkill for a 1/8 buggy. Id find a good high RPM .21 and put in it. It will be faster and be more controllable. Just my

 

[StephMir]

well to make a long story short....i received a neo 3.0 ready set and out of the box the motor would not crank at all. After unsuccessfully trying to contact kyosho customer service with no success I took it upon my self to diagnose the engine. First there was no shim Behind the flywheel, there was no chrome on the top of the cylinder, and the cylinder is egg shaped leading to the engine never gonna be able to run right out of the box. Also the receiver in the car is non functional so the car was doomed from the very start. Is there an engine I can swap this out with without having to do heavy modifications?. Any help would be apperciated.

Hey. Its Oct. 2025. Just found this post. Did you ever get your engine problem fixed? Was Kyosho helpful at all? Please let me know, as I am in search of a Kyosho Inferno NEO ST 3.0 chassis (KYO33016) . I already have a .25 engine and looking to restore a Inferno ST 3.0. Cheers.

 

[Amos72703]

That's rough—sounds like you genuinely got a lemon. Before swapping engines, I'd push harder on the warranty angle; those defects (missing shim, bad cylinder) are straight-up manufacturing failures. If Kyosho won't budge, buying a replacement KE21SP is honestly simpler than adapting a different engine—swaps need matching mounts, exhaust ports, and carburetor specs, and the Neo 3.0's setup isn't friendly to cross-brand engines. One thing that sometimes works: heat the engine block gently (around 180°F) to expand the metal and free up a pinched cylinder, though that won't fix a missing shim. Worth trying before giving up on the stock engine if you can get past the warranty question. I put together a more detailed write-up here: https://answerlode.com/hobbies-leisure/kyosho-inferno-neo-3-engine-swap-options/