LST1 Pipe Issues

[Colide]

Hey RCN!, Has anyone had to fuss with LST pipe quality?...
In other words, what is the dealio with the LST sport pipes? Are they pure garbage or what.

I planned on replacing the stock pipe anyway, but the pipe I got on my LST1 appears to be restricted, and not giving enough back pressure to the fuel tank.
I say this due to the fact that the engines odd tuning issues I'm having go away as soon as I apply some air pressure to the return line, manually that is.

It's not completely blocked, but it pushes no flow from the pipe when the engine is running.
This LST1 has had an engine upgrade from the original mach 26 to a mach 28.

I don't think that would be a relevant consern here, but just want to be through in this discription.
Until I go to a better pipe, I'm wondering if this pipe can be modded to opperate properly.

I susspect the flow issue is localized at the pressure outlet at the top of the pipe.
Because I'm still breaking-in the .28 with over-rich needle settings, this adds to this issue by fuel oils collecting and getting in the return line.

Any suggestions are welcomed and apprecieated. Thanks all.

 

[olds97_lss]

I know I had issues with my AS out of the box. The fuel filter leaked... a lot. Made a nasty mess, but it also screwed up the tune.

I've since fixed that, but then I suspected the primer to be leaking as I was still getting an "air leak" tune feel to it. I ripped out the primer and siliconed the hole last week. It seems much better now.

I run the AS header (which is like a stock savage header) with a HPI polished tuned pipe. I never even tried the stock pipe on mine... A friend of mine ran the LST2 stock pipe until he saw how well mine ran. Then I loaned him my pipe/header just to see if his engine would like to breath better... it did. The 457 ran much better with the HPI pipe.

 

[chuck3]

yeah, the stock pipe is just garbage. I'm kinda glad i was forced to upgrade mine when it was sacrificed in a horrible collision on a to small track during heat laps (when eveybody was on the track)

 

[Colide]

Hey thanks, Olds and chuck3. That helps abit. Not to get off subject, but I really thought I was buying a good truck when the LST1 came on to the scene. I truely hope I'm not misstaken here. I know it still has great potential by design , but "Truck of the Year", my A$$. There's bugs thoughout this truck. It's one thing to discover that you've purchased a truck that breaks stuff all the time due to intentional design limitations, but to have the main components of the truck, dirrectly impede the break-in process is unbelievable. Undoubtedly, this is intentional also. I have a friend that has the AS. It's as if I was reading a check list here for his issues also. He's got the same problems as I in relation to his version. Isn't there any accountabillity on LOSI to address these obvious quality issues? Or should I say, marketting agenda's? It's plain friging bondage discovering that an "out of the box" $1000 LST truck, you need to get a new pipe, fuel filter, primerless tank, ect, ( because all of these tanks are defective from what I've gathered) before they even have a chance to wear out. This goes beyond "Buyer Beware" warnnings. I'm going to follow up on this rant of mine with Losi customer Service. Thanks for letting me vent, guys... OK. I'm calm now....lol. Now, back to being in bondage.

 

[neobart]

Have you considered that your pipe may be clogged up with old oil. It does happen. Also if you put another engine in your truck you can hardly expect it to be perfect for that engine. As far as RTR pipes go, the LST/LST2 pipes are quite good.

The LST2 one is a great pipe for a LRP.28 spec3, and should also work good with your mach.28.

 

[jon2]

I had no issues with the stock pipe on my LST1. After being on the shelf or a bash session, I liked to remove the engine and pipe to give it a cleaning. I am with Neobart, I do not see how pipe with the damage can cause less backpressure. Try to blow it out with some compressed air.

 

[chuck3]

the problem with losi is that after years of having wonderful stuff that is up to snuff for us bashers and racers, they now are riding on their name to sell their products, not their reliability. I'm not going to lie, i like some of the things that losi does in there cars/trucks. not many other trucks out there are easier to rip apart and reasemble than the lst/lst2/as.

 

[olds97_lss]

So far, there aren't many design "flaws" on the LST genre that I've noticed. The things that existed on the LST were mostly revamped on the LST2. But there are still a few things that bug me.

1) Weird brakes. Tend to bind after some use, then randomly grab.
2) Fuel tank pickup is on the front of the tank. Leans a bit when on the gas.
3) Standard screws. They should be 3mm with a 2mm hex for all those counter sunk screws. Talk about a faux pas.

Has anyone really run the stock AS pipe either? I never have... I swapped it out prior to break-in and now I have two of them. Got one on eBay for $5 with the new header I needed.

 

[chuck3]

i ran mine, it was ok, but it completely sucked for bashing and racing. plus it just robbed that mach26 of power. the reason it sucked for bashing/racing is because the stinger came out right in the middle of the chassis and would cause the truck to high center on anything it went over.

 

[Colide]

Have you considered that your pipe may be clogged up with old oil. It does happen. Also if you put another engine in your truck you can hardly expect it to be perfect for that engine. As far as RTR pipes go, the LST/LST2 pipes are quite good.

The LST2 one is a great pipe for a LRP.28 spec3, and should also work good with your mach.28.

Hello, Neobart.
Since my first visit here at RCN, I felt that your opinions carried wieght as far as I could tell.
Yes, I did clean out the pipe as much as I could see possible with some fuel at first, followed bt a generous amount of nitro cleaner dirrectlly n the pipe's pressure outlet.
Maybe there's a defiective obstruction present in the pipe's outlet or something but I can't seem to clear it.

I did ask what real effect could be expected from going from a mach 26 to a mach 28.
A very minimal if any effect in profromance was suggested to me by mt LHS owner who may very well be full of it.

It sounded fairly reasonable to not feel that it would be responsible for this kind of issue.
I truely would like to believe that your statements regarding the 28's compatibillity to the sport pipe are on the mark.

But as you can see and hear from me and others here, this pipe has a history of poor sadisfaction to account to.
The moment my friends AS recieved a Hot Bodies tuned pipe, his engine came to life.

I, originally intended to just get a HPI polished pipe from the start but figured I could at least break it in first...
If you have anymore suggestions Neo, I'm listenning.

 

[neobart]

I assume we're still talking about the LST1 pipe. It's a completely different pipe compared to the LST2 pipe. I will agree that the LST1 pipe is not the best pipe out there. But there are engines that it will work great on, I don't know which ones though.

And it's not even certain that A LST2 pipe will work well with your mach.28. Even though it works great with my Spec3, and the spec3 and mach being made by SH, they may not have the same requirements. Pipes are a funny thing. I was recommended a 053 pipe for my .21 LRP, and found it to kill performance all around. There is no golden pipe that will work with all engines.

Here's a list of what I've acquired in the last two years.

Losi sport (LST1) A decent pipe on a mach26/427
LST header

Losi HT (LST2) Works great with LRP spec3. Smooth power delivery. Great
topend. Fuel fairly decent.
LST header

RDL twin stinger Is good on a Mach26/427. Opens up bottom end and
topend, bad fuel economy though
LST header

Werks LST pipe works good with LRP z28 spec2. Violent bottom end.
LST header

OFNA 086 Works well with LRP z21 spec2. Not so good with fuel
Torque header

Dynamite 053 Haven't found an engine I like this on yet.

STS 0403 recommended for STS D21T. Outstanding fuel economy
and performance. +10min on a 125cc tank.
High speed header.

TT 2035 NA
TT 2039 NA

This list might be useful as well.

 

[chuck3]

the losi tuned pipes work pretty well. thats when my mach 26 came alive! that is, until it crapped out for other reasons. but when the 26 was running (not evn well, just running) it was awsome. it works really well with my spec3, but is a bit on the pricey side.

 

[neobart]

You can get them cheap on eBay. I've picked one up for 25$ shipped.

 

[olds97_lss]

I do know that the LST2 pipe (B5059 HT tuned) limited the SH28 significantly. I'm not sure what the tune difference is between it and the B5055 (LST1 pipe) though.

I also know the AS pipe (B5062) is really weird and I never tried it... But, my AS with the stock M26 and a HPI polished tuned pipe (86138) and the AS header ran circles around a LST2 with stock exhaust (B5059 HT tuned) and the mach 427 engine. It just baffled my bashing buddy... He has yet to try the same configuration on his truck.

 

[Colide]

Hello, john2. There is no damage to this pipe. It's in "out of the box" condition. If this is a well designed pipe, then it just may be a defective unit and slipped pass Q.C. I believe. That's possible isn't it? Needless to say, It does not proform now. By it's own design, the pipe doesn't allow for an easy inspection. The factory will be my only option here for a fair resolve to this issue, it seems. I do apprecieate your input and will keep it in mind.

the problem with losi is that after years of having wonderful stuff that is up to snuff for us bashers and racers, they now are riding on their name to sell their products, not their reliability. I'm not going to lie, i like some of the things that losi does in there cars/trucks. not many other trucks out there are easier to rip apart and reasemble than the lst/lst2/as.

Hey chuck3, thanks for speaking up. For the most part, I agree with you on the overview of losi's reputation, and I do like the truck for alot of reasons also. I own a savage and beieve me, the LST is much easier to work with in many respects. I'm not completely against Losi's product here. I'm just a little seasoned with the kind of hobby industry related marketting campains that put the replacement parts before the original parts. I hope i made some sense out of that remark...lol. I'm aware of these kinds of standards throughout one industry to another, just like you guys know yourselves. It seems that we can't avoid it to save your lives at times. But hey, It's just a RC truck, right? I'd like to find the appropreate tool to clear out the nippled outlet on this pipe. i'm afraid that I'll just hack it up if I try anything now before a warranty return.

 

[Colide]

So far, there aren't many design "flaws" on the LST genre that I've noticed. The things that existed on the LST were mostly revamped on the LST2. But there are still a few things that bug me.

1) Weird brakes. Tend to bind after some use, then randomly grab.
2) Fuel tank pickup is on the front of the tank. Leans a bit when on the gas.
3) Standard screws. They should be 3mm with a 2mm hex for all those counter sunk screws. Talk about a faux pas.

Has anyone really run the stock AS pipe either? I never have... I swapped it out prior to break-in and now I have two of them. Got one on eBay for $5 with the new header I needed.

Hey Olds97, good to hear from you. As you may recall, The LST is a new experience for me in my RC car port. I may have been a little haisty in my conserns with all the bugs in the truck, so I'll step back some and just let this subject stand on it's own...As far as the three observations you listed, I haven't incountered them yet, but I'll be PM'ing you when I do...lol. I did notice on my friends AS that every time he flipped it over durring a run, the engine leaned out and would stay that way until he got to it and put it back on all fours. That can be very annoying.. and hard on a mill. He also swears that the stock pipe is quote: "garbage" End quote from his own mouth. Here was running the stock 26 with O'donnels fuel and proceeded through a propper break-in procedure. He's the guy I refferenced in an other post to have switched over to a hot bodies pipe to fix the proformance loss. As far as I know, he's a member here a.k.a. Savagecre. He can be asked about this for those who have Q's about it. -later Olds-

i ran mine, it was ok, but it completely sucked for bashing and racing. plus it just robbed that mach26 of power. the reason it sucked for bashing/racing is because the stinger came out right in the middle of the chassis and would cause the truck to high center on anything it went over.

Sounds like there's a definate difference between Sport Pipe and Tuned pipe, for sure. Of course, this was never really a mistery now, was it?..lol. I actually kind of expected the pipe to be a little on the Blah side of things, but figured that it could at least handdle a break-in process at minimum. Thanks again Chuck.

 

[Colide]

I assume we're still talking about the LST1 pipe. It's a completely different pipe compared to the LST2 pipe. I will agree that the LST1 pipe is not the best pipe out there. But there are engines that it will work great on, I don't know which ones though.

And it's not even certain that A LST2 pipe will work well with your mach.28. Even though it works great with my Spec3, and the spec3 and mach being made by SH, they may not have the same requirements. Pipes are a funny thing. I was recommended a 053 pipe for my .21 LRP, and found it to kill performance all around. There is no golden pipe that will work with all engines.

Here's a list of what I've acquired in the last two years.

Losi sport (LST1) A decent pipe on a mach26/427
LST header

Losi HT (LST2) Works great with LRP spec3. Smooth power delivery. Great
topend. Fuel fairly decent.
LST header

RDL twin stinger Is good on a Mach26/427. Opens up bottom end and
topend, bad fuel economy though
LST header

Werks LST pipe works good with LRP z28 spec2. Violent bottom end.
LST header

OFNA 086 Works well with LRP z21 spec2. Not so good with fuel
Torque header

Dynamite 053 Haven't found an engine I like this on yet.

STS 0403 recommended for STS D21T. Outstanding fuel economy
and performance. +10min on a 125cc tank.
High speed header.

TT 2035 NA
TT 2039 NA

This list might be useful as well.

Hey Neobart, Thanks a bunch for this info. It's very apprecieated. Sincerly.
Yes, were talking LST1. I'm exspecting my two LRP Z28R sp.3's to come in some time in July. I want a pipe to favor it's needs primarily. I figure the HPI polished pipe will be great for the Dyna .28 and maybe even the LRP's. Although, as you accurately point out about the "BEST PIPE" sinario, There's more to consider here. Thank you again for your helpful insight. That goes to all of you guys also. And I forgot to say that your link to the aftermarket CB pinions for the losi was a great find and should give us top end freaks something to play with. Have a fine one, Neobart.

the losi tuned pipes work pretty well. thats when my mach 26 came alive! that is, until it crapped out for other reasons. but when the 26 was running (not evn well, just running) it was awsome. it works really well with my spec3, but is a bit on the pricey side.

Is the Pipe on my stock LST1 considered to be a tuned pipe?

You can get them cheap on eBay. I've picked one up for 25$ shipped.

Which pipe is that, Neo. A tuned Losi LST?

 

[Colide]

I do know that the LST2 pipe (B5059 HT tuned) limited the SH28 significantly. I'm not sure what the tune difference is between it and the B5055 (LST1 pipe) though.

I also know the AS pipe (B5062) is really weird and I never tried it... But, my AS with the stock M26 and a HPI polished tuned pipe (86138) and the AS header ran circles around a LST2 with stock exhaust (B5059 HT tuned) and the mach 427 engine. It just baffled my bashing buddy... He has yet to try the same configuration on his truck.

Good to know, my friend. I do believe that when in doubt, an HPI polished pipe will give you a great starting point for a proformance mark in expectations.
Even Rick Brake himself, has been known to say this in respect to RTR's in general.

Don't get me wrong here, They are not to be considered as high proformance pipe by any means, but they can kick some serious butt.
That's if know how to tweak a stinger tube with different I.D. sizes.

I'm still new to this hobby and find it hard to stand on any solid ground with nitro talk....lol. There's so many variables.
I think it may basically break down to trial and error...lol.

I do feel I got some great insight and advice from all of you guys here and want to say thanks again for you assistance with my conserns.

This forum is cool, for sure.

 

[neobart]

Collide. The pipe that chuck3 didn't like was the Aftershock pipe. And that is a crappy piece of meatal, not fit to be called a pipe.

The pipe I was talking about was the Losi HT pipe. http://cgi.ebay.com/Team-Losi-LST2-Aftershock-HT-Tuned-Pipe_W0QQitemZ220118130880QQihZ012QQcategoryZ44028QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

Olds. I'm not suprised that a Mach26ss with a HPI polished pipe worked well. The HPI pipe is really good with lowend engines. I think the Mach427 works better with the LST1 pipe and not the LST2 pipe.


Losi HT pipe(LST2) on top. Losi sport(LST1) on bottom.
As you can see, they are not the same.

 

[Colide]

Hey thanks neobart, that clears a little confusion. If I can focus on the choices that are suited for the LRPspec.3 and the Dyna 28 , that would really best serve this pipe quest...lol I sure like to pop this pipe I have in two two see what the f&%^ is the obstruction, inside it. GEEEEEZZZZ...lol