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windy city maniac

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Just bought my first on road car 2day first tank during brake in, did the water test and evaporated as quik as i put it on the head. so i shut it off immediatly. in the manual it says when running to hot 2 richen i thought during break in u want to lean. should i worry about getting the temp under controll 1st and then tune for performance or what I'm in the blue here. the car is a (team associated nitro tc3+, with the ae.15 motor)
 
noooooooo stop break in right now


you want your car almost at rich as u can get it during break in it helps to seat the sleeve and piston and gives u better life and performance



someone else can explain it better I'm sure
 
Normally it's preset at the factory to run rich for break in. Does your break in recommend driving, or just idling? If it's idling, you can run is so rich that you'll need the glow igniter on it to keep it running.
Heat is the major killer of the engine. To find if it's the LSN or the HSN that's too lean, just let it idle for several minutes and see if it gets too hot. Richen the LSN if that's the case. You shouldn't be going WOT during breakin, so richen it to where it runs, but not very well. As the breakin progresses you can start to lean out the HSN for better performance.
 
it doesn't want me to idle during break in. it says to give it small amounts of gas consitently.and to 3-4 tanks like that for break in. but when i first started her up yes i needed to keep the glow starter on to keep her running or she would die. so i leaned it out one time and i can't get the temp under controll.and yes i let it idle for about 3 min and it still fails the water test, so u said richen my lsn, and running it like that will make me adjust my hsn eventualy right?what is (wot). this is my first on road and i was told it does dounuts easily, does that just come with the right tuning? Thanx rolex u answered so many of my problems!
 
WOT is Wide Open Throttle.
If you leaned it out from the presets, that explains why you're running hot. Start it, let it idle, then turn the LSN (low speed needle) out slowly till it starts spitting a little spray of oil and fuel. If it stalls, lean it only slightly from that point, then keep driving it. Keep taking temp tests while you run it during breakin.
DON'T rush the breakin !!!
When it's broken in, check back for peak tuning instructions.
 
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ok u want me to work on the lsn to get temp under control. ill be back in about an hour to check on tuning . thanx

okay rolex I'm trying to do everything u say but when i start her up i dont even have time to adjust LSN b4 she cuts out, so i adjust like u said anyway but i can't get it to stay running. this is the most problems i ever had with an rc car/truck. I'm never buying an onroad car again!
 
FORGET THE WATER TEST! during breakin, it is important to keep her rich so that the piston and sleeve can seat properly (both on and off road engines are the same).

Set the needles to factory settings (it's in the manual). If the car won't idle, lean out the LSN a little bit at a time (1/8 turns clockwise) till she will idle. There will be times where it would flame out, just restart.

Once you have gone through the required tanks of initial break-in, you can start doing lazy circles at 1/4 throttle. After 2 tanks, you can start leaning out the HSN a little at a time. Keep an eye on the smoke. Make sure there's a trail of smoke and NOW you can start doing the water test on a 1/2 tank. You're better off doing it with a temp gun.

There's no difference between an on and off road engine. Break in can be a bitch on both.
 
only reason why I'm using the water test is cause I'm in chicago WHERE I bought the car i live in texas and thats where my temp gun is.I thought that might b the best thing i can do is to bring everything back to default settings and start over.mayb its just being a bitch cause of such a small engine.how can u say forget the water test during break in, breakin is the most important pART TO GET A LONG LIVING ENGINE AND IF ITS OVERHEATING DURING THE BREAKIN UR GOING TO HAVE DAMAGE, AND EXSPECIALLY IF U FORGET TO GET A TEMP READING ,ANY WAY U CAN.
 
Sorry, should've worded it better.What I meant is that the water test will not be really needed since you'll be running it rich in the first place for the first few idle tanks anyway. If the car is cutting out with the glow ignitor out, you know that it's rich. Just get her to idle first. Don't be too concerned about the water if it's not even idleing through a complete tank. Once you can get her to idle then start doing the water test for a ball park figure.

A larger engine will be just as much of a bitch as a smaller one when brand new. That pinch is tight. I know what you are talking about as far as breaking in engines. I've broken in my fair share. Just try to at least hit 185-210 during breaking.

Too low of a temp will cause just as much damage as over heating it. I'd say to get another temp gun while you are in the windy city. Small price to pay for these engines.
 
get used to problems I'm about to go insane with my truck it ran good and now I'm about to drivce it into traffic.
 
Mikey, have you retuned it? Now that the summer is ending and weather is changing, it will need to be retuned. Not by much but a little bit makes a difference sometimes.
 
ok looked in the manual found factor settings rest them, got to idle 2 full tanks , cut off about 4 times, wanted to take off like a bat out of hell(the idle stop screw was way off) but i got it to idle and it dont over heat. now when i start her up and pull the throtle to start going in a circular track she wont even move, should i start to lean out hsn?
 
When tuning the LSN, you're tuning for hole shot and lower rpms. If it gurgles when taking off or even shutting off, you need to lean it out a little bit. A good test for the low end is the pinch method.

Pinch the fuel line close to the carb. If it cuts off between 3-5 secs, you're in the general ball park, if it shuts off right away, it's too lean. More than 5 secs, it's too rich. Tune it for performance off the line.

Tune your HSN for top end performance first. If it cuts out from a highspeed run or lacks "umph", it's too lean. Richen it up a little. Once you have it where you think it's performing well, check the temps. Try not to have it over 270.

Different engines will perform differently, even those of the same make and model. Try to aim for a temp around 230F. That's a good compromise. Rich enough to give performance and longevity.

Addressing the motion prob, what's going on? Do you give it gas and rpm's climb but no movement? If that's the case, check the clutch and clutchbell. They might be glazed over and need to be scuffed up with a scotchbrite pad. Also check the springs, they may be binding or damaged.
 
i have done the pinch test and falls in there perfectly it cuts off barely over 3 secs. yes exactly i open throtle about a quarter of the way to get it moving but no movement pushed it a little farther and still no movement. so there r no springs binnding so ur saying in other words my clutch might not b engaging cause of dirt or mayb some nitro got on it?
 
Dirt does get into everything but I would take off the clutchbell to check the shoes and surface of the clutch bell. If the shoes are black or dark brown and the clutchbell surface is smooth, then it's glazed over. Rough it up with 220 grit sandpaper or scothbrite. For the shoes, scuff them till the surface turns white.

The only other reason why the car wouldn't move forward would be the thrust bearing in the 2 speed. Since this is a new car, that would be unlikely but not totally ruled out as a factory defect.
 
Since your engine is a true ABC-type design (high silicon content aluminum alloy piston running inside a hard chromeplated
brass cylinder-sleeve), it should be brought-up to temperature as quickly as possible, allowing the sleeve to expand
enough to achieve optimal fit; otherwise, the piston will scrub the sleeve excessively, causing premature wear, loss of
compression, and diminished performance.
4. Here’s the tricky part: to the best of your ability, immediately begin dialing-in the high speed needle valve for maximum rpm
performance during the first tank of fuel. During this period, cycle the engine between WOT (full RPM) and idle in 5 to 10
second intervals, by making high speed passes, on the type surface you prefer to operate on – this will keep the piston and
cylinder-sleeve hot enough while the operator tweaks the needle during quick pit stops. A helper is very handy for this critical
operation! If the engine quits before the idle is set, that’s okay – just allow the engine to cool off – heat cycling is part of the
break-in process. Ideally, get the needle valves set for maximum performance and a reliable idle as quickly as possible

(see the Needle Settings section of your manual for more detailed information). If performed correctly, the engine should be
running near normal operating temperatures for the entire break-in process. Depending on the operating surface, outdoor
temperature, etc., your break-in temperature will range between 220º and 260º F. Following the above procedures, run the
engine for a complete tank of fuel – then shut it down. Allow the engine cool down COMPLETELY before re-starting.

5. Continue this process for about 4 tanks of fuel; this heat-cycles all the metal parts inside your engine.

IMPORTANT: Do not let the engine sit and idle for its break-in. The piston and cylinder-sleeve will not get hot enough to expand
properly, and the critical pinch-fit will disappear before you know it. In fact, you should be more concerned about running an engine too
cool, rather than too hot!
 
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well guys i fixed the car today. it turns out my HSN was way to rich and the idle stop screw was not open enough which would explain why the car would not go forward when giving it gas. Hey DIVER6127 mayb u can learn a few things from my mistakes LOL.... THANX FOR THE HELP, TEACHING, AND CONCERN.
 
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