new here and need help with 1/8 buggy

[derrick87]

well i started at factory setting on the engine. From there i let it warm up to about 180 190 took awhile because its like 49 degrees out it was running very rich. i started by leaning the HSN in one full turn in. Then i started on the LSN. I would punch it for idle to half throllte there was alot of smoke but also would hesitate and almost sounding if it was going to die. i began to lean out the LSN slowy while decreasing the idle little by little to get a good idle while leaning the LSN. so i kept on doing that trying to get rid of so much smoke and the hesitation. but the smoke was still there very much so till i got to a point where it was smoothed from stop to half. idk it seemed like there was just to much smoke and oil coming out of the pipe even leaning the LSN alot. idk i just couldint get it. it would be smooth one pull and hesitating the next pull. again there was alot of smoke and oil still the more i leaned it out. idk if this makes any sense really lol

 

[hamz9561]

You need to wait until it's a bit warmer outside before you break it in. I've always heard 70° F is a good rule of thumb.

 

[derrick87]

Well i have ran about 6 tanks through it at idle very low throttle getting to temp up to 210 220 and keeping it there for the remainder of the tank then would stop it just before i ran out of fuel setting it BDC letting it cool. it is kinda broken in.....i think when my glow plugs come in ill just try the flowchart tune on the forum and see what i can do.

 

[Kris407]

It's not going to get that good low idle until it wants to. Six tanks isn't enough to have a steady tune in most cases. If it wants to idle high that's fine for now as long as it's not trying to move and it's not stalling out. Keeping the idle slightly high will help keep the engine temp up anyways, which is what "break in" is all about. Heat. I've broken in three engines in one day at the same air temp and all acted different. Some took Six tanks before ever hitting more than 200 degrees and ran great. Others were more difficult and got above 200 after 1 tank.

If the LSN seems to rich, then give it a full turn in and see what happens. If it goes to lean then at least you'll have an idea where lean is and where rich is. "Factory settings" or whatever the hell people call it is not an exact science. Of course most needles come flush but I've had RTR's that wouldn't crank right out of the box until I richened the hell out of the lsn. I've seen needles turned way out from right out of the box and way in.
Just don't go looking for that perfect tune in the first gallon and get it so lean that it damages the engine. A mistake often made by many. I've never understood why most "break in" processes last about five tanks in the manuals and others make it seem way more complicated than it should be. Most of my break ins take double or triple that many tanks before I see the engine start getting nasty. That's not to say I can't get it there sooner but I just like to take my time. After a half gallon, I'll start cranking those needles without worrying as much. Also don't stress if it gets up to the 250-280 range that's normal. Sometimes they get even hotter.
If your glow plug went bad it's definitely too rich, turn that sucker in! If the idle hops up then turn it out until it drops. If it stalls then turn it back in slightly and crank it back up. If it stalls again then repeat that until it stays idling, even if it's slightly high. You'll go back and forth until you finally get it. It could take a gallon of fuel.
Anyways those are just some of my experiences breaking in and tuning. I can only speak for myself.

 

[derrick87]

Yeah I was only going an 8th of a turn in on the lsn hopping back and forth to the idle to get it from the wheels turning. I guess I thought or was kinda afraid that I was leaning it out to much but I guess I wasn't cause there was so much smoke still and the oil spray is all over the buggy lol....question I started at factory which is about flush on pretty much both needles how many turn in do you usually do on the lsn before a good tune cause I think I went in about 2 turns. Just curious.

 

[Kris407]

Some of my needles are turned out from flush and they're perfect. Some have been turned in a lot and they're perfect. I've had to turn them in to lean it a lot only to have to end up turning them back out to where I started from and then it runs good. I'm thinking to myself, I started at this point and you were so rich I couldn't even hit the gas without stalling out! Now it's back and it's close to perfect. I don't know why they do that but they do.
You might turn it in a turn during a tank only to turn it back out on the next one. It happens during the first gallon.
After that things become much more consistent. You'll be more familiar with the engine at that point too.
If it's spitting out fuel while it's idling, turn it 1/4 turns and drive around for a minute between them to see how it reacts. Sometimes it takes a couple passes to take effect.
Go ahead and lean the lsn until you're happy and then turn the idle down, and turn it until you hear the idle drop and then let it sit. If it stalls turn the idle needle 1/4 turn back in and drive it around and then bring it back and see if it will idle for 20-30 seconds. If it idles high and then drops after a few seconds then turn the idle screw out a little bit. Drive it around and bring it back to you and idle. Repeat that and then if the lsn is better you can use those 1/8 turns to try and get that idle right.
You should be able to go from WOT to dead stop and the engine shoul drop to a low smooth idle.
If it sounds like angry bees it's not right

 

[derrick87]

Alright I'll keep that in mind and I'll also try that thanks. Also I just noticed I think my center diff is leaking a little bit there's oil smear on the inside of the spur gear.....ughh

 

[Kris407]

That's cool man it happens. Just don't ignore it.
Think about this... At a Nitro Top fuel drag race, after a 3.5 second quarter mile run. The first thing they do is tear down the engine completely and rebuild it. After every run.
Watch a NASCAR race and listen to the drivers complain during a race about the car not handling good or something being wrong with it. Remember, these are the cream of the crop when it comes to engines, who have weeks to tune them perfect and they constantly have problems!
Why do you think they bring a mobile mechanics shop in a Semi with them. Every pit stop they are fixing something that's wrong. If it's not Fuel, it's tires, if it's not tires, it's the engine and on and on and on.
It's not you brother. It's the nature of the game. Just because your driving an 1/8 scale version doesn't mean it's a toy.
These engines and vehicles are serious business. It's a lot more heart break than fun and games but that's how you know you're doing it right. It shouldn't break all the time but trust me it won't. Hang in there.

 

[hamz9561]

I used to help wrench on a friend's door-slammer. We had a maintenance checklist we did after every 1/4 mile run. So a little work between bashing sessions isn't a lot to ask for.

 

[olds97_lss]

What do your blown glowplugs look like? Got a photo of the inside of it?

 

[derrick87]

http://tinypic.com/r/33bffc9/9
seems pretty burnt

 

[olds97_lss]

Coil doesn't look distorted or anything. I'm guessing it doesn't heat up and glow anymore? I can't see the break in the pic, only that there is a chunk of something that appears stuck to it, which is to be expected during break-in.

 

[derrick87]

Yea it just doesn't glow anymore

 

[olds97_lss]

Considering how good the coil looks... it's odd that it's dead. Usually, the coil gets distorted or is missing and went through the engine if your overly lean. I've never used turbo style plugs, so not sure if they are more prone to failure or not. I know they cost more.

 

[Kris407]

Just make sure to buy turbo plugs.

 

[derrick87]

I have 3 coming in should be here in a couple days

 

[Kris407]

You won't be burning the plugs a lot, it happens when things are new (And it's expensive ). I remember when I used to worry about how long I left my igniter on because I was so worried about the plug. I thought they were very fragile but it turns out they're very tough.
At this point I get surprised if my glow igniter tells me the plug is bad. The hardest part for me is making sure I have the right ones for my engines. It makes a difference. Sometimes a big one and not just in performance but in how long it will last.
I used to just go in to the hobby store and say, give me six glow plugs I don't care if they're Hot, Medium or cold and they'd tell me which one and i'd buy them. They always worked although I think I may have slightly cross threaded a couple old motors.
Now I use the exact plug that the manufacturer recommends. The reason? I want longevity. I'm a basher so I can always build my vehicle to perform better, I just need them to start easy and stay running. Especially if I'm using a pull start, I don't want to be yanking that cord and possibly break it only to realize I fouled the glow plug.
I've done it... Didn't know why it wasn't starting, yanked the pull start until I bust my knuckles up, break the pull start, cuss really loud and call my nitro a POS, realize it was the glow plug the whole time, feel ashamed and stupid, go on E-Bay and spend $25 to fix my screw up. Hahaha
Those candy ass Electric guys will never know but "The struggle is real".

 

[derrick87]

yeah for 3 of them it was $30 for the novarossi ones....is there any way to prevent from it happening again? i can't keep blowing plugs like that at there price......

 

[derrick87]

just a thought... i did not have an o ring over the glow plug...is this normal with these novarossi engines? it was just glow plug to cooling head.

 

[Kris407]

Turbo plugs do not use a washer.

The plugs won't be a constant issue for you.