New owner of a used Savage 25

[RColdschoolrc]

Hello everyone!!
I'm TOTALLY new to nitro, but I've been into electric R/Cs since 1983.
I'm at well over 150 R/C models over those 31 years.

I recently stumbled across a highly used/partly neglected Savage 25 with everything(and I mean 2 banana boxes of EVERYTHING) necessary to run it, PLUS tons of extra stuff, except the 8 AA batteries for the transmitter.
It even came with the new differential that it needed to have installed!
All for the sum of: Fishing it out of the dude's dumpster...

Though I didn't like the look of the pinion gear that the new diff was mating to, so I bought a #86031 pinion for $13!

I cleaned the built up nitro/dirt mix from the engine for 4 hours and the rest of the truck for another 2.5 hours.....

It has a Dynamite Mach 28 that sounds real deep and throaty.
So far it makes a stupid amount of power!!

The info for my "question" is:
When I researched the engine specs it recommends 2 turns out on the low speed and 3.5 turns out for the high speed settings on the carb.
That seems a little lean to me.(But what do I know? LOL)
I subscribe to the "Plugs are cheaper than pistons" theory, so I want it a little more rich than "normal".

When I checked where the P.O. had it set, the low was out 3.75 turns and the high was out 4.25 turns.
This seems possibly a little too rich?

Or is this where I may well want to run it to keep it rich?

I ran it for the first time today.
I only ran about 6oz of fuel through it before the receiver batteries decided they were tired(sat for almost 2 years) after about 45 min.
I think I'm at around 2.5 turns out on the low and just under 4 turns out on the high.
It idles high enough to engage the clutch despite a minimal throttle opening at idle setting, and kept dying when dropping off the throttle for moderate braking.

I will have to run at a less dusty location than today in order to actually see what's coming out of the pipe....

Any advice will help.
Thanks!!

 

[Racer 1966]

The specs for the needles are only starting points. You have to tune the engine from there to get a proper idle and performance without over heating the engine. Start with reading THIS thread and following the tuning chart there. If you have more questions after that,ask and we'll help you out :thumbup:

 

[RColdschoolrc]

Thanks Racer!!
That's bookmarked!!:

 

[RColdschoolrc]

Ran 9 or 10 tanks through this bad boy and got it running AWESOME!!!!
That chart was the key!!
It runs around 216deg and runs perfect!!
Hard to drive 1 handed and take video, but here's a quick vid

 

[Nitro4910]

Sweeeeet, can't argue with that price!

It never fails to amaze me the great stuff people will throw in the trash for the dumbest of reasons!

 

[RColdschoolrc]

Yeah....
He quit running with the group of local guys who used to "race" together, because despite having the fastest rig in the bunch, he couldn't keep up with the pack due to his driving "skills"...

Then he got tired of looking at it.....
You'd never guess he's almost 50 years old, sounds more like a 5 year old's mentality....

Anyway, his loss is my gain!:

Last night I dug out the Saleen Mustang body I have for my HPI RS4 Rally, and put it on the Savage.
I think it looks okay, though the '70 Hemi Cuda body is a bit longer and "fits" the chassis a little better.
I'd post pics, but my phone's camera SUCKS!!!!

 

[RColdschoolrc]

I did manage to get a few decent pics with my cell phone.
Here it is with the Saleen Mustang body on it:

And a quick vid I took while driving at the same time.:

 

[RColdschoolrc]

Ran the Savage the other day and the spacer for the clutch bell vanished, causing the clutch bell to grind on the slipper clutch gear...
Grabbed a bell and gear(at random) from my parts and put them on.
WAY too slow!!!
Going to have to count teeth and figure out a better ratio than I have at the moment.
It almost completely tachs out before shifting to second, where that wasn't a problem at all with the previous ratio.

Now I need to make the hour long trek to the hobby store for some more fuel!

 

[wwit]

I can relate to the running for nitro thing.

Closest place for me is Rt106 Hobbies in Pembroke NH...which is just a few minutes south of NHIS.

I almost never get over that way and its a @3 hour round trip for me. Add $30 bucks for gas in my truck and usually end up having lunch along the way it ends up to be at least $75+ after purchasing 2 gallons of Byron's Gen2. And I always pick up something else too while I'm over there.

I love nitro, but its getting easier all the time to jump ship to lipo. But the sound of the engine is so nice. And nitro fumes work well to quickly clear out any mosquito's in the area. No DEET necessary.

 

[RColdschoolrc]

Today I discovered the root of my clutch bell & bearing issue, or at least I think I did....

My transmission input shaft is bent.
The gears mesh fine for about 3/4 of a turn and then bind up HARD for the last 1/4 turn.

Hopefully the hobby store will have one whenever I get the chance to make it that far....

I suppose I could call and see if they have one ahead of time to save myself some frustration.:

 

[Alexander_0_1]

Do you use a plastic spur? Check the centre of the spur, it might be worn out.

If it doesn't help they take the input shaft off and roll it on a flat surface.

 

[Rolex]

I think you paid WAY too much for it.
You really scored big time.

 

[RColdschoolrc]

Do you use a plastic spur? Check the centre of the spur, it might be worn out.

If it doesn't help they take the input shaft off and roll it on a flat surface.

I'll check it out. It's a new metal spur and it's visibly wobbly.
I suppose it could be the pin or the hub.
Or all three, with my luck

I think you paid WAY too much for it.
You really scored big time.

Thank you!!
I did score big time, indeed!!
I've always wanted to run nitro, but the total up front cost to get in the door has always kept me at bay.
I think I got around $700-$900 worth of stuff?

I figured maybe my luck had finally changed for the better, so I went and bought a power ball ticket for that night's $270-sumthin MILLION drawing.

Aaaaaaaaaannnd I proved my theory wrong right after the drawing....

 

[Rolex]

I figured maybe my luck had finally changed for the better, so I went and bought a power ball ticket for that night's $270-sumthin MILLION drawing.

Aaaaaaaaaannnd I proved my theory wrong right after the drawing....

You can't have ALL luck. If you hadn't gotten the savage you would have won the lottery.
So, all in all, you really got screwed.

 

[RColdschoolrc]

Typical

It's all good!
I'm content with the Savage!

 

[RColdschoolrc]

Snapped a couple of pics with the 'Cuda body on it.