• Welcome to RCTalk! 🚀

    Join the #1 RC community where hobbyists connect, share, and get expert advice on RC cars, trucks, boats, drones, and more!

    • ✓ Friendly & passionate RC enthusiasts
    • ✓ RC tips & troubleshooting
    • ✓ Buy, sell & trade RC gear
    • ✓ Share builds & upgrades

New to rc cars, problem with Savage X SS

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
B

bo7sain

RC Newbie
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
IL
RC Driving Style
  1. Bashing
Well I'm really new to this and I'm still learning.
This is my first RC car. I've gotten pretty far with it but when I installed the engine I couldn't pull the pull start as if it's stuck. So I thought it could be from the clutch installation so I took it off and I still can't pull the pullstarter at all. I haven't connected the fuel yet so I know it doesn't have to do with how much fuel there is in the engine.

I really don't know what could the problem be if I can't pull it even when the engine is totally free
 
Have you ever run this engine or are you in the process of putting it together?
Have you tried removing the glo plug and then tried to turn the engine over by pulling on the pull start?

Can you turn the engine over using the flywheel?
Note - with the pull-starter in place it will only turn one way and appear stuck if you try and turn it in the opposite direction.
 
If that's a brand new engine it's gonna be tight. I just got my new 4.6 in today and I could hardly turn it over with the pull start. Don't panic this is typical with new engines. Take the glow plug out and squirt a small amount of WD40 in the hole and wait a few minutes then try the puller it should free up enough to turn the engine over.
 
No I haven't run the engine yet I am still putting it together. I haven't tried to remove the glo plug and turn it over I'll try to do that now.
In the beginning I couldn't even turn the fly wheel. I tried again after taking it off and putting it back on, it was kinda hard then it let me spin it once and I heard a sound as if something opened. Then I could pull the pull starter once and it was hard to spin the wheel again. Also the pull start was stuck again.

If I try to force spin the flywheel again I can get another pull before it gets stuck again.
 
I did what you said cwal1774 and I noticed that the cylinder gets stuck at the top, it seems the WD40 did make it a bit easier to overturn but it still gets stuck at the top. I'm gonna try again in a few minutes. Would putting too much WD40 cause any problems?
 
It started getting better after I did it again. But when I closed the glo plug it started getting stuck at the top again and it makes a sound after it reaches the top as if it's trying hard to suck in air cause of vacuum.
 
i went through the same thing when i built my savage x ss. just finish building it and when this happens, use a straight head screw driver to turn the fly wheel. not too long after break in, it shouldn't happen. you'll be fine. i'm about to drop in an axial .32 rr in my x ss and i'm not looking forward to this...lol
 
I did go through the whole thing but the problem now is that I can start it because it still gets stuck! Do you mean use the straight head screw driver to help start it? i don't know how I would do that.. Lol you're gonna go through the same process with the new motor? Something feels wrong about this.. The pull starter rope is starting to get cut cause I have to pull so hard..
 
No it shouldn't cause any problems. I had to do this to my T-MAXX 3.3 when i first took it outta the box. It did the same thing the piston stuck at tdc. I took out the glow plug squirted some WD 40 in the hole waited about 10 minutes then spun it over for about ten seconds(EZ start comes in handy for this). Then replaced the glow plug and proceeded to break it in.
 
cwal1774 I actually did that three times yesterday and it did get better but as soon as I close the glow plug it becomes really hard to pull again and the chord is starting to get splits. Can I start the car with the glow plug open?
 
I finally got it to work! Woohooo! But I had to turn it off since the neighbours are sleeping and I was trying indoors lol
I had it on a stand and the tires were free, I guess it was trying to spin the tires all along and it couldn't start cause of the added load!
 
Something does not sound right.
There should not be an "added load".
At idle your clutch should not be engaged and spinning the tires - and if it is engaged, just barely.
 
How can I check if my clutch is engaged or not? I know this is probably a stupid question but I'm learning :)
 
If your wheels are spinning at idle your clutch is engaged. They can spin a bit even idleing but you should be able the put the brakes on or hold the wheels from spinning and the truck should still idle. If it is stalling on you then the clutch is engaged pretty good and SHOULDN'T be. You will have to take the motor out and inspect your clutch. You may find that a spring is broken or one of the shoe pins has come out and is rubbing on the inside of the Clutch bell. This happend to me right out of the box and HPI sent me a new flywheel.

Good luck
 
i know you put the flywheel and clutch and springs and all on your self. cuz it's an x ss kit. i did mine. did you get them together properly? the clutch springs can be a pain but the instructions that hpi gives you for that kit are VERY VERY thorough so you should'nt have had a problem. NOW, make sure all the needles on the carb are like the instruction manual says. take the air filter off and look in the hole and check and make sure the hole isn't too big. it should be roughly 1.0 mm. give or take. anymore, and the clutch will engage. any less and it wont start.

anyways, I would turn all electronics on. (not engine just yet) and take the air filter off. then TURN THE CAR OFF and adjust the throttle/brake servo linkage so that the carb is opened just right. Now, try and start it. once it is warmed up and up to operating temperature. check to see if the clutch is engaging. if so back down on the idle a little bit.

Good luck and keep us posted. another thing...you could try loosening the glow pug a little bit to lower the compression temporarily to get the engine started. but tighten it back up once she starts

o and i meant to push down on the flywheel with the flat head screw driver. this'll get it loose. and also, when you do try to start it, make sure the piston is at the bottom of its stroke, so you can get a good pull.
 
I just went through my first tank of gas. After I started it off the ground I reduced the throttle manually and then set it on the ground and it barely moved. I tried reducing it more and it seemed like it just wanted to move really slow. If I went any less it would die.

The truth is I still haven't got the hump pack battery charger yet. Our local hobby store said they should have it by tomorrow and I've been waiting for that. But I just wanted to start the break in process at least with the radio turned off cause the receiver battery is empty.

adeezy9183 said:
Good luck and keep us posted. another thing...you could try loosening the glow pug a little bit to lower the compression temporarily to get the engine started. but tighten it back up once she starts
Click to expand...
After trying so many times and so many different ways to start the car, this was the only thing that I did that made it possible yesterday. In addition to lifting it off the ground. I also started it on the ground today after I reduced the throttle first.

adeezy9183 said:
make sure the piston is at the bottom of its stroke, so you can get a good pull.
Click to expand...
This was very useful for me. Thanks to you and everyone else that helped! I'm gonna start adjusting the servo linkage later today if I get a chance.
 
Any new engine should be pre-heated with a hair dryer before starting. The glow plug may even need to be cracked loose a hair until the engine starts. But since you have it running, you should be past this. The most important thing to do now is to put the piston at bottom dead center as soon as you shut the engine off. Basically, rotate the flywheel to the loosest spot.
 
Metalhead Matt said:
The most important thing to do now is to put the piston at bottom dead center as soon as you shut the engine off. Basically, rotate the flywheel to the loosest spot.
Click to expand...

I totally forgot about that, thanks for the reminder!
 
Unlike your real car which uses piston rings to maintain compression, the 2-stroke in your RC uses mechanical pinch to obtain compression.
When you run the engine, its parts heat up and expand.
When it cools down, the parts will contract.
Leaving the piston at TDC and allowing it to cool down - the contraction differential between the cylinder and the piston can negatively impact your mechanical pinch and reduce the life of the engine.
Technically, you don't have to be exactly at BDC, just don't leave it at or near TDC.
 

RC Builds

Back
Top