Rebuild or new engine?

[Rooky78]

Hey guys... I have an older Savage X... I haven't been able to figure out which engine it actually is. The closest I can figure it's a 4.1 or a very early F4.6. I've really had my eye on the LRP ZR.30 Spec.2 and Z.28R Spec.3. Just wondering what someone else has experienced. With not knowing for sure which I have would I be better to get new?

 

[olds97_lss]

Well, I have the LRP28S3 in my savage X and honestly, more engine would probably be a waste. Last season, I had mine geared 17/47 and it still wheelied like a fool. Top speed is ridiculous, really chews up real estate. I put an 18T on it before I put it away for the season.

For me, the LRP's really do well. I have 28's in 3 of my rigs. My BB revo, old OFNA buggy and my savage-x. I think the oldest one is in my buggy. It had 4 or 5 gallons on it from my revo when I put it in the buggy. I only bought a new one because I got the buggy as a roller and needed an engine in it. Instead of running some old worn out POS that I have laying around, I just got another LRP and put the new one in the revo.

I did do the bulletproof diff upgrade and also upgraded the outer axles/cups too. I got my savage used. Looked nearly new. It didn't make it more than a few tanks before I fried a stock diff, so instead of fighting with it, I just upgraded and moved on. My X is a tank. I tend to build my stuff so I can run 3-4 hours pretty hard without having to fuss with anything and the savage-x with the setup I have does that weekend after weekend without much more than a bit of wax on the axle cups. I also got the t-bonez rear skid/wheelie bar. I might actually make it a season without needing a new body by my 2nd run for a change on that thing. Still might try and figure out a good solid wing for it to help even further. The rear of those bodies get so tore up on a savage.

 

[Rooky78]

Yea I hear ya on the body. Last winter I built the hpi F150 body for mine and it didn't make one tank of fuel. Lol! Thanks for the feedback, I think you made up my mind!

 

[Rooky78]

@olds97_lss hey I was looking at my Tower wish list... does the hpi rotostart work on the LRP?

And what pipe ya think? THS, LRP, HPI, Dynamite 086... idk. I think I'm going to go stock nylon until I get the LRP...

 

[olds97_lss]

I don't know. I only use and proffer pull-starts.

I use a mildly modified LST2 pipe on mine. I also put on a pipe hanger so it doesn't tear up the gasket or coupler. The LRP28's really like that LST2 pipe. I had it on my aftershock when I had that and upgraded the pipe pretty early, then ran the same pipe on my BB revo as a side pipe for a long time and also on my savage. It's a "1 piece" pipe that uses springs/gasket to hold it onto the header, so to make it work with the HPI high flow header, I ground down the inner ring a bit so when I ziptie it, the ziptie can squish the coupler and hold on to the outer lip. Has worked fine for years.

I used to run the HPI polished savage pipe and it did ok. Seemed to have about the same low end torque of the Losi pipe, but was so damn loud and the LRP had a midrange bobble that I couldn't tune out. The Losi pipe smoothed out the bobble and is quieter while giving good performance down low and up high in the rpm range.

Since I never ran the stock composite pipe, I can't compare to it.

 

[Rooky78]

That was my other thought. Kind of a pita to carry a drill around. But my 4.6 I think would wear out Mr. Universe with a pull start. Lol. Once it's running it runs good, but damn it starts like my 77 Honda. Lol

 

[olds97_lss]

Could be tuning or something. All my engines normally fire up in 4-5 pulls once it's primed. Break-in is a pain because of all the start/stop you do during the heat cycle. I usually get a blister on break-in day.