So I bought a used nitro from a kid.

[Alexander_0_1]

I hear ya bud, I was in for about $800 before I even got my MERV through the door.

 

[Alan81]

I hear ya bud, I was in for about $800 before I even got my MERV through the door.

LOL, great! Here I thought I was getting a cheap little car that I can tear up the lily fields with.

She is going to soil her drawers!

What would be the benefit of putting an engine other than a TRX on this thing? Would I have to make any other mods to get it to fit?

Price jump = ?

 

[Alexander_0_1]

Piccos, as well as novarossi engines are top of the line, they take longer to break in though due to higher quality manufactured parts. I think you can get either. Both companies makes one that will fit your rusty, they have more than enough power, you might wanna look into stronger drivetrain parts.

 

[Alan81]

I was just looking at their websites and there are so many choices I am getting dizzy.

How do I know which one is comparable in terms of speed/power to what I have now?

 

[chickenman242]

Just my opinion here but if your new to the nitro scene I would first see if the old engine fires up and if that doesn't I would replace the 2.5 with another, sure they arent the highest quality or the most powerful but I would think it would be better to learn on an $100 engine than trash a high end engine through lack of tuning knowledge
First things first, try starting the 2.5, you maybe suprised that it will run, learn the ropes then step up to a better engine, that being said the 2.5 aint no slouch in a smaller chassis such as the ruster, I have one in a stampede that that goes hard, have trouble keeping the front down

 

[SchrodeMode]

Just my opinion here but if your new to the nitro scene I would first see if the old engine fires up and if that doesn't I would replace the 2.5 with another, sure they arent the highest quality or the most powerful but I would think it would be better to learn on an $100 engine than trash a high end engine through lack of tuning knowledge
First things first, try starting the 2.5, you maybe suprised that it will run, learn the ropes then step up to a better engine, that being said the 2.5 aint no slouch in a smaller chassis such as the ruster, I have one in a stampede that that goes hard, have trouble keeping the front down

+1 Learn how to tune on a cheaper engine.

The 2.5 is a great engine, and IMO its a perfect engine for the Rusty. I've run a Pro .15, 2.5r, Dynamite .19, and a 3.3 in my Rusty, and I think the 2.5r was the best. Don't get me wrong, the 3.3 is a beast in the Rustler, but you don't need it until you start running heavy tires off-road. Another thing to remember is that once you get more power, you'll have to upgrade your drive train.

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[Alan81]

So I got the new pullstart tonight. Tried to install it and it doesn't fit. Double Ya Tee Eff? The bag says trx 2.5. So does the side of my engine. I can't get the OWB to fit inside of the pullstart.


Help?

The inside of my pull start looks like this : http://www.amazon.com/Traxxas-5211R...42537&sr=1-1&keywords=trx+2.5+one+way+bearing

Edit : Retracting the first part of this. I got it to fit by taking about 1/32" off of each of the points on my hexagonal OWB. Works great, almost better than perfect .

I've also got it to the point where it's no longer spitting fuel out of the exhaust so this is a good sign, right?

I got it nice and warm, and it continues to run, but the idle is very funny on it. It doesn't really seem to want to stay where I put it. I've adjusted it down (less idle) and it seems to want to climb back up, next thing I know, the wheels are turning again by themselves. Eventually it decides to give up idling all together and stop.

Is this a tuning issue?

 

[SchrodeMode]

So I got the new pullstart tonight. Tried to install it and it doesn't fit. Double Ya Tee Eff? The bag says trx 2.5. So does the side of my engine. I can't get the OWB to fit inside of the pullstart.


Help?

The inside of my pull start looks like this : http://www.amazon.com/Traxxas-5211R...42537&sr=1-1&keywords=trx+2.5+one+way+bearing

The picture that you linked to is a one-way bearing. If you bought the pull start from a chop shop on eBay, it may have a OWB in it already. Post a picture of what you have.

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[Alan81]

The picture that you linked to is a one-way bearing. If you bought the pull start from a chop shop on eBay, it may have a OWB in it already. Post a picture of what you have.

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This is what I bought : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006O5PIM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2OEG1SKNGURE1
and my OWB is hexagonal, not like the one pictured in my previous post.

Anyway, I made it work for now (see ninja edit above) :

If I need a new OWB, i'll just buy the right one to fit my pull start.

 

[SchrodeMode]

Did it have a pull start on it when you got it? It sounds like the kid may have used a OWB from a Pro .15 to allow him to use a drill to turn it over, if that's the case, it's another hint to it being older.

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[chickenman242]

Your running/idle issues could be tune related, check out the stickies at the top of the nitro forum and go from there
Did you seal the engine? An erratic idle can mean an air leak or possible low speed needle tuning issues]

 

[Alan81]

Did it have a pull start on it when you got it? It sounds like the kid may have used a OWB from a Pro .15 to allow him to use a drill to turn it over, if that's the case, it's another hint to it being older.

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It did have one on it, but after a couple of pulls it wouldn't reel back in, and the end of the spring was mangled inside along with the backside of the housing being busted which is why I bought a new one.

Anyway, it's not spitting fuel anymore, and I had it running for quite a while last night. Just need to get the LSN dialed a little better I think because it doesn't quite idle properly.

Then I need to buy some screws. A couple are missing, some of them are wrong. I think I need bearings for the wheels, because they feel loose, but if I tighten the nut they won't spin at all. After that, a body, and I should be ready to fly on down the road.

---------- Post added at 9:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 9:02 AM ----------

Your running/idle issues could be tune related, check out the stickies at the top of the nitro forum and go from there
Did you seal the engine? An erratic idle can mean an air leak or possible low speed needle tuning issues]

You keep asking about sealing the engine, i'm getting the hint.

I'll go buy some of that gasket material next time i'm in town.


P.S. My wife came out one point while I had it running and she said "It's loud and stinky!"

I replied : It kind of reminds me of you.

 

[Alexander_0_1]

P.S. My wife came out one point while I had it running and she said "It's loud and stinky!"
I replied : It kind of reminds me of you.

Ouch, I can just picture the arm punch that came with that lil quip.

Even after you seal up the engine it will still have a small Air leak from the front bearing.....all nitro r/c engines do this, cause its hard to seal up something that has to be constantly moving.

 

[wacmartin]

LMAO! Please tell me you really didn't say that! Remember this is an expensive hobby you want to keep the wife happy so you can continue with it.

 

[chickenman242]

Sounds like you're getting the hang of things, glad to hear it
Buying a used nitro can be quite a gamble as you dont know how the previous owner treated the engine
But with a quick seal up a new plug and some new fuel lines that will give you the best chance in knowing if the engine is still usuable.out of the last 4 trucks I have bought 2nd hand only 1 had a bad engine but it is always best to try to run them before you go shelling out on a new engine
Deff dont upset the wife , this hobby can be expensive to start , alway best to be on the good side with the bank lol

 

[Alan81]

LMAO! Please tell me you really didn't say that! Remember this is an expensive hobby you want to keep the wife happy so you can continue with it.

I did say that. She has her hobbies, I have mine. It's only fair.

Besides, she has a really great sense of humor, so it works out well.

---------- Post added at 10:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:02 PM ----------

Sounds like you're getting the hang of things, glad to hear it
Buying a used nitro can be quite a gamble as you dont know how the previous owner treated the engine
But with a quick seal up a new plug and some new fuel lines that will give you the best chance in knowing if the engine is still usuable.out of the last 4 trucks I have bought 2nd hand only 1 had a bad engine but it is always best to try to run them before you go shelling out on a new engine
Deff dont upset the wife , this hobby can be expensive to start , alway best to be on the good side with the bank lol

I might work on sealing it up this weekend if I have time. How long to let it sit before running it?

I got it dialed in pretty close tonight I think. The back tires are bald so that was LOTS of fun with the light mist on the ground from early this evening : I was drifting like crazy! . Both rear shock tower shoulder screws are missing and had been replaced with "something close" one of which was stripped out so I had to rig up a home made cotter pin to hold the shock to the tower while I was testing the engine.

When I first started running it, it would idle until I hit the throttle just a little, then it would die, so I tweaked and twisted a little at a time on the needles, finally it would take a small amount of throttle, and it seemed to run perfectly at high speed. Light blue trail of smoke, the head was hot but not too hot to touch, and no sizzle when i spit on it, so i think the high speed needle was perfect.

What did end up happening after running it for a while, it went back to where the low throttle would kill it. So i'd run it out 500 feet or so, brake it to turn it around, and the low throttle just killed it.

Would this have anything to do with air leaks?
Gosh this is fun!!!!!!!


So now on my shopping list :

Miscellaneous screws (i'm going to do a walkthrough over the whole chassis to see what's there and what might be missing or wrong.)

Wheel bearings

Slipper clutch pegs (Brings me to another question) I noticed when i was trying to fix the brakes that there are not slipper clutch pegs in the holes on the gear (spur?). How is this affecting my rustler without slipper clutch pegs?

Need an air filter on it. There isn't one, and I know it's not good to run it without, but I didn't want to throw another 15 bucks at an already over priced car that may not even run to begin with. Now that it's running it's all fair game.

Need to do something to mount the receiver. It's just sitting there. What's the normal way to mount them?

Last and probably most important : A body and some body clips. Any recommendations on rustler bodies?

I also did after run procedure on it since it seems to be running decent I figured I might as well save what life the engine has left, so tell me if this sounds right.

Pulled the fuel line off and tried to start the engine for 5-6 more pulls. Pulled the glow plug, sprayed a bit of wd-40 (no after run oil) inside of the motor, and into the carburetor. Gave it a few more pulls on the pull start, and then put the piston at BDC and reinstalled glow plug.

 

[jose.28]

http://www.gabahobby.com/produto/58f28b4db7594b33a44eb1abdfaaf5fa49b7c0f3aa733_1.jpg
Heres your layout

 

[SchrodeMode]

http://www.gabahobby.com/produto/58f28b4db7594b33a44eb1abdfaaf5fa49b7c0f3aa733_1.jpg
Heres your layout

That's the Nitro Sport.

Without the friction pegs, your spur gear is getting torn up and will eventually melt (you must have it really tight now). For a body, you can either get one from a chop shop on ebay and it'll be ready to go....or you can get one that needs to be painted. Traxxas sells the stock body that is clear, as well as one that has the graphics on and just needs a final coat of your color choice. You can also look at bodies from Proline and J Concepts. As far as mounting the rx, you can either zip tie it to the chassis or use double sided mounting tape. New Era Models also has an adapter that allows you to use the waterproof rx box from the E-Rustler, you would have to get a smaller rx though (recommended to change over to 2.4).

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[jose.28]

That's the Nitro Sport.

Without the friction pegs, your spur gear is getting torn up and will eventually melt (you must have it really tight now). For a body, you can either get one from a chop shop on ebay and it'll be ready to go....or you can get one that needs to be painted. Traxxas sells the stock body that is clear, as well as one that has the graphics on and just needs a final coat of your color choice. You can also look at bodies from Proline and J Concepts. As far as mounting the rx, you can either zip tie it to the chassis or use double sided mounting tape. New Era Models also has an adapter that allows you to use the waterproof rx box from the E-Rustler, you would have to get a smaller rx though (recommended to change over to 2.4).

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I stand corrected. You are right i didnt see the engine is different.

 

[Alan81]

That's the Nitro Sport.

Without the friction pegs, your spur gear is getting torn up and will eventually melt (you must have it really tight now).
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I think maybe then the bald tires are helping with that? Since they can't grab pavement very easily on takeoff, I would think that is helping save the gear. Am I correct on that?


Anyway, pegs are on the list.

That reminds me of one more thing. I have these integy front end parts, and for some reason the shocks won't line up with the shock tower mounting holes without the spring rubbing on the side of the tower. I'm assuming that they need some kind of spacer or something to work, since the shock tower doesn't have the little 'nubs' like the stock one appears to have. What should I use for this?