stalling when glow starter removed... help

[Beattie]

This has happened before but i miraculasly fixed it. now i can't! I just got some new fuel(same persentages as old brand) and the bloody car stalls as soon as i take the glow starter off. I'm pretty sure its the glowplug heat rating. do i need a warmer or cooler one?
Its a Kyosho GX15 engone if that helps. The plug i use at the moment always worked fine before hand and is in good condition.

...last time i shop at that hobby shop! :hammer:

 

[Domination]

Id say your running too rich, OR you glow plug went down the crapper. They do go bad!

 

[Beattie]

nehh, its not the mixture. Yea the glowplug may have gone down the crapper. I have 2 that have the same heat rating but they do the same thing. The spiral looks a bit black and carbonised, i might try cleaning them with a bit of metho and a soft toothbrush or something and see if it works.

 

[NCNitro]

If the element is black is does sound as though you may be too rich. Can you get an OS #8 glow plug where you are? If so you might want to give that plug a try. Impropper tuning can and will cause problems with the glow plugs.

Heres a pretty good article explaining glow plugs

 

[Beattie]

Yeh i can get OS plugs in Perth. I have one now, ill find the number in the morn. I dont think its running rich coz its gettin nice and hot when its running. I might go buy a hotter one by the sounds of what that review said. I'm using 15% nitro and its a .15 engine. I'll see if there is a OS#8 wjen i goto the hobby shop on mon.tue.

cheers to all that helped/will help!

 

[NCNitro]

You said it is getting nice and hot, how hot? Do you have a temp gun?

You also might want to try 20% fuel. Which make of fuel are you using by the way?

 

[WsW-WYATT-EARP]

a running engine will get close to 200° F ... which will seem hot to anyone ... but normal operating temp of these engines is over 200 and if it is running rich .. which is my guess also ... that will keep the temps down and basically flood out the engine ..

 

[hb1111]

just put a new glow plug are the ones you trying all used?i had a batch of off the wall plugs and all of them did the same thing like ncnitro said get a good plug mccoy,os., or something good avoid the cheap stuff

 

[Beattie]

Yeh i used a temp gun to get it right. I'm using the same carb ajstment since i tested it(i borrowed the gun). 20% nitro you say? i really dont want to take chances because this is my 2nd engine and i dont really wanna get another one. The fuel i am using is the local hobby shops home made blend(its green!?!). I'm using a OS plug at the moment but i'll get another.

 

[Domination]

I would NOT reccomend useing a home brew even if its from your LHS. Go out and pick up or order some quality fuel from a respectible company. I.E. Dynamite/Trinity/ O'donnell. And also 20% fuel is reccomened by most all engine manufactures unless its a hight performance race engine witch would be reccomened with 30%+.

 

[NCNitro]

Stay away from the home brew fuel! Go with Odonnel Racing 20%, or Trinity Monster 20%, or even Dynamite blue thunder, but definately not home brew.

You also say you are using the same setting as when you borrowed a gun to get the temp readings? Well if the temp, or humidity has changed at all since you tuned it, your tune is most likely off, as nitro engines are greatly affected by the weather, and require retuning fairly often.

 

[olds97_lss]

IME, if it dies when the heater is taken off, it's either too rich or the glowplug is dieing. Just because it turns red hot doesn't mean it will still work. There's a platinum (I think I read that somewhere) coating on the coil that creates a catylitic reaction with the methanal in the fuel. Over time, the coating deteriorates and it doesn't really do it's job anymore.

Also, like the other guys said, if possible, try some fuel that is mixed by the MFR and not the LHS. Running 20% nitro helps with idling issues as well. The nitro helps with the lower RPM's of the engine and help it run smoother due to the lower % of oxygen at lower RPM's. (I read that somewhere too...)

 

[Rolex]

Just my 2 cents on the fuel.....Avoid home brew and stay with the brand names. A guy in the flying club mixes it and we can get home brew for half the price of LHS fuel, but it's not consistant. Everytime he taps into the 55 gallon drum to draw fuel, Humid air gets in. Towards the end of the barrel, the fuel is pitiful.
I never used it after seeing other guys constantly retuning engines with club fuel.

 

[Beattie]

SHE LIVES!!! I just pulled the glowplug out, scratched some of the carbon from the tip of the coil, stuck it in, slightly leaned the mixture and it started and stayed started!!! It runs fine. I'll use that fuel GENEROUSLY untill it runs out and then get some new 20% quality stuff(the current is 2.5L and brand new, i might sell it to a mate). I'll get a new glow plug ASAP just as a backup for when the current one gives up.

Thanks for all of your help!