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T-maxx 3.3 won't turn over!

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kdogg1966

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:whhooo:Hey guys be sure to read my post in the general nitro section, my t-maxx 3.3 has been giving me some problems with the ez-start, when you put the ez starter to it, it just clicks, is there an easy fix to this or is the starter motor fried or something? it's looking like it's time to go to a trusty pull starter, I was wondering if you guys have had much trouble with the t-maxx 3.3 electric starter? also how complicated is it to change it over to a pill start? thanks for your help. kdogg
 
did you check if your piston was stuck at the top of its stroke ?? mine did that once ...had to turn the flywheel with a flat screwdriver..was ok after that
 
if your engine is brand new or it is cold outside (both are my cases) a trick that worked for me is to unscrew the glow plug and let the ez start run for about 30 seconds then slowly tighten the glow plug back up and plug the blue wire back onto the plug while the ez start is still going. this worked for me to get the engine started when it was brand new and when it is cold outside, below 40
 
i took out the glow plug and it still would not turn over, almost like when a starter on a car is "polling", i can see a spark inside the starter motor and i had the battery very stout so i am almost certain the starter motor is bad. MACGUYVER may have something cause i haven't checked to try to turn the flywheel over, as i remember this thing did the same thing when it was new but i kept fooling with the ez-start and it straightened up. if it is the starter then i think i'll go to a pull-start. are they very hard to change?
 
I had to turn the flywheel over to get the piston from getting stuck at tdc when the 3.3 engine was brand new. had to do this about 20 times before the ez start would turn over the motor consistently. then I let the ez start turn over the motor without the glow plug tightened for about 45 second and slowly tightened it back up and re attached the glow plug wire

you will still have difficulties using a pull start until you resolve what this extra resistence in your motor is coming from at which point the ez start will work and you won't have to switch out for a pull start. I've tried switching for a pull start and went right back to the ez start b/c of it's ease of use
 
suhbliem said:
I had to turn the flywheel over to get the piston from getting stuck at tdc when the 3.3 engine was brand new. had to do this about 20 times before the ez start would turn over the motor consistently. then I let the ez start turn over the motor without the glow plug tightened for about 45 second and slowly tightened it back up and re attached the glow plug wire

you will still have difficulties using a pull start until you resolve what this extra resistence in your motor is coming from at which point the ez start will work and you won't have to switch out for a pull start. I've tried switching for a pull start and went right back to the ez start b/c of it's ease of use
Click to expand...

A little heat from a hairdryer would have solved this problem. Kdogg, the pull start is a simple swap. Just remove the ez start from the back plate, make sure the owb is in good shape and clean, and installed with the writing facing the engine on the pull start. Make sure that the little shim is reinstalled between the pull starter and the back plate. You'll see it when you remove the ez starter. The pull start just bolts right up. Make sure you don't over-tighten it, and use some blue locktite on the screws.
 
Big hole in piston, need advice

:angry:hi guys, i'm over my surgery so thanks for the prayers and kind words, i took the t-maxx to my L.H.S to have the starter replaced witha pull-start. well, after disassembling the engine, the piston had a great big hole in it. after some haggling, i managed to buy a used 2.5 out of a revo. i was just wondering how much of a power difference there is in these two engines? i also am wondering what are the advantages of buying a new engine vs. ordering a piston, sleeve, and rod for this one aside from the price?
 
theres a huge power differnce between the 2.5 and 3.3 way less tourque and power ur car wont go fast how much did u spend on the 2.5 cuz you can go out and buy a brand new 3.3 for about 180 dollars
 
hey, tony let me have it for $50.00 and he installed it for free, i also bought a pull-start for it. he had a new 3.3 in the box for $152.00 but i couldn't swing it this week, i figure on overhauling the 3.3 or buying a new 3.3 but i'm not real sure yet. my son said that when it quit a big puff of smoke came out of it but i just thought it was the starter. i've probably ran a good 11 or 12 gallons of nitro through the t-maxx so i've gotten my moneys worth. HOW MUCH WORK IS IT TO OVERHAUL THE 3.3? I CAN GET A PISTON, SLEEVE, AND ROD AND WRIST-PIN THROUGH TOWER BUT I'VE NEVER OVERHAULED A NITRO ENGINE BEFORE. NEED SOME GOOD ADVICE ON THIS ONE. THANKS KDOGG
 
if you revers the wires to the ez-start motor, and try to run it the motor should run backwards, and the gears should run backwards, the engine should not turn. what this shows is that the motor and gears are ok. thats all
 
overhualing a 3.3 is not hard. i have done one. i used an assembly lube. get permatex ultra slick engine assembly lube item# 81950. or any assembly lube with zinc in in it should do fine. any good auto parts house should be able to get for you. coat all the ware surfaces, it doesn't take much just a thin coat. it will smoke at first start up, for 1-2 min. dont put it in the fuel.
 
180 bucks is nutty for a 3.3. If you look around you can find a new 3.3 with a pull for about 120. It's only worth rebuilding one if the conrod and bearings are in good shape. They usually aren't, so I buy new, then I've got another pullstarter and a spare crank, head, carb etc.
 
hey, thanks for the great advice, the conrod is split almost in two, after pricing new parts on tower hobbies and a-main, i've decided to just go with a new 3.3. my L.H.S has one for $152.00 new in the box. meanwhile i'm gonna put the $50.00 revo 2.5 mill to the test. it isn't supposed to have much time on it so i should be able to get a month or two out of it. who knows i may leave it in till it blows. kdogg
 
In the meantime it would be a good idea to check ebay, I saw a new 3.3 without the carb and p/s for 80.00. If you already have a carb or 2 then that would be the cheapest way for you to go.
 
hey, got in a trade on a 2-4's manifold i had laying around. tony at my L.H.S let me have a new in the box 3.3 for my sons t-maxx, i also got a new 3 speed for my savage, my firestorm repaired, and the trusty nitro stampede fixed, it was a mess. all in all i got about $300.00 worth of parts for the car part, man i love this hobby. kdogg
 
You will not like the 2.5. It's a total dog. I have one in my revo and I'm ready to tear it out. I will be installing a 3.3 when I have the cash. Run it till it blows. Lol
 
hey fellow gear heads, i just got the 5th tank of nitro ran through my sons t-maxx ( new 3.3) i haven't started leaning it out yet but it allready pulls the front wheels. in hindsight i probably should have tried to tune the 2.5 a little more before i replaced it with the new 3.3 but i didn't know much about the 2.5 as it was a used mill out of a revo. i'll let you guys know how it's going after i get the chance to tune it good and really get into it. more later kdogg
 

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