Tamiya Nitro Crusher Restoration

[Stringweasel]

Good day everyone!

I played around with a Tamiya Nitro Crusher around 10 years ago. I was a typical teenager and pushed it too hard, my engine lost compression, and then it went to the shelf. Now I want to restore it and drive it once again. Although I have a technical mind my knowledge of engines and RC mechanics is very limited. I hope you guys can help. I'll probably keep coming back to this thread to keep asking questions.

The car itself wasn't driven for that long as I killed the engine quite rapidly. The suspension and everything seems in okay condition (to an inexperienced eye). The engine itself is stuck. The recoil starter (correct terminology?) doesn't pull at all. This is probably due to old fuel solidifying after 10 years.

My plan is to take it apart and clean everything. The engine I'm fixing replacing the cylinder, piston, and recoil starter. I still have the original manual for assembly, so I'm hoping to follow it in reverse. Is there some disassembly literature somewhere?

I have a few extra questions:

• Will I need to replace the oil in the shocks? It says you should add official Tamiya oil. Is there a real-world alternative?
• What products can I use to clean the engine itself?
• Will simply replacing the cylinder and piston fix the compression

I'm sorry if some of these questions seem straightforward, but I'm really keen to learn.

Thank you so much!

 

[cbaker65]

You can try soaking the engine with WD-40 or Marvel oil for a couple days ,spray in the carb throat ,plug hole an exhaust port.
Then try to break it free by hand using a pair of channel locks on the fly wheel ,slowly work the fly wheel back an forth.

Also ,if the engine carb was never tuned after break-in ,its possible that it maybe still good an you only
fouled the glo-plug!....

 

[Stringweasel]

You can try soaking the engine with WD-40 or Marvel oil for a couple days ,spray in the carb throat ,plug hole an exhaust port.
Then try to break it free by hand using a pair of channel locks on the fly wheel ,slowly work the fly wheel back an forth.

Also ,if the engine carb was never tuned after break-in ,its possible that it maybe still good an you only
fouled the glo-plug!....

Thank you! I will definitely try that! I tried dissasembling the engine but got stuck with the flywheel. So I will have to slowly work out the flywheel, as it is very tightly fitted?

plug hole an exhaust port.

What do you mean? Do I have to close the exhaust? Or fill it up as well with WD-40?

Also ,if the engine carb was never tuned after break-in ,its possible that it maybe still good

So you think the carborator might still be good?

Thank you for you help cbaker!

 

[cbaker65]

Thank you! I will definitely try that! I tried dissasembling the engine but got stuck with the flywheel. So I will have to slowly work out the flywheel, as it is very tightly fitted?



What do you mean? Do I have to close the exhaust? Or fill it up as well with WD-40?



So you think the carborator might still be good?

Thank you for you help cbaker!

LOL.....I knew you would get confused with the RC language!

I didn't mean plug nothing off.....

I meant to say remove the glo-plug out of the head ,an remove the header to put lube into the engine!....

Also ,upon doing that ,put the pliers on fly wheel to break the engine free .NOT to remove fly wheel!.....