How important is it to get a temp gun i have hear alot of talk about everyone seeming to have one. I mean if its blowing blue smoke and the engine is not cutting out and runninng fast shouldnt that be okay ?
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Temp gun
- Thread starter insutama
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ohmygahitscoby
Hardcore RCTalk User
Sometimes your engine can be too lean and the temps are very high. I actually don't use a temp gun because there is a way to tune by the stream of blue smoke. As long as it is a nice stream, you have the right settings. No smoke and you're too lean. I always stay on the rich side.
aaron030886
RCTalk Qualifier
I'm new to Nitro as well, but I'm pretty sure that having a temp gun would not be a bad idea, or even a bad investment. Right now I have been lucky to be able to use one of my dads friends temp gun that's an electrician. They help a lot in break in, in seeing how if the truck has cooled down enough to run again, or seeing while running it if it has gotten too hot. At least that's how and where I have been using mine a lot. Hope my advice could be of some help!
ohmygahitscoby
Hardcore RCTalk User
You can also test your temp with water. Put some drops on your cooling head.
Boiling: Too lean.
Sitting: Rich.
Boiling: Too lean.
Sitting: Rich.
MrClean
Hardcore RCTalk User
I think a temp gun should be part of every 'tool-kit', especially for anyone new to nitro engines. I know most of the veterans here will agree, breaking in and tuning a nitro engine without one is not a good idea. I would tell anyone, instead of buying that first gallon of nitro, spend that money on a temp gun. I'm talking from my own experience too.
fasterdenu
RCTalk Basher
+1 ... temp gun is a necessity... no ifs, ands, or buts... you can get a decent one for around 25 bux
TWOCANE
RCTalk Addict
well I can say at a safe temp my spit by the plug boiled away in about 12 or 14 seconds and it was 236. A temp gun is cheap and a need to have. Hell 3 glow plugs is the same price as my dubro temp gun.
Yep, considering their price, they are a requirement of nitro. You may be seeing a blue line of smoke, but your engine may be running at 300F+ which makes for a fried engine no matter how "rich" you think you have it.
With nitro, requirements are as follows:
1) vehicle
2) temp gun
3) electronic fail safe
4) glow heater
5) fuel
If you don't have all the stuff before the fuel, then you probably shouldn't be running it.
With nitro, requirements are as follows:
1) vehicle
2) temp gun
3) electronic fail safe
4) glow heater
5) fuel
If you don't have all the stuff before the fuel, then you probably shouldn't be running it.
- Thread starter
- #10
i will be defenatly picking up a temp gun before i start it up again... i may sound stupid here but whats a electronic fail safe ? also when i have been running my trucks its been 37C outside dose that matter ?
It's fine to run when it's that hot outside. High humidity is what kills a nitro engine. Messes up the fuel/air mixture quite a bit and can make running them unbearable.
An electronic fail safe (FS for short) is a device that connects between your receiver and throttle servo. There's a setup process for them that allows you to apply brakes or set the servo to nuetral when it looses the transmitter signal. Some of them also monitor receiver pack voltage and if it gets too low, it goes into "fail safe" mode and adjusts the throttle servo accordingly so you don't get a runaway rig.
I've always had good success with this one:
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXEYG2&P=ML
The setup if very simple. I set mine to go to throttle idle if it engages. I used to have it go to full brakes, but then I had a signal drop while doing a big jump and it locked the tires up then did uncontrolled flips in the air and landed on it's roof... If I had set it to go to idle vs brake, it may not have been so dramatic.
With that one, you plug it into your receiver, plug your throttle servo into the plug of the FS, turn your receiver on and transmitter on, then hold your throttle trigger on the remote where you want it to go when in fail safe mode, then you push the little red button on the FS until it blinks a few times, and your done. Then you test it by holding the throttle trigger at WOT (wide open) then without moving your trigger finger, shut off the remote. The servo should go where you set it to go when you held the FS button in.
That particular one also goes into FS mode when the receiver pack voltage drops below 4... something. 4.8 I think. Which is just short of the pack going dead dead.
An electronic fail safe (FS for short) is a device that connects between your receiver and throttle servo. There's a setup process for them that allows you to apply brakes or set the servo to nuetral when it looses the transmitter signal. Some of them also monitor receiver pack voltage and if it gets too low, it goes into "fail safe" mode and adjusts the throttle servo accordingly so you don't get a runaway rig.
I've always had good success with this one:
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXEYG2&P=ML
The setup if very simple. I set mine to go to throttle idle if it engages. I used to have it go to full brakes, but then I had a signal drop while doing a big jump and it locked the tires up then did uncontrolled flips in the air and landed on it's roof... If I had set it to go to idle vs brake, it may not have been so dramatic.
With that one, you plug it into your receiver, plug your throttle servo into the plug of the FS, turn your receiver on and transmitter on, then hold your throttle trigger on the remote where you want it to go when in fail safe mode, then you push the little red button on the FS until it blinks a few times, and your done. Then you test it by holding the throttle trigger at WOT (wide open) then without moving your trigger finger, shut off the remote. The servo should go where you set it to go when you held the FS button in.
That particular one also goes into FS mode when the receiver pack voltage drops below 4... something. 4.8 I think. Which is just short of the pack going dead dead.
Last edited:
MrClean
Hardcore RCTalk User
Dang, 2 good tips in a row tonight from Olds! I never thought about loosing the signal in middle of a jump and having it lock up the wheels with the FS set to brake. That could tear up a few things, landing with the wheels locked..... if it lands on it's wheels that is....LOL. I'm changing mine before the next run to go to idle or at least minimal braking.
Good top 5!! I wish I would have seen that list before I started running my Revo without a temp gun. Oh well, lesson learned and like my dad always said..."Boy, you don't learn nothing the easy way, do you?"
Olds meant to say that the FS goes between your receiver and throttle/brake servo.
Good top 5!! I wish I would have seen that list before I started running my Revo without a temp gun. Oh well, lesson learned and like my dad always said..."Boy, you don't learn nothing the easy way, do you?"
Olds meant to say that the FS goes between your receiver and throttle/brake servo.
That should read throttle/brake servo
Anyone reading the full post could probably pick up on it,just wanted to make it clear for the newbies! 
ajames942
Hardcore RCTalk User
That should read throttle/brake servo
lol i read it and didnt notice it, but a temp gun is a must. I was running without one, tuning it (had no clue what i was doing) Thought it was just perfect, and i got onem found out i was running at 310F WOW
GrudgE
RCTalk Addict
uuuhhh water boils at 212 degrees, so the water test is very unreliable.
TWOCANE
RCTalk Addict
That ofna micro fits right on board of a jato and t maxx without any mods to the rig. Thats also a plus. It is small enough that it would go good anywhere.
Olds meant to say that the FS goes between your receiver and throttle/brake servo.
That should read throttle/brake servo
Thanks guys! I updated the post.
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Not necessarily true. It's about time, not the simple reaction itself.
If a drop of water on the head fizzles away completely almost immediately, yes, it's too hot. However, it's it takes 3-5 full seconds for a drop to completely fizzle away then you're in good shape. That's is straight from an RB instruction manual.
