Tuning OFNA Force 26

[MotoGod]

Having some strange issues with this OFNA MBX Buggy and tryiing to get it tuned properly. It has only had maybe 6-7 tanks run through it so maybe I'm trying to tune prematurely here...I dunno.

It's VERY sluggish off the bottom, but once it gets going it goes like a bat out of hell! I seem to have a nice trail of smoke, albeit not a very thick trail of smoke. The HSN is set a little on the rich side at the moment because I can;t get the temps to calm down at all. I fire it up and let it idle for @ 1 min. Idles pretty well with a few blips here and there until it gets warmed up. It's doesn't creep forward at all.

When I hop on it from a dead stop it revs up and slowly starts to move and then once it gets going a bit it finally takes off without bogging or stalling. Seems like my LSN is set too rich from what I am seeing in the takeoffs.

As far as HSN goes...from mid throttle on up it seems to be very responsive with some good speed and power with a decent trail of smoke.

My main problem here is engine temp. It's WAY high. I'm talking 370+ here after 2 small laps in my yard at full throttle. I have tried going a bit richer on the HSN to cool it down, but that doesn't seem to be working at all here. It's not cooling it down, and it's making the buggy run like crap.

Any ideas at all here? The only idea I have at this point is maybe a bum clutch? That doesn't explain why it still rips on the high side though. I'm no tuning master yet, but I thought I had a good handle on it until I started to prep this buggy for a race.

 

[Scrogg]

If you hit 370F, you have probably warped the sleeve and it may probably never run right.I don't know how you managed to get it that hot that fast. It has to be super lean on one or both of the needles, 370 is really hot.
It could possibly be a leak somewhere in the fuel system or exhaust.
A crack in the sleeve will cause an engine to overheat quickly. I'd send it to Ofna, it really sounds like a bum engine.

 

[MotoGod]

I am seeing quite a bit of Nitro on the chassis....so I'm not sure yet. I suppose I could tear down the engine and inspect it, but man...this thing is near new. Seems to be running like it's set WAY rich, but the temps just tell me otherwise. Could very well be a bum engine.

 

[MotoGod]

OK so I don't think the motor is Fubar'd. I think my temp guage is reading WAY off here. I reset the motor to factory settings, warmed it up for 1 min or so...then did the same 2 laps and the temp gauge was reading 280 degrees and the truck was blowing fuel ALL over the place and running like complete ass. I leaned it up a tad from there and the motor started to come back to life again and the temp went up @ 25 degrees. Leaned it out a tad bit more and it started to RIP on the top end. Clear improvement in performance for sure and still a nice thick trail of blue smoke. Bottom end is still lugging and bogging, but I only tuned the HSN and then ran out of light.

So I really think this DuraTrax Temp gauge is a PoS here. The Buggy is performing exactly as I would expect it to as I'm tuning....so everything seems kosher, but since I have no backup temp gauge I may be tuning to misinformation here. First day I have used this damn gauge too. Just took it out of the package!

 

[XxVASSAGOxX]

id never buy anything duratrax man. get the pe1 infared

 

[ThunderTiger]

+! on the PE1 thats tghe one i use, Excellent pice of Equipment.

Use it to take the temp of my coffee in cafe's. if its cold, i aint drinkin it. My klocal cafe learnt to make my coffee nice and hot after a dozen returns for being too cold !!!

BTW, Duratrax = DuraTRASH !! their stuff is junk, rubbish, no good etc etc. Steer well clear.

 

[MotoGod]

PE-1 being the $25 temp gun on this page? http://www.tempgun.com/order.html

 

[XxVASSAGOxX]

thats the one, i have used them all even the $60 tempgun/tuning driver and the PE1 beats them all

i love it and you can't haves it!!!

 

[MotoGod]

I e-mailed DuraTrax support...we'll see if they give me any crap over a replacement. If it fails again...I'll just buy a PE-1. I may just put the Duratrax one on CL and sell it locally and buy a PE1 anyway. lol Can't tune if I can measure temp accurately!

 

[MotoGod]

OK so DuraTrax Support got back to me today and didn't fight me or even ask for proof of purchase. They just said "Give us your address and we'll send a new one". Kind of cool actually....hopefully the second one will work, or I'll just junk them both and buy a PE-1.

On another note, I finally got the LSN needle on this OFNA tuned and MAN is it a WORLD of difference in performance. Hard to believe such a small adjustment (1/2 lean is all it needed) can make such a HUUUGE difference. I'll continue fine tuning it when I get a working temp gauge since I think it has more in it.