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WASP 28 Tips and Recommendations Needed

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sweetdiesel

aka SouRGassssssss
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I thought I had broken only my motor mount last weekend but upon tear down I found the block cracked as well on my S-25. Showed it to the wife and she said "you need a new engine", so I bit the bullet and ordered a WASP.28 from tower. It should get here by next Friday. In the meantime, I'm asking all WASP .28 owners to chime in with their tips and tricks. I plan on doing at least a full 6 tank break-in at factory settings, but are there anything else I should do before that. Will it be necessary to re-seal the backplate? What turbo plugs are you using so I can get a couple spares on hand. Weather in my area has been around 40-55 degrees. Also, will it be fine running with the half gallon of Odonell 20% nitro I have left, or should I go higher in content to 25 or 30. Thanks for all your help!
 
That engine has a LOT of compression so becareful when starting it for the first time. I broke the pull starter before I even got it started once. Now I use Roto-Start for it.

I did 6 tanks as well and am on tank 8 so far. I run it with 20% and it does fine. My LHS recomended me to use a hot plug becuase temps get very low here in the winter. I use the Orion brand turbo plugs. They come in hot, medium, and cold so you can use whichever you want.

Its a great engine and has a lot of torque along with a kick ass high end. Mine is in a buggy but I'm sure it could pull wheelies in a savage. Good luck!

I havent resealed anything and no leaks for me.
 
I didn't need to seal anything. Everything had a nice tight seal. One tip I would say is to make sure that the carb gets fully seated down flush into the crankcase when you put it in. I literally had to put some heavy pressure on the carb w/ one hand to hold it down in the crankcase and then lock it in place w/ the other hand. The gasket that comes w/ it makes a really tight seal (thus no need for RTV sealant).

I used Odonnell 20% nitro and have had great results w/ it on the wasp, I don't think that you should bump up to a higher nitro %. I am still using the stock glow plug that came w/ the engine. I haven't even needed to replace it yet.

Since you will be doing the break-in 50 degree temps, you might want to find an old sock and place it over the cooling head. This will help ensure that you get the temps up high enough to allow for the proper heat expansion of the parts. My goal during break-in was to reach at least 190 (to allow heat expansion) and to stay under 240, while slowly increasing the RPM's w/ each tank.

Other than that, take your time on the break-in and watch how much power she has when you start getting on it at the end. Even running w/ the rich break-in settings, she has tons of power. You will really see a huge difference over the S-25.

As AC mentioned, take the rotostart backplate off of your stock S-25 and put it on the Wasp. You will need to use the stock S-25 one-way bearing. It will all be a direct fit.
 
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Thank you for all the tips. About break in and starting it for the first time, I heard it's good to heat up the head with a hairdryer first. Out here in California 50 degrees is cold (for me at least) but is it cold enough to require the extra warm up?

Digital Liquid, did you make any mods to your drivetrain to handle the extra power? I have already done the 4 spider mod with 7k/5k diff oil. What was the first thing that broke after you put in your .28?
 
Using a hair dryer is not required anywhere, it just makes it easier to start your engine.

As for the drive train, I have a Savage, but the Wasp is in my Inferno. BUt I do know about the drivetrain and if you have already doen the 4-Spider mod then you should be set. The only thing you might break is dogbones so you might want to have some spares laying around.
 
Thanks AC48. I will definitely get some more spare dogbones, I've snapped two of the HD chromed ones with the S-25. I think it was you that posted that the normal dogbones are better? I wouldn't know the difference because the HD ones were stock on my SS and that is what I used to replace them with.
 
Are they?? LOL, I don't thnk it was me who said that. Why would regular be stronger than HD???

Yeah, I have the SS too and I thought that the HD ones would be...well, HD! lol

Oh well, I have also snaped 2 with my S-25 so it would be a good idea to have some extras.

I just drove my Buggy a little while ago right after driving my Savage and my god, the .28 has stupid power. Anywhere beyond 1/4 throttle and all tires spinning out of control flinging dirt everywhere. Gotta love an overpowerd buggy :D
 
sweetdiesel said:
Thank you for all the tips. About break in and starting it for the first time, I heard it's good to heat up the head with a hairdryer first. Out here in California 50 degrees is cold (for me at least) but is it cold enough to require the extra warm up?

Digital Liquid, did you make any mods to your drivetrain to handle the extra power? I have already done the 4 spider mod with 7k/5k diff oil. What was the first thing that broke after you put in your .28?

Heating up the head w/ a blow dryer is not a bad idea. It will help her fire up better for the first time. Do you have a temp gun so you can monitor your temps during the break-in process?

I didn't have to do any mods to the drivetrain. I did the spider mod a long time ago, so I was already prepared. I really don't think you will need to do anything else besides that.

Unfortunately, I was short on cash for a couple of bills and got rid of the engine last week to a friend. But the savage that it is installed in has not had any problems w/ anything breaking (knock on wood :hammer: ).

You are definitely going to like her. Let us know how the break-in goes.
 
Wasn't you? oops, yeah i think the person who posted said the regular bones tend to bend rather than snap, but now that I think about it, I'd rather them snap than bend and tear up my drive cups.
 
i would like to get thid engine when i get my bros buggy, the buggy is a hotbodies lightning (origional not a lightning 2) it currently has a .21 hotbodies engine would this engine fit in the lightning, would i have to do any thing special to make it work?
sorry to interupt your thread
 
Well, my Wasp .28 is in my Kyosho Inferno MP7.5 Buggy so it should fit fine. This engine will haul ass in your buggy, as it does in mine :D
 
i loooked at it online after i posted and knoticed it proly would i hope i can get it soon. Then ill be haulin ass too.
 
The WASP came today! Tower has super fast shipping, they estimated it would come by next week! Now to get the Savvy back together and break this baby in. Woohoo I am soooo stoked!
 
I will be running 18/49 stock gears. I am torn between breaking her in tommorow or going bowling. I was planning to go bowling with friends since I didn't think she'd be in until next week. Bowling or WASP, bowling or WASP, bowling or WASP,WASP, WASP, sorry bowling the WASP is begging me to break her in!!!!! Hey did I say I am stoked!!!!!!!! Also stoked the WASP isn't the shiny blue like the pictures I've seen online, more of a cool seawater blue. Very cool. And they even included some "black demon" decals. Wicked!!!!!!

btw. there is a very small groove ground out from the inner diameter of the exhaust port.Is this normal? I am hoping this was intentional for smoother airflow or something. And true to your word AC48, the compression is TIGHT on this thing! I tried pulling on the pullstarter and I'm I know it's about to snap. Rotostart is going on right away!
 
I'm definitely getting this engine now, i wvwn have a extra pull start that i can put on if that one breaks. congrats diesel, great buy
 
Some pics of the Wasp.28 engine and an engine almost twice as much OS .21 VZB V-Spec T. Pretty small venturi openning for a .28 vs the 9mm restrictor for the V-Spec. The OS carb will fit the Wasp and I wil run it in the future with the OS carb after I get my second V-Spec. Quality is alright for the Wasp but no where as good as the OS. The machining detailis are much finer on the OS and the Wasp is pretty rough. The ports are much larger on the OS than the Wasp. By the looks of it the OS is larger and robust and 'looks' like it will make more power. Look at the hole in the crank and the exhaust port.

It's cold here in the Pacific Northwest so I won't be running either engine until March 05. There are 9 pics so hit 'next' 12 times. The blue engine crankcase with the silver head is the Wasp.28 and the black engine crankcase with the blue head is the OS .21 VZB V-Spec T.


http://www.msnusers.com/flipracing/monstertrucks.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=132
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Took the Wasp.28 engine apart today. Saw the exhaust port on the block didn't match the cylinder to well. Looks pretty high quality inside with some nice mod work. Turbo on crank pretty smooth, knife edge connecting rod with oil hole through rod bearing, modified/cut piston skirt for better intake flow. Very similiar to the cylinder liner in the OS 21 V-Spec including the crown cut on the exhaust port. Only issue was the port in the bloock was oval and didn't match the crown of the liner, there's no angle cut to the rear and below the transfer port like what's on the V-Spec. The carb venturi is kinda of small so I know when I use the 21C OS carb the Wasp.28 is going to haul A$$.



I've had the Wasp.26 for over a year. It a basic 7 port engine no mods for high rpm running. It's much more crude internally vs the 28. There's no way the wasp.26 will make more power than the .28

The Wasp.28 looks like a cheaper pullstart version of the OS 21 V-Spec.
 
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Yeah, its a nice engine. As for the grooves in the exhaust port, yes sweetdiesel, they're are supposed to be there. At least mine had them too. I love the blue of the engine. Very cool. This engine kicks ass.
 
Some initial install impressions. The WASP was a very tight fit with the 18T/49 gear combo and the gear mesh was not 100% like the stock motor. It was about 1/16 in. off, so I am getting about 75-80% mesh which seems to work fine. The sliding carb was very rough, when setting up my throttle linkages I could hear it squeak. I put a drop of after run oil in and that made it smooth.

First start up: Didn't. Warmed up the head with a hairdryer and tried the roto-start. Nothing. The rotor start motor was too weak to turn the crankshaft. So I pulled out my 19.2 volt drill and tried. The drill is unable to get enough RPMS to get it started. I keep at it and a few minutes later the one way bearing breaks, so I take off the rotostart and put the pull starter on. Warm the head back up and still nothing, the compression is just too tight. At that point I should have loosened the plug and tried it again but I was frustrated so off to the LHS I go for a new one-way. With the new one way, warmed up head and freshly charged 19.2 battery on my drill the motor finally starts. Let it idle and it keeps dying so I lean it out about a half turn. Went thru the first tank of idling fine, lots of oil and smoke. Tank two I set the EPA on my transmitter for 25% and do a full tank, no blips, just smooth up and down on the throttle and running factory super rich. After tank 2, it started to get dark and had to take the wife shopping so called it a day.

Hopefully I'll have some time tommorow to finish break in. I am really anxious to see what she can do.
 
Heating the head, the block, and the fuel tank will make starting much easier. You might need to loosen the glow plug on a brand new motor. Yesterday it was in the low 40s and my fairly new Picco 26 started on the second pull after I heated the cold motor with a hair dryer. I also put the glow igniter on the plug for about 15 seconds before I attempted to start it.

The 18/49 gearing will work great on the street but IMO it is much too tall for offroading. I took my 18/49 Picco Savage to a construction site yesterday with lots of deep sand and I melted and destroyed my spur after one tank. From the sound of the motor I could hear that my gearing was too tall for the deep sand. My 18/49 mesh was very good and it was trouble free for a gallon on the street.
 
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