JohnP2

Sometimes Ifeel I've read virtually everything on the Internet when it comes to tuning an engine, and have found Ron Paris' infamous "Tuning Bible" to be the most reliable. Someone needs to write the second chapter when it comes 'Fine-tuning' a nitro engine. That would be very popular, in my opinion.

Foxy

There's only so much that you can learn from reading and even from being taught. It's such a 'feel' oriented thing, only experience will make you great.

JohnP2

Oh, I agree completely!.I can assure you that you'll be hard-pressedfind anyone as tenacious as I am in learning this hobbyand 90% of what I've learned as been from hands-on experience.Of course as you knowit does not hurt in the least to tapintosomeone's knowledge base. That's pretty much why we are all here,right? ;-)I can't speak for anyone else, but I soak in everything I can and put it to the test-then draw my own conclusions.

With respect to race-tuning a nitro engine: there is a finite way to achieve this. There is no gray area....you either achieve it or you don't. Lot's of folks might not have have the desire to put in what it takes to get there, but for those that do, any little nugget we can pick up (either via spoken word or literature) goes a long way in this endeavor. Neal said it best in that "it's no joke". It's a study, and requires patience, time, and experience - I fully understand that. I'm sure there are only a select few who have figured it out on their own..instead, they leverage what is great about this hobby and tap into the experience of thosewho are happy to share their wealth of knowledge for those that are committed to learning.

Going back to my initial suggestion....an "advanced tuning guide" would be a valuable asset to the entire nitro world.

nitroexpress

IMHO Ron Paris is an Icon. But realistically, his guide is somewhat out of date. Does he really address long and short LSN needle carbs? And as far as “Race tuning� goes, it isn’t rocket science. A person either tunes with some cushion of richness for engine protection or goes for the power with a lean tune. No need to make “Race tune� sound like something only for the few, the proud, the mega racers. There are plenty of tuning guides that cover all that is needed to know (and there is always YouTube).

JohnP2

That ispretty much the genesis of this post.


Of course not, few things are. However there is a difference between the same engine that is optimized for racing vs one that is not. A guythat can do that will make yourtune lookweak so you learn best practices as you go. You've obviously been around racing and knowthat.Some guys are happy to be cool about taking time out to help....I've found those that are true ambassordors to "the hobby" help peopleby showing rather than talk-talk. In other words I'm very careful whom I takeadvice from....untilI see what they got. ;-)

rccheech

From what I've seen from you John, you catch on very quickly and will get there before you know it, if not you may already have. Its very rare someone like you comes alon and asks all the right questions. Not that there is any bad questions from anyone.... The only dumb question is the one somebody did not ask.

Anthoop

I think you missed what NitroExpress was trying to get across.
I know people that "bash" with a "race" tune...and beyond if the truth be known....a couple know what they are doing.
No written guide will give you the hands on experience of guys that have been playing with toy cars for years...no matter if they have been on a track or not.

JohnP2

I know what he's getting across, and I agree. Nothing beats nor substitutes hands on experience. No argument there...and I imagine 99% of us have learnedone or more things by asking someone or reading. In time I'll get that experience, and until then just want to learn asmuch as I can - from the right people. That's all. ;-)

JoeMaxx

John P one of the things I learned early on was tune for sound first and temperature second. Once you hear the sound of a great tune remember it all the way from Idle to High Speed running. There are way too many variables for any one tuning guide to work as I have been told many years ago.

It took me lots of time to learn the sounds of each engine I run and now tuning generally takes me the first half tank to get them tuned in. Then I have also learned that tune will change over the 2 or 3 hours I go out to play and this is where my Temp Guage comes in. I can have a 20 degree in outdoor temps swing from the time I fire up a nitro engine at around 10:00 am till I am done play a few hours later in the afternoon.

I am no expert but have learned how to tune my 7 different nitro engines that I take out to play with on a regular basis.

JohnP2

Yeah. I guess in the end a tune is hard to define. Like that judge said about about pornography. I can't explain it, but I know it when I see it. Ha ha! I think I've gained a little experience in that I know what the end result is when they are optomized. I know how to tune, don't get me wrong. Thus there is now an area for improvement I see in all my tunes. I can tune the hell out of my engines, just have not tuned the eff out of them. ;-) That is great and what "the hobby" is for me....always improving. I'll ONLY get there through experience. I agree 100%.

(I still would love to see the Tuning Bible Part II). Even if five years from now I write itGod help us. ;-)

JoeMaxx

I learn new stuff about R/Cs all the time and like you like to read as much as I can about them since they are so much fun to play with

I have never been a serious racer but always been serious about running a track at the fastest speeds possible without wrecking or running anyone over while passing. After a few laps I can figure out where the best area is take ajump or corner than speed thru the track for a tank without wrecking. Experience in tuning and setup of the suspensiongives you the edge while the best drivers win from there driving skills. I like to polishall of theseskills. OnceI know a tune and suspension setupthe track I play at I can navigate the track very well.

Playing multiple different scale of R/Cs is always fun because each one has a different feel to it. I like to take at least 5 of them with me everytime I go to the track to play and can spend 2 to 4 hours on a Saturday or Sunday playing.

Cannot wait to learn how to drive my 2 new ones this spring and had some good weather to break in the new big block engines so they are ready to race hard after running 7 tanks thru each during breakin. I have never run big blocks or 1/8 scale before so I am excited about learning how to set them up for the track once they get done rebuilding this month. They are starting to tear down our track and redo it with a new layout this month. So I will have to wait until mid June to play with my new 1/8 Scale Buggy and Truggy.

purenitro33

Do you have a link or can you post this tuning guide?

Big Alice

 
   Google "ron paris tuning bible"
  .http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...ng+Bible%27%27

purenitro33

I was looking for the one JohnP2 has, I think I saw him post it before in another thread.

supertib

here is alittle tip.................when at the track take a look around at how people's engines sound and run, and usually you will find that the more a person messes with their needles during the day, the less they actually know about tuning.................A good tuner will set a engine once and almost never touch the needles................ It is not uncommon for me to not touch my needles once with weeks of running..........

Nitrovein

+1
But there are two sides of the coin... You should learn to tune by tuning, then when you have learned it it´s very seldom you have to tune it again.
I have seen people that almost never tune their engines, but then they always run like crap. But most of the time it´s not the needles that's the problem when a engine start acting up.

JohnP2

All I know is this. the first time I went to a track, I learned real fast what a differnce a good tune makes. Wow! I have nine engnes and have they are all different. Everyone says it only comes with experience. and agree once you get it set, leave it. You have to work to get there, though.