AdaminNauru

Hey I'm new to glow nitro RC cars and just got a Thunder Tiger TS-4n SC sport with a pro-12 engine. I got it run in the other day and have some questions that some experienced guys might be able to shed some light on... Here is what I have and am using Thunder Tiger TS-4n Sport SC, Pro12 engine, 10%nitro fuel 20%castor. The car sat on the shelf for a few years i reckon before I bought it. The foam air filter discintergrated so I temporarily replaced it with sponge till the new one arrives. The belts were moldy...but abit of a scrape took care of that I run the car on Nauru, a small central pacific island where it is hot all the time and usually humid. 1. So the directions say to open the high speed needle 3 turns from closed for the run in setting and I could not get it to stop flooding (I'd take the glow starter off and the engine would stop) till I set it at like 1 1/2 turns. Is that normal? I have the car running but it still stalls at full throttle...so does that mean it is still running rich? There is plenty of smoke from the exhaust. 2. The pictures in manuals etc say there is like a screw and nut on the front of the carb where the throttle servo connects, for mid-range tuning, only mine has a small phillips screw only. Is that still an adjustment or just connecting the servo the the carb? 3. My front tires are bald from 5 tanks running, is that normal? I drive the car on aspalt. I've struggled getting it to run straight and measure the distance in mm between the front and back of the front wheels to get them even...but it's still not running straight... any suggestions? I ran it without the tyres glued for a few tanks, but finally got them glued on the other day. If the tyres are older would that make them wear quicker...so new tires might last longer? would running them on dirt/dusty concrete be better for tire longevity? 4. I can use fuel that is 10% nitro and 15%castor and 5%synthetic would that make it run better/different? can i dilute the fuel, to lessen the oil % that might make it run better? what would i dilute it with? 5. I have no tube for the antenna/arial any ideas for a stand in? There is no model/hobby store on Nauru 6. I'm using some sewing machine oil for after run oil...is that ok? is it meant to go in the glow plug hole or the carb opening? Would 30W motor oil be better? Well thats it for now, I'm probably the only Nitro RC owner on Nauru...so any advice would be very helpful. Thanks again Adam on Nauru

D.DJ

I wouldnt put engine oil into these little glow engines, it isnt really a rust preventative, more of just a lubricant. I would use a 16% nitro content or similar, as this makes the needle settings richer providing more cooling into the engine, but too much nitro is bad, so stick close to 16%.
Usually there are 2 needles on a carb, the 3rd one being the idle speed screw. The High Speed needle determines pretty much the total fuel flow through the engine and is pointing upwards in a brass cylinder. The 2nd screw is the idle mixture needle, which determines the idling fuel flow - too much out/too far open and it will bog down, blow heaps of smoke on acceleration and just be nasty. too far in and take off will be hesitant and the engine will sound funny/unsteady and buzzy. Think of it as a garden hose, the main tap is the High speed needle, and the hose end is the low end showing how fine the liquid is coming out.

AdaminNauru

So you reckon the phillips screw, without a nut,is definately a low speed needle? It seems tight on there and does not seem to adjust anything.
I did hit full throttle today which was good. If it does not reach full throttle but stalls mid range does that mean it's abit lean? I thought it might be too rich but maybe it was too lean.
Do some engines only have a HSN without a LSN?
I can only find fuel here which is 10%nitro...got any ideas how to add nitro to increase it's % ?
I'll stick with the sewing machine oil, thanks for the tip.

Anthoop

Yes it is possible that the carburettor only has one adjustment needle, I do not think the phillips screw would be a needle screw especially if it is tight. Pictures may help. If it is just cutting out then it sounds lean.

D.DJ

If it was too rich, it would have a low peak RPM and blow heaps of smoke and go slow. If 10% nitro is all you can get, thats still fine, and the only way to increase it is to remove the oils and Methanol from the fuel, but you would need something high-tech for something like that, apart from adding Nitro-Methanol to the fuel

I guess sewing machine oil will still be good, I dont use any oil as I used my engine pretty often, not long enough to accumulate a problematic amount of moisture. I had an engine with only one needle, so maybe this is just one of those old engines

AdaminNauru

So D.DJ the old engine you had with only one adjustment did you get it to run well at idle and full thorttle? If so how did you do it?
I've got it to run and full throttle now, but then when it idles it's abit rich and wants to stall. So i lean it back so it'll idle and now it's too lean to run at full throttle...
I run it several times a week but inbetween i put the oil in the carb and glow plug hole so it doens't get moisture between runs...it's humid here (less than 40mile fromt he equator) so i'd rather be safe than sorry.
Would a newer thunder tiger carb be a worthwhile purchase and fit you reckon? what happened to your old engine youmodify it or get a newer one?

D.DJ

It did run pretty well from what I can remember, but i dont think it was made to be an on-road engine, maybe for a small plane. It was really old, and it's lost all compression (Thunder Tiger .10 Magnum it was) I would just get a new engine, as it would be new, it would run better and is made for on-road cars. Changing the carb might be hard to do, so getting a new engine would be my way to go. I would modify it, but its soo crappy that it wouldnt be worth it, and this is doing it myself.

wolfie1

i have a pro12 engine in a motorbike and it doesnt have a lsn just a hsn and an idle adjust and it sounds like ur running too lean

bikeracer

Suggest you have another look at your carb,the LSN is the slotted screw in the centre of where the operating arm fits.

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