Mart3

Hi All. I am very new to boats and nitro engines however my son and I are learning together! We have managed to aquire the above engine but it has been stood a while and we are struggling to get it started. All is free and fuel flows and we have managed the odd splutter which is a start.... I .haven't refreshed the glow plug that came with the engine. It does glow but I was wondering if someone could recommend heat and thread length just in case it's the wrong one. The other issue is that I am quickly flooding the engine. If anyone can recommend a start up approach that works for them I would gladly take on any advice. Many thanks in advance..

Bill Diedrich

Did the engine come with any instructions? If not with the engine flooding, it seems to be an indication that the high speed needle is set incorrectly.
First never try to start a flooded engine with a starter belt as you can bend the con rod, remove the glow plug, turn the engine over until very little fuel is coming out of the plug hole, replace the glow plug. Screw the high speed needle valve in completely and then back it out approx. 2 3/4 to 3 turns out, this is a good starting position for the engine, if the engine still floods, repeat above procedure of plug removal and before attempting to start the engine adjust the high speed needle by screwing it in approx. 1/8th turn. You also haven't stated what fuel you are using 5% - 10% - 15% nitro content, also does the plug have an idle bar on it or not, most marine engines don't function very well with idle bar type plugs.

The OS 30 Max-S engine is a very old engine, been out of production for quite some time.

You also didn't indicate the boat type that this engine is in or intended to go in, more info would be of great help.

Bill D

Mart3

Hi Bill - thank you for your thoughts. They're all very helpful and I'll look forward to trying them out. I'm on a budget hence an old engine. To help answer your questions. .. the engine is going into a plywood hull which is about 50" long and 8" wide. It is a V hull. The engine will sit right inside the hull and has a water jacket. The glow plug doesn't have an idle bar but it has no markings so am not sure what I have there... I'm going to embarass myself a little regards fuel. I bought a litre of cheap pre mix fuel that I could use to get the engine going but it there is no info regarding ratios. Many thanks Martin

Bill Diedrich

I would suggest that you buy a new glow plug, an OS # 8 is one of the best on the market, a medium plug for nitro in the
5% to 15% ratio. All fuels that are purchased in a hobby shop or from an online source should have the nitro content stated
on the container. The hull you have the engine in is a good start for someone getting into model boating, it won't be a super
fast boat, it will have a moderate speed that will allow you and your son to learn the ins and outs of operating a nitro powered
boat. Just make sure that you have a means to retrieve the boat should it stop out in the middle of the body of water you are running in. "UNDER NO SURCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU EVER TRY TO SWIM OUT TO RECOVER A STALLED BOAT"
Please take the above advise very seriously, many have drowned trying to do it. Having a fishing rod handy is also another way of retrieving the boat. Also be very careful of the propeller once the engine has started, it can chew up flesh pretty darn quick, keep loose clothing away from all moving parts..........

You didn't indicate what part of the country you live in, you might check to see if there is a model boat club near by, if you go to either the IMPBA or NAMBA web site you can find the club nearest to you.........check it out, help might be close by if you continue to have problems stating the engine.

Bill D

Hydro Junkie

I have to agree with Bill on what to try. One word of caution is, when buying fuel, don't buy car/buggy or helicopter fuels. The car fuel doesn't have enough oil while the helicopter may have too much. Since the percentage of oil and nitro reduces the amount(BY VOLUME) of actual fuel, that being the methyl alcohol, it will affect how the motor runs and how long the internal parts last.

Mart3

Thanks All, really appreciate your ongoing advice. Bought a new plug and the engine now is far more eager to start but refuses to run ongoing. I am just stripping it as it hadn't been stored well with the fuel appearing to have covered about all areas. it's now far freer running so now just to have another go at starting it - I have a feeling with your advice and the strip down, it'll result in success. I completely agree re safety - I have a boating lake very close which is 70cm deep throughout and about 100m long, so an ideal environment. There is a local boating club that meets there, but they are focused very much on sailing yachts and accurate replication of historic ships (by comparison I'll be the Luddite with the nitro engine)!