flatlander_14

oh man, i fired up my new fantom .18 tonight. it is freakin CRAZY! it really has wheelies on demand! not like the BS advertising traxxas says for the 2.5. from the first time i pulled the throttle before i touched the needles, i knew it was a BADASS engine! after about 2-1/4 tanks, it was screaming. i cant wait til next time! the reason i only got 1/4 tankful for the last thing was partly because the carb body kept coming loose[:@]i think i either stripped out the nut or i didnt have the carb pushed all the way in in the first place. but until then it was insane! i am going to have to investigate the loose carb, more than likely its user error(aka tony listen to squat). this is an insane engine! it has a slightly noticable top speed increase, and mad bottom end. it used to take like 20ft to hit first gear, now it takes like 10-15. i LOVE this engine! i think the carb being loose for a small time made it overheat. im glad i caught it when it was at 364(recommended temps are 280-360). i love my venom temp monitor toothis engine changes the way i think about everything on my maxx. i LOVE it to death now! i can noticably see the center shafts are twisting. i suspect a future upgrade will be mip cvds. and the other reason i didnt get all the way through the third tank was my neighbors came out and threatened to call the cops. (did i mention it is LOUD?). it sounds quite a bit like my weed eater. maybe not such a roar at low rpm, but its damn close! ive heard this engine only gets better as i run it. i cant imagine what it will be like when fully broken in!

also, i should note that i use a motorsaver 11mm carb base/straight venturi filter, and a sirio big bore pipe. i am using dynamite blue thunder 20% sport.

ask any questions or comments you want. i prolly wont reply til tomorrow, until then ill be in my living room staring at my truck[&:]

Avalanche

What do you mean "just fired it up"? Are you breaking it in? Hate to tell ya, the engine should be barely able to rev up during break in and should'nt go above 200 degrees. Only after about 7-10 tanks should you start leaning it out and making power, not to mention a slow steady increase in temps to about 250-270. Sounds like the loose carb is making it REALLY lean, chances are, that motor wont last long. The Sirio Tmaxx I built wouldnt go above 170 during breaking and would barely move after about 7 tanks I started leaning it out and got the temps up to about 220-250 in steps. Now that its fully broken in, I've tuned it perfect and it runs at about 270. It is a complete animal.

Duster_360

Avalanche - the fantom is made to run at higher temps than usual. This is a quote from the FR18 manual "Expansion of the piston is controlled by the percentage of silicon in the aluminum alloy; by matching the piston expansion to the expansion of the chrome-plated brass cylinder-sleeve ... both operating at a higher temperature (260-360 degF), the best running fit can be obtained."

The manual emphasizes that high temperatures produced by the engine design are good, but high temperatures produced by a lean needle setting are bad.

This is also unusual in that fantom also recommends "immediately begin dialing-in the high speed needle valve for maximum high rpm performance during the first tank of fuel."

They want this engine operated 260-360 and from the first tank warning the owner that operating the engine too cool will shorten the life of the engine and pinch zone wear due to low temp operation is not covered by warranty. I am guessing the fr18 piston-sleeve high silicon content is different from the averge and this is why safe operating temps are higher that usual.

Avalanche

Wow, thats interesting. I didnt know that was a "ready to rip" technology type of motor. To bad more manufactureres dont employ that type of technology.

flatlander_14

yeah, break in was funwhen this motor craps out i will definitely buy another! i gotta finish some stuff first, but im gonna run it again later. i sorted out he carb problem. the nut that tighetens the crb down stripped, so if ound a spare one and its holding better. ill let you guys know how it goes!

studysession

This is funny - so no break in.....

flatlander_14

basically yeah

but it is stilla break in procedure because you need to get the piston and sleeve fit right(run it within the operating range) or else it will have a fit that is too tight or too loose and it will either cause premature wear or poor performance. i was a bit leary about this so i waited about half a tank to start tuning so it could at least get lubed properly.

im fixing to go run it again in 10-20min as soon as my dog finishes eating