-=OFFICIAL HPI FIRESTORM THREAD=-
10-20-2013, 06:04 PM
#6526
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Thats about spot on. It works out to be 28 000 RPM. with 4" tires without any expansion figured in and the gearing you chose. With some expansion it goes down to 23 to 25000 RPM pretty quickly. I bet its a handful at that speed.
10-20-2013, 06:15 PM
#6527
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It is a big handful....it's a challenge to keep the front down. It kept on flaming out at the top end. The tune seems real good. I do know it has a small air leak at the front bearing.
10-20-2013, 08:20 PM
#6528
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Try foam or lower sidewall 2.8 inch tires. I had a big block in mine and I geared the hell out of it with mod 1 gearing. It was a rocket.I ran the low profile road rage II tires on it which helped.
10-21-2013, 06:51 AM
#6530
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They are about the same diameter so there will be no more top end, but you would have a lot more control. They would likely expand a little less, too, so you may lose some top end. You can gear that thing to the moon yet but likely the best way to do it is by going to a different gearing system.
06-24-2014, 09:05 PM
#6540
Hi guys. First im not new to nitro and tuning. Although i need help with this little guy. Just got the firestorm. Broke her in nicely and slowly all while making sure temps are atleast 190. So i ordered a case of werks racing fuel because of all the good reviews on it. I also have a savage 4.6 that even with traxas fuel 20% ive figured out how to tune. That engine didnt really like the fuel. Just too much bog when tuned right. Tuned for good crisp accel and top end it would slowly get hotter and hotter till it loses power from getting too hot. At that point i richen it 1/4 and its good to go. But when cold start i have to lean it about a 1/4 because it simply wont move or warm up. Then i richen it back up to where its safe and performance suffers a bit. Anyways all symptoms of too much oil, havent had a chance to run werks through the savage.
Onto the firestorm. With the hs needle flush i do some full speed runs in short grass and dirt mix. Once up to temp if i give her full throttle for more than 1.5 seconds or so it leans out and bogs. Didnt like that. I went over a 1/2 turn richer on hs needle from flush and at full throttle i cant get it to be consistant. It leans out again just a hair longer with the richer setting. 1/8 of a turn in from flush on hs needle and before it hits top speed it lean bogs. It shouldnt be doing this. i can run it 1 turn out from flush although my idle suffers and take off suffers just a bit,,,,,,, it still leans out just takes 2 seconds or so wot. Its all new. All stock. Tried different glow plugs. Tried traxxas fuel 20%. Still does it with that fuel just not quite as fast probably because the extra oil in the fuel.
My exhaust line is hooked up and all. I notice it doesnt have a nipple, it just goes into the exhaust hole. It always goes right down to idle. I have the 3 shoe clutch installed before even firing it up because i did my research. Tell me this is not normal please.... lol. I highly doubt its the werks fuel or any fuel. i tried hot os plug, medium oddonell plug, i dont think its the plug. Its got 3 stock head shims and all. Its not acting like an air leak to me, its like it doesnt have pressure to keep the h/s setting true. I know you shouldnt run these wot for prolonged times, but at flush setting and werks fuel, it leans out before it hits top speed once warmed up. The ls needle is a bit tricky too. Help me out on that too if possible. How far in from flush are you finding yourself on the lsn? I know it varies, i get that. Thanks again. great little truck, but on my savage i can turn the hsn rich enough untill it 4 strokes, i cant even do that with this thing unless the hsn is turned like a turn or more out. Even then it doesnt really 4 stroke. Once again ive had a few glow trucks in the past and never expirenced this with them.
Onto the firestorm. With the hs needle flush i do some full speed runs in short grass and dirt mix. Once up to temp if i give her full throttle for more than 1.5 seconds or so it leans out and bogs. Didnt like that. I went over a 1/2 turn richer on hs needle from flush and at full throttle i cant get it to be consistant. It leans out again just a hair longer with the richer setting. 1/8 of a turn in from flush on hs needle and before it hits top speed it lean bogs. It shouldnt be doing this. i can run it 1 turn out from flush although my idle suffers and take off suffers just a bit,,,,,,, it still leans out just takes 2 seconds or so wot. Its all new. All stock. Tried different glow plugs. Tried traxxas fuel 20%. Still does it with that fuel just not quite as fast probably because the extra oil in the fuel.
My exhaust line is hooked up and all. I notice it doesnt have a nipple, it just goes into the exhaust hole. It always goes right down to idle. I have the 3 shoe clutch installed before even firing it up because i did my research. Tell me this is not normal please.... lol. I highly doubt its the werks fuel or any fuel. i tried hot os plug, medium oddonell plug, i dont think its the plug. Its got 3 stock head shims and all. Its not acting like an air leak to me, its like it doesnt have pressure to keep the h/s setting true. I know you shouldnt run these wot for prolonged times, but at flush setting and werks fuel, it leans out before it hits top speed once warmed up. The ls needle is a bit tricky too. Help me out on that too if possible. How far in from flush are you finding yourself on the lsn? I know it varies, i get that. Thanks again. great little truck, but on my savage i can turn the hsn rich enough untill it 4 strokes, i cant even do that with this thing unless the hsn is turned like a turn or more out. Even then it doesnt really 4 stroke. Once again ive had a few glow trucks in the past and never expirenced this with them.
IMPORTANT: savage carb. Took a bit over 4 turns in from flush to completely stop flowing air 100%
FIRESTORN CARB. 1/2 A TURN IN FROM FLUSH STOPS AIR FLOW 100%. HOW CAN I GET ENOUGH FUEL IF NO AIR CAN FLOW THRU AT 1/2 TURN IN?
I get reasnoble air and smooth at 2 turns out from flush. Can't go too much more before o ring inserts at 3 turns or so.
No wonder I'm always lean. Guess I'll start at 2 turns out flush when I repair the diff on it.
06-24-2014, 09:49 PM
#6541
Figured something out. Looking at the actual needles.. The savage and firestorm HSN look identical. The housings look a bit different but they are interchangeable. Same threads and length. Put the savage housing and needle on the firestorm carb at flush. Can't wait to try it. I suspect a faulty needle housing from the factory. And yes I cleaned it and checked for blocks. Now at flush I will get lots of fuel.
This one was tricky! I will report back when I run it soon.
This one was tricky! I will report back when I run it soon.
06-25-2014, 05:52 AM
#6542
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I am interested in knowing the answer. My guess from your original post was that you had an air leak somewhere but based on your good detective work it may be that you have a defective housing/needle. I had a similar problem with another engine and there was a manufacturing defect with the carburetor needle and it had the wrong taper and the needle positions didn't make sense.
06-28-2014, 02:21 PM
#6543
So it worked! Now I can make it so rich it won't move. In fact flush setting I couldn't start it. Went in 2 turns and started getting somewhere. I'm around 3 turns in and i just need to fine tune it now. This is probably more in than a proper firestorm housing..... But its better than being 2 turns out lol.
Also.... Last year when I put in silicone to tune my diff.....I noticed that when I tightened the 4 screws all the way tight... My diff action became harder to move. So I always backed out a bit. So something was wrong from the factory but I ran it till the 2 bigger gears strpped out.
So I got my new gears and one of the smaller gears were defective! It would jump and down and not mesh right. Luckily only the 2 bigger gears stripped out...so I used one of my older small ones and behold.....its smooth. I can tighten it down all I want and not bind them. I chose heavy duty grease this time.
Anyways, disappointed in some out of the box problems... But its all good now.
What clutch springs do you guys like for this car? I'm using stock savage setup....but I think those thin springs are less than .9 because it trys to move the wheels a bit at idle. I'm thinking a .9 will do but would like to here your opinions. I want the 3 shoe to grab slightly above idle. Not interested in too hard am of a hit off the bottom.
Thanks for replying a while back nitrorob. I sorta ditched before I read your response last year lol.
Also.... Last year when I put in silicone to tune my diff.....I noticed that when I tightened the 4 screws all the way tight... My diff action became harder to move. So I always backed out a bit. So something was wrong from the factory but I ran it till the 2 bigger gears strpped out.
So I got my new gears and one of the smaller gears were defective! It would jump and down and not mesh right. Luckily only the 2 bigger gears stripped out...so I used one of my older small ones and behold.....its smooth. I can tighten it down all I want and not bind them. I chose heavy duty grease this time.
Anyways, disappointed in some out of the box problems... But its all good now.
What clutch springs do you guys like for this car? I'm using stock savage setup....but I think those thin springs are less than .9 because it trys to move the wheels a bit at idle. I'm thinking a .9 will do but would like to here your opinions. I want the 3 shoe to grab slightly above idle. Not interested in too hard am of a hit off the bottom.
Thanks for replying a while back nitrorob. I sorta ditched before I read your response last year lol.
06-30-2014, 08:58 AM
#6544
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I am surprised the stock savage springs would be releasing so early, if they are the silver springs they should be good unless you have the black ones for some reason which are thinner. The good part is your tuning is fixed and, if you are getting predictable and consistent tuning with the different needle who cares if it doesn't have the same positions. I've never had those differential problems, maybe your gasket is worn or damaged? Check the shims on the gears, they may be too tight?
06-30-2014, 05:57 PM
#6545
Ya they were black and real thin. Found some old 1.0 that works great. Ran it today and didn't touch the tune for 2 days. Sometimes not touching these little engines works best. Holds a tune really well.
I don't know what went wrong last time on the diff. But its all good now. Gasket was fine. Finally getting some run time out if it: )
I don't know what went wrong last time on the diff. But its all good now. Gasket was fine. Finally getting some run time out if it: )
06-30-2014, 08:42 PM
#6548
I'm not excluding that I did something wrong the first time. I believe the pin was in its slots but maybe i missed something. Its a simple setup but I do know that one of my small gears from a main didn't mesh right. I'm sure its a rare thing.
09-20-2014, 07:05 AM
#6549
I'm sure its been mentioned but can't hurt.
Ditch the header gasket and use orange high temp rtv.
Thin layer on whichever side...I let it skin just a bit before putting together.
Never a loose header since. Tested over a gallon since I've done that. It was very annoying having it back off all the time. Then loosing pressure and getting a lean run from no where.
Ditch the header gasket and use orange high temp rtv.
Thin layer on whichever side...I let it skin just a bit before putting together.
Never a loose header since. Tested over a gallon since I've done that. It was very annoying having it back off all the time. Then loosing pressure and getting a lean run from no where.
09-20-2014, 03:07 PM
#6550
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Yeah its a persistent problem. The solution I came up with was to clean the bolts (using longer bolts) and header threads with acetone and use blue loctite and put nylock nuts on the longer bolts that stick through the header. Once everything is slimy in the threads, loctite is useless and it will just let go within minutes and they did a poor job of locking the header from the factory.
Its been years since I've had a firestorm now, wish I had one again. I do have an os .18 CV-R to put in one.
Its been years since I've had a firestorm now, wish I had one again. I do have an os .18 CV-R to put in one.