crook

Ok, here we go! I have a HPI firestorm 3.0< the problem i am having is- When I get it started i cant seem to get idle set right. Ive warmed it up and set the high speed adj., and I just leave the other setting alone, since i am new to nitro cars. Well the engine is running and the wheels are spinning and I cannot get idle set right so that the wheels are not spinning. So as soon as I set the car down with wheels spinning the engine dies right away. And also it seems like I can only start the engine with the rear wheels off the ground, ans as soon as I put it down it dies. is this somehow related to the slipper clutch adjustment? If anyone can help me with this problem I would sure appreciate it. [&o]Thank you.

itsnotskidding

on your tf3 handset there is a clutch nob, ( bottom one of the 2 small ones)... turn it anti clockwise, this reduces the bite the clutch has and slows idle down, stops wheels from moving...

if that fails there is a tiny screw on carb, turn anti-clock wise to slow the revs down, ...

crook

When I move the dial just barely the idle lowers quick and dies. and on my radio there is only 2 dials 1 steering and the other one is throttle adjustment. no clutch adj. and I am talking about the throttle adj in my first sentence. also when I roll the car it has a hissing sound comming from bell housing area, first I thought it was brake dragging, but I have backed off the detal disks so the are pretty loose, and i can still hear the hissing type sound.

kwakr

sounds like it might be your clutch...have you taken it apart and checked it yet? Might want to try that....

AE Pilot

The clutch wouldn't cause a drop in RPM's or make the engine stall. Stalling, bogging and sputtering is usually associated with an overly rich mixture or a nearly fouled plug caused by the same condition.

You need to adjust the low speed needle setting and assuming that you are in fact overly rich, change the plug after you lean the mixture. Don't confuse the low speed needle with the idle screw though.

Read your manual before adjusting the low speed needle and ideally, before anything, you want to start wth the needles in their factory preset positions.

On some machines, the throttle barrel needs to be completely open before adjusting the low speed needle and vice-versa on other machines, so refer to your manual on that too. Trying to lean the mixture using JUST the high speed needle with the low speed needle in the prset position generally dosn't work and causes an eratic state of tune.

When the needles are reset, assuming that your machine is already broken in, I would start with a 1/4 in on both needles. After that, continue to lean the mixture in 1/8 turn increments until you're satisfied with the performance and defnitely change the plug. The factory settings are set to run the engine extremely rich.

Keep in mind, as you lean the mixture, the engine will likely idle higher, so you will have to make adjustments to the idle screw too.

Cheers

scottywilkes

that has nothing to do with tuning, i have a feeling that u have snapped the clutch spring, meaning the shoes have nothing retaining them, so they will be enquaged from the very start, and when u put the wheels down, seeing now the enguine is connected directly to the wheels, its like stopping the car by its flywheel, take the clutch bell of and look at the shoes, does it have a spring around it? Or is it snapped? if its snapped or damaged u need another one

125cchyperman

Yeah scottywilkes is right on, check the clutch spring and see if that has broken, if so it will cause a drop in RPM'S and will make the enginw stall when placed on the ground.

dannthenitroman

The first part of the first answer here was entirely sarcastic, just so you know....

southernstang

BINGO!!!

crook

damn, do they break real easy, cause all I have done was the engine break in, then wwent to the park and ran about 3 tanks of fuel. I did a little jumping, but i wouldnt think It would break an internal part. Hope this car aint really a piece of ****!

crook

and who in the hell calls it anti clockwise? what kind of chit is that?

crook

do i have to remove the engine to get clutch assembly off?

jonb73188

No you don't. I have the same truck and I had the same problem. Just take off the spur gear and take the screw out of the clutch bell. There you go! It is in the HPI manual if you forget how to do it while your walking from the computer to the table. I sanded my clutch shoes a bit the get the metal off and it works fine. The firestorm is a great truck just gotta know how to treat it.

crook

My computer is my table!!!!

jonb73188

ok lol I was kidding but do you understand?

crook

of course! even thou I aint got the manual anymore, Im viewing the pdf. file on HPI site. One more quick question, How do you get the flywheel to not move while you break the locktited bolt in the clutch housing . I wanna just jam something in there to keep it from spinning, but dont wanna risk marring or gouging anything. Know of any type of little trick perhaps?

homeless

First of all, thanks god I found this forum. I have a volcano sv truck and got same problem as Crook does. Since this is my first nitro toy I have no idea what you guys talking about. Could some body explain something for me please?
What and where is the:
_Clutch Spring
_Shoes
_Clutch Bell
The only Clutch term I found in my manualis "Clutch Rolling Set" which attaches to Crank Shaft and Rear Housing. Is that the one broken we're talking about?
If it possible, could someone do me a big favor by posting the part's picture from the manual book and mark it clear which one need to be replaced.
Before ending this I would again explain my truck's problem to make sure this is wat we're talking about. My truck can't get idle set causes the wheel keep spinning, but as soon as it place it on the ground the engine gets stalled right away. While the engine stop, the truck gets a little stuck when I rolling it slowly, and there are cracking sound from the internal part which I couldn't figure out what it is.

PS: Thanks Crook for brought up this thread, and thank guys for helping noobies like us

lewis_lfc

the clutch bell is the part than is on the end of the engine and is touching the spur gear the shoes and clutch shoes and are under the clutch bell and so are the springs as they pull the clutch shoes in from the clutch bell

lewis_lfc

i would try putting it on some sort of block and letting the wheels spinning freely and if they carry on spinning turn down the idle screw anti clockwise a fraction then let it settle if they keep spinning turn it the same way again repeat untill the wheels dont spin when on the block.
ps.tunning the engine will affect the idle so tune first then set idle screw

homeless

Thanks Lewis, but I got more confused... Would someone give me a diagram pix and show me where it locate at (the broken part). Any help would appreciated

homeless

after took it completely apart I know what you mean... Very accurate, my clutch spring has been snapped. However it not as easy as jonb73188 said "Just take off the spur gear and take the screw out of the clutch bell", mine had to remove the engine completely, I pretty sure there isn't any easier way to do (maybe my truck got different designed []). Now the problem is I don't know how to set the spring back on as it already fail off right after I removed the clutch belt. Poor me []

lewis_lfc

yeah i take my engine off to get to the clutch but i have a mt2 look at the other clutch shoe and spring that should give you some idea
i know it isnt the best diagram but it is all i could find

crook

Ok I got my clutch apart without removing my engine, and found that the clutch spring had broken, I pulled off a loop of the broken end and attached it together and mashed it, and now have it all put back together. Im just about to try to start it up. It seems like things are all back to normal.

This all should be easy work since I build real CART cars..Swift Engineering Inc.
Swift .007, .012 & .016 atlantics.

scottywilkes

the spring will be stiffer now as u have removed some of the spring, so it will take longer for the shoes to enguage the clutch bell, the best thing to do is just to get a few spare clutch springs

crook

so I need to find out what type of clutch it is, right? or does it go by the type of truck you have? This is a firesorm which is a new truck, and I dont remember seeing any clutch items on there website..or it there just a general size or make of the clutch spring?
really the spring broke right where it was connected, must of been a bad connection from manufacturer, so I just took the next loop down and attached that one, so we are talking less then a millimeter maybe even half of one. I put it together and it runs like normal. I got everything all dialed back in.