Seized Up Engine?
 

I just got this Redcat Tornado Nitro Buggy. I filled the tank with Nitro and it started right up. I was breaking in the engine so I just let in run until it ran out of fuel. Once the engine quit running I filled up the tank again and now the pull start won't pull out at all. It seems the engine is seized up. I'm wondering what might have happened, and how I can fix it. Thanks.

RE: Seized Up Engine?
 

are you sure it's not flooded? Is this your first nitro engine? Remove the glow plug and fuel line off the carb, then turn it over. Gently pull the pull start. If it's flooded fuel will blow out of the cooling head, do this until it stops. Re-install the glowplug and fuel line, prime and start.

RE: Seized Up Engine?
 

If you remove the glow plug and the pull start still does not pull then yes the piston ring is locked inside the piston chamber and the piston head has swollen no need tp panic though this is very common on new nitro engines. First to avoid this is to allways let the engine cool off with the piston fully at the bottom of the motor the best thing to do is to remove the motor take the pull start and the back plate off of the motor you will see the piston and the piston rod. Take a hair dryer and let it blow into the motor to get the piston hot with the glow plug removed put some after run oil in the top of the motor. After the engine is hot turn the fly wheel with you hand after a while it will break free. Once you have it loose make sure to leave the piston at the bottom of the motor where you can almost see the top of the piston from the back of the motor. Put the backplate and the pull start back on and re install the motor and it should fire right back up. I have found that for all of my motors that start out this way always last loger and keep more compression then the one that I break in that does not pinch.

RE: Seized Up Engine?
 

when you take the pull start off, make sure you are careful so that you don't undo the spring. try to pull it off with a screw driver on the back to hold the wheel that the string sits on, so that it doesn't go anywhere. there's also a small sprint that goes on the nut that connects to the wheel, so make sure you don't lose that too. just be careful with it cause that's a ***** to put back together. i've done it more than a few times, there's certainly an art to it lol...<div>
</div><div>but yeah.. you don't even have to take the engine out, you can just take the rear diff off to access the pull start. i find that that's sometimes easier, depending on what i'm doing.</div>