RTR
(Ready-To-Run) to a point, some setup is required.
So
how does a dedicated RC "plane guy" end up reviewing
a RC Truck? I actually asked myself the same thing after
it happened too. During a discussion with a representative
from Redcat Racing it came up that they would like to
have one of their vehicles reviewed by a beginner in the
hobby, but it was difficult to find a beginner that would
be able to write up the review. Being as I had absolutely
ZERO experience with RC cars or trucks I offered to do
a review of their vehicle for them. By doing this they
could get their vehicle reviewed from the standpoint of
somebody that has never had a RC vehicle before. So with
that in mind they agreed to send a Redcat Volcano SV truck
my way. I must admit that I was a bit excited to be doing
a review on a RC truck, as it was something entirely new
to me, and even a bit nervous as well. So for those of
you out there that are considering getting into a RC vehicle
please follow with me and hopefully I can help you out
in your decision in getting a RC vehicle.
Redcat Racing was started in October of 2005, and since
has become the premier source for Chinese manufactured
1/10, 1/8 & 1/16 scale Nitro & Electric RC Cars,
Buggies, Trucks, and parts. Many more products are on
the way and will be updated as they arrive on their website
- www.redcatracing.com
Redcat
has several resources that make them stand out as a
good company that takes very good care of their customers.
The first resource they have is Redcat's own support
staff. Their staff consists of several people that know
the Redcat line of vehicles inside and out, and will
gladly take the time to help out their customers to
get them up and running. The next resource they have
is a Support Forum here on RCU -
Redcat Support Forum . This support forum is available
any time of day or night, 7 days a week, and 365 days
a year and usually gets questions answered pretty quickly.
The forum is frequented by the Redcat support staff
as well as Redcat customers that freely lend their knowledge
to help out others that have Redcat vehicles. As I was
getting started with this review I was able to get a
lot of questions answered by the members in the Redcat
Support Forum. The last resource would be
Redcat's Lifetime Engine Replacement Program. Redcat
will replace any Redcat engine with the same, or upgraded,
engine for 1/2 the cost of the new engine plus shipping.
Regardless of what happened to the old engine it can
be replaced under this program no questions asked. All
that the customer has to do to take advantage of this
program is to send in the complete old engine and pay
1/2 the cost of the new engine plus shipping and Redcat
will happily ship out a brand new engine to the customer.
When
a company goes to the lengths that Redcat does to support
their customers it's usually a pretty good indication
that they believe in their products and want to keep
their customers happy. Seeing all of this before getting
my Volcano SV really had me thinking that I was going
to be getting a good vehicle to review.
Many
times a person new to RC hobbies will buy an item that
looks "cool" and then find out once they get
home that they got in over their head with the purchase.
The item will either have a huge learning curve in order
to use it, or it will require so many other items to
be purchased that a ton of extra money needs to be spent
in order to even use the item. These two items are usually
the biggest things that keep somebody from staying in
the hobby when they face these things. Many companies,
including Redcat Racing, are addressing these issues
by putting out quality products that are Ready-To-Run
(RTR) which are complete products with a very low learning
curve. The Redcat Volcano SV is one of those products.
So,
let's roll up our sleeves and take a good look at the
Redcat Volcano SV truck.......
Redcat Racing Volcano SV
Price:
$219.99
Specifications Engine: VX 18 Engine Manufacturer: Vertex Transmission: Gear reduction center transmission with
dual disk slipper Drive System: 4wd Radio System: 2ch AM Length: 400mm Front Track: 150mm Rear Track: 150mm Weight: 2100g Height (Overall): 190mm Wheelbase: 275mm Front Shock Length: 95mm Rear Shock Length: 95mm Front Tires: 130x65mm Rear Tires: 130x65mm Tire Diameter: 130mm Wheel Diameter: 77mm Differential Type: 2 gear bevel gear Chassis Type: 2.5mm 6061 Brake Type: Steel disc Fuel Tank Capacity: 75cc Shock Type: 8 oil filled plastic body shocks, 4 wheel
independent Available Colors: Blue/Flame, Blue/Silver, Green/Orange,
Red, or Red/Flame Hop Ups Installed: Balljoint Suspension
Vertex
VX .18 Engine Specifications:
Engine
Size
.18(2.95ccm)
Exhaust
Side
Bore
16.5mm
Stroke
14.0mm
Liner
ABC
Number
of Ports
3+1
Piston
High-silicium
alloy
Glowplug
Standard
Carburettor
Rotary
Power
Output*
1.1PS
Max
RPM*
32,000
Weight
258g
Items Required to Complete:
Nitro
Fuel
Fuel
Bottle
Glow
plug igniter, w/charger or battery
Cross
wrench
Foam
Air Filter Oil
Hobby
Knife
Small
1/8" flathead screwdriver
Phillips
head screwdriver
12
AA Alkaline batteries, 8 for radio/4 for car
After-run
Oil
Unpacking The Box
I
have to admit that I was just a bit excited when I got
the box in from Redcat Racing. I opened the brown cardboard
shipping box to reveal the retail box for the Volcano
SV. Redcat uses the same box for both the Volcano SV
and Volcano SV Pro and has a picture of the Volcano
in an "action" shot that is sure to catch
some attention from shoppers in any hobby shop. On the
top of the box is a sticker that indicates what channel
the included radio is set to. This will be especially
important if you plan on running your vehicles with
others so that you can ensure that your vehicles are
on different channels. One side panel of the box has
a list of the features of the Volcano. The other side
panel shows what is included in the box, accessories
needed for operation, and even shows a small portion
of the "hop ups" that are available for the
Volcano from Redcat. My only real complaint here was
that the outside of the box never really showed which
vehicle was in the box, the SV or the SV Pro. If it
was marked on the box I never found it and wasn't sure
of the contents until I actually opened the box and
looked at the actual vehicle.
I
knew that the Volcano SV was a RTR (Ready To Run) vehicle,
but I must admit that I really didn't know just how
"ready" it was going to be. So when I lifted
the top off the box I really wasnt sure what waited
inside. Once open I found a very attractive plastic
body flanked by two cardboard boxes on each side, which
isolated the wheels of the truck. To the rear of the
body is another cardboard box, which contains the transmitter.
The truck lifts directly out with the two side boxes.
Pulling the boxes off the sides reveals a complete truck
that indeed looks ready to do some serious running!
The final contents of the box were a plastic bag, which
contains the instruction manual and a plastic tube used
for the receiver antenna wire.
As
I wrapped up my first look at the Volcano I wanted to
take a quick look under the body and see what the truck
was made of. The body is held in place on four mounting
posts and is retained by four small clips. Removing
all four clips the body lifts straight off to show the
true heart of the vehicle. The engine head is protected
from shipping damage by a layer of bubble wrap.
The Manuals
Note:
The
vehicle I reviewed shipped to me at the same time that
Redcat released their Getting Started guide so it was
not included in the box. However, I did download and
print out this guide to use in setting up the Volcano
SV. At the time of this review all Redcat Vehicles should
have the Getting Started guide included in the box.
If one is purchased that does not have the guide included,
it can be downloaded here:
www.redcatracing.com/nitromanual.pdf
The included manual actually covers 3 different 1/10th
scale vehicle types: the 1/10th scale touring car, the
1/10th scale off-road buggy, and the 1/10th scale monster
truck that I received. I skipped past the other parts
of the manual to look over the monster truck section.
This part of the manual had very detailed breakdowns
of all the major components of the vehicle itself. Also
included was a parts listing for every part on the Volcano.
Finally
there is a listing for all of the "hop up"
parts that Redcat makes available for the Volcano.
"Hop ups" is the terminology used in
the RC car world for upgraded parts. These parts
can range from performance upgrades, to stronger
metal parts, or parts that dress up the looks
of the vehicle.
For those
who will purchase this vehicle as their first RC the
Getting Started Guide provided by Redcat will be "The
Bible" for them to successfully setup and break-in
their vehicle. Redcat has done a very good job of explaining
the setup and break-in procedures and have done so with
a beginner in mind. The guide explains in clear concise
wording what must be done to successfully break-in the
engine on the vehicle. The guide is well written in
a clear language that is geared so that a beginner will
totally understand what is required to setup their vehicle.
Included in the guide is a glossary of terms and diagrams
to illustrate where the parts of a RC engine are. Redcat
has included diagrams and pictures to help show the
user where important parts are located on the vehicle.
The
Controller
The
controller for the Volcano SV is a 2 channel AM transmitter
that operates in the 27 MHz ranges, which is set aside
for the operation of ground vehicle. The controller
is a "pistol grip" style controller that is
held in one hand with the "trigger" control
operating the throttle and brake. The trigger controller
moves both directions from the center position. Pulling
the trigger back operates the throttle for the truck,
and pushing the trigger forward will engage the brakes
on the truck when it's time to stop. The upper portion
of the controller has a small "steering wheel"
controller that is used to steer the Volcano SV. The
wheel has rubber on the outside of it to keep the wheel
from slipping from your fingers while operating the
radio. On the bottom of the transmitter is a battery
compartment that opens to accept 8 "AA" sized
batteries. No special battery pack is needed for the
transmitter, so standard alkaline batteries can be used
here. The instructions don't mention this, but on the
rear of the upper portion of the transmitter I found
a charging jack. After verifying that it was indeed
a charging jack I made the decision to use rechargeable
NiMH batteries here. I purchased rechargeable NiMH's
from Wal-mart, which have a capacity of 2500 Mah. I
made the choice to do this simply to save money in the
long run. Standard alkaline non-rechargeable batteries
could be used here but the cost would add up pretty
quickly if the user operates the vehicle on a regular
basis.
The upper
portion of the controller is pretty straightforward
and easy to understand. The rear of the controller has
the on/off switch, servo reversing switches, and a LED
battery level indicator. The reversing switches are
used to change the direction that a servo travels when
it is controlled from the controller. On the forward
portion of the controller is located the frequency crystal
and trim adjustments for the throttle and steering channels.
The trims are used to make small adjustments to the
position of the servos in the vehicle. The throttle
trim is used to adjust the idle speed of the engine,
while the steering trim is used to make minor adjustments
on the steering to keep the truck rolling straight forward.
The
Vehicle
Looking
at the Volcano SV the first feature that is seen is
the wheels. The truck looks like it's made for going
over "stuff", and considering it's a 4-wheel
drive it's easy to imagine that it'll be doing a lot
of that once it's set loose. The tires are big in comparison
to the overall size of the truck, measuring a huge 130
mm x 65 mm. The tires are made of rubber and have a
tread designed to get good grip on a wide variety of
materials it's run on.
The truck
body is available in several different colors, and the
one I received is the blue/silver design. Graphics on
the body are provided by a set of stick on decals that
are pre-installed on the body. The body itself is a
plastic shell with the paint scheme applied to the inside
of the body in order to protect the paint from scratching
and scuffing while running the vehicle. The body mounts
to the vehicle by setting on 4 posts attached to each
shock tower on the chassis, and is secured in place
by the use of 4 metal clips. The clips are easy to install
and remove in order to make it easy to place the body
back on the chassis after starting it.
As
we take the body off of the Volcano I would like the
experienced car guys out there to go easy on me as I
describe what's "under the hood" as this is
the first RC car that I've had experience with and I
may get the terminology wrong.
Lifting
the body of the truck off it gives a good look at what's
underneath. The main components we see are the engine,
the fuel tank, the radio box, 2 servos, the suspension
components, and a transmission nestled in the middle
of everything. On the right side of the chassis the
engine is mounted directly in front of the rear suspension
with the output shaft of the engine pointing forward.
The engine has a large heat sink heat head that is used
to help dissipate heat while running the engine. Also
on the engine is an air cleaner assembly made with foam
element to keep dust, dirt, and debris out of the engine.
The output shaft is attached to a clutch assembly which
transfers power from the engine into the gear reduction
transmission, which then transfers the power to the
front and rear differentials to drive the wheels of
the vehicle. The engine is connected to a muffler assembly
by a small piece of silicon tubing, and the muffler
assembly is held in place at the front of the vehicle
by a small spring clip. Located just forward of the
engine is the fuel tank. Looking at the left side of
the vehicle we see the throttle servo, which sits next
to the engine. Next to the throttle servo is the radio
box. The radio box has an on/off switch mounted in it
and also as the antenna for the receiver coming out
of the box. Directly in front of the radio box is the
other servo on the vehicle which controls the steering
of the Volcano.
When
the body comes off of the Volcano the first thing that
is noticed is the springs on the suspension, and this
is because they are nice bright neon yellow in color!
The suspension for the Volcano SV consists of 8 (2 per
wheel) oil filled plastic body shocks, with 4-wheel
independent suspension. The shocks are attached on the
lower A-arms of each wheel, with the top of the
shocks attaching to a shock tower. On the top of each
shock tower are two mounts, which the body of the truck
sits on. Taking a look at the throttle servo, which
controls not only the throttle of the engine but also
controls applying brakes. The servo control horn has
one pushrod connecting to the control arm on the carburetor
and another pushrod connecting to the brakes located
on the transmission. Located on the back of the engine
is the pull start used to start the engine. Out of the
box the pull start has a warning tag attached to it
that warns the user to not pull the cord too far. This
is to prevent the pull start cord from being broken
or pulled out if pulled too far.
The
fuel tank has a capacity of 75 cc (~2.5 oz). The tank
has a lid, which is held in place by a spring, but can
be lifted up to fill the tank. There are two silicon
fuel lines running from the tank: a fuel pickup line
which delivers fuel to the carburetor and a pressure
line which attaches to the muffler and supplies pressure
to the tank to force fuel out of the tank. Turning the
Volcano over shows the plate the entire vehicle is built
on, which is a made from a strong and lightweight aluminum.
Moving back to the radio box, a plastic tube is supplied
that is used to mount the radio antenna. The tube is
fitted into a recess on the top of the radio box and
the antenna wire is routed out of the box and up the
tube. The top of the radio box is held in place with
2 Phillips screws, one at each end.
Inside
the radio box are the receiver, switch, and battery
clip used for the radio. The receiver is a 2-channel
AM receiver. The switch is a simple on/off switch that
can be used to turn on the radio of the vehicle. The
provided battery clip facilitates 4 AA batteries. Looking
at the radio box reveals that the box isn't water tight,
so if the vehicle will be operated in wet or muddy conditions
precautions will need to be taken to ensure that the
electronics are not damaged.
While
the Volcano SV box does say that it's Ready-To-Run (RTR) I
found out that this isn't entirely true. Granted, I could
take it out of the box, start it, and drive it but the vehicle
probably wouldn't last too long. There is some setup and break-in
that needs to be done in order to keep the Volcano running
for a long time, but then again most RC equipment is like
that. As the vehicle is setup the areas that we really need
to worry about are the radio setup, checking the chassis of
the vehicle, and breaking-in the engine. As I said above,
the Quick
Start Guide that comes with the vehicle will be "The
Bible" as we setup the Volcano. Another resource that
will prove to be invaluable to anybody getting started with
a Redcat vehicle is the Redcat
Support Forum here on RCU. This forum is provided by RCU
for Redcat in order to help their customers with their vehicles.
The staff of Redcat watches this forum very carefully and
is usually pretty quick at getting answers back to customers.
If you have any questions or problems this is a great place
to get the answers you need.
The
Redcat Getting Started guide will step someone through getting
their vehicle setup, so I'm going to hit the highlights there
of what is required. If interested the complete guide can
be viewed online here:
www.redcatracing.com/nitromanual.pdf
So, let's roll up our sleeves and get to work preparing the
Volcano to run....
Radio Setup:
The AM radio included with the Redcat Volcano SV does not
come with batteries in it, so these will have to be provided
by the users prior to being about to run the vehicle. The
transmitter requires 8 "AA" sized batteries while
the receiver requires 4 "AA" batteries. Regular
alkaline batteries such as Duracell or Energizer can be used
without any problems, although the replacement costs can become
high if you will run the vehicle a lot. I used regular batteries
as shown in the pictures during the break-in process but then
I switched to Energizer rechargeable 2500 Mah Ni-MH's as I
started to run the vehicle. I did this to simply lower the
cost of operation of the vehicle by using batteries that can
be recharged. These batteries cost approximately $20 for 8
batteries at Wal-Mart, which also sells a recharger unit that
can be used to recharge the batteries. As I was setting up
the radio I noticed that even though the transmitter does
not come with batteries it does come with a recharging jack
that can be used to recharge the batteries in the transmitter
without having to remove them. In order to recharge the batteries
in the transmitter a charger will be needed that has the capacity
to charge 9.6 V 8-cell packs. Since I already fly RC planes
I already have chargers that can handle charging the batteries
in the transmitter. But if a user doesn't have such a charger
the rechargeable batteries can easily be removed from the
transmitter to charge them in the separate charger available
at Wal-mart. The receiver is equipped with a battery clip
that 4 "AA" batteries are placed in and then is
sealed inside the radio box on the vehicle. The radio box
will need to be opened every time batteries need to be replaced,
or recharged if using rechargeable batteries. Being a bit
lazy I chose to make a change in this setup using a bit of
the hardware that I use for airplanes. On planes we use a
power switch that has an external charging jack that lets
the battery be recharged without removing it from the vehicle.
I replaced the stock On/Off switch with one of these and then
installed a charging jack receptacle in the top of the radio
box. By doing this it allows me to recharge the batteries
in the vehicle without having to open the battery box every
time. In order to do this again you will need to have a charger
capable of charging 4.8 V battery packs. If not, the batteries
can easily be removed to charge them outside of the radio
box. When installing or replacing the batteries in the vehicle
it's very important to wrap tape, or a Velcro strip, around
the battery clip in order to keep vibrations from breaking
the connection of the batteries with the clip, which could
result in losing control of the vehicle.
The
next part of the radio setup is to mount the antenna on the
receiver. The antenna is made of a single wire that is approximately
20" in length. In order to operate properly the wire
needs to be extended up and away from the receiver. If the
wire is left "wadded" up in the radio box the vehicle
will experience a serious reduction in range and could result
in loss of control. An antenna tube is provided to mount the
antenna with. The antenna is first routed out of the radio
box and then up through the antenna tube. There is a molded
mount on the radio box to insert the antenna tube in. Pull
the excess antenna wire up through the end of the tube and
then fold the wire back down the outside of the tube. Press
the included rubber cap in place on the end of the tube to
hold the antenna wire in place. Then wrap the wire loosely
around the outside of the tube and use a piece of heat shrink,
or electrical tape to secure the antenna wire in place on
the tube.
While the radio box is open it would be a good time to check
and make sure both servos are properly plugged in to the receiver.
Power on the transmitter first and then the receiver and check
to ensure both servos operate properly. I found that the movement
of the throttle servo was reversed and needed to be changed.
Provided on the transmitter are two switches that allow for
changing the direction of travel for the throttle and steering
servo, and a simple flip of the switch on the transmitter
had the servo moving properly on the throttle.
Next
the operation of the servos needs to be checked. The Volcano
SV has two channels on it; one channel controls the steering
while the other channel controls the throttle and brake of
the vehicle. The steering should be check that it does turn
the wheels in the proper direction. Also, check that with
the steering wheel in the center position the wheels on the
vehicle are pointed straight. Without starting the engine
place the vehicle on the ground and give it a push and observe
how it rolls. If the vehicle rolls straight everything is
ok. But if it pulls to one side use the trim on the radio
to correct the wheels so that the vehicle rolls straight.
The last thing to check is the throttle/brake. Remove the
air cleaner and check to see that the throttle moves the opening
in the carburetor to the wide-open position, and with the
control in the idle position there should be a small gap in
the carb barrel of approximately 1/16". Move the throttle
control all the way forward to engage the brake and check
that the brake will stop the vehicle from rolling. If it does
not stop the vehicle from rolling the linkage will need to
be adjusted.
The
Chassis:
The first thing that I know many will ask is why anything
needs to bedone to the chassis of the vehicle. I can understand
the confusion because the vehicle comes out of the box already
assembled and looking like it's ready to go. And this is correct
to a point. The vehicle could be taken out of the box, started,
and run without any further work being required, but it probably
wouldn't run very well and probably wouldn't last for very
long like this. If you want your new RC vehicle to have a
long life and run as well as possible a little bit of time
needs to be spent in setting up the vehicle and getting it
tuned properly.
One
of the most important things to set up is the "mesh"
of the gears between the transmission and engine, meaning
that the gap between the two gears needs to be properly set.
If it's not the gears will be damaged or destroyed as the
vehicle is driven. Setting the proper mesh is really a very
simply process though. To set the mesh unscrew the 4 screws
mounting the engine so that the engine will slide back and
forth. Once the screws are loose place a strip of paper in
between the clutch bell and the spur gear, then push the engine
in to the spur gear and tighten the bolts. Pull the strip
of paper out and the mesh will have been properly set.
The
thing that needs to be kept in mind is that a small internal
combustion engine that is running at speeds of over 10,000
RPM's powers the Volcano. This will cause a lot of vibrations
and stresses on the vehicle, which can cause screws to loosen
up and fall out. We need to spend some time to go over the
vehicle and make sure that everything is tight and put Locktite
on all metal to metal contact screws so they won't fall out.
One important fact that needs to be pointed out here is to
use only blue Locktite, which allows the screw to be removed
later on. Red Locktite will form a permanent bond and the
screw will not be able to be removed later on. Go through
the vehicle and use Locktite on any screws that have metal-to-metal
contact. Also go through and tighten up the rest of the screws
on the vehicle to make sure that they are tight and will not
vibrate out while running the vehicle. There are two areas
that need to have special attention paid to them when placing
the Locktite on the vehicle, the engine mounting screws and
any grub screws on the vehicle. There are 4 metal screws on
the underside of the vehicle that mount and secure the engine
in place on the chassis. If these come loose while running,
the engine can slip it's position and damage the transmission
gears. The other area of special attention is the grub screws.
These are nothing more than simply Allen Head set screws that
are used to secure parts of the vehicle. There are two on
each wheel hub that secure the drive hub to the axle, as well
as one on each drive shaft that comes out of the transmission
and goes to the differentials. Without Locktite these can
come out when running and will be lost, which can definitely
ruin your day!
Engine Break-in:
This
is probably the one thing that can be done that has the most
impact on the reliability and life of the engine. Engines
that aren't broken-in properly usually don't last too long.
The engines on these vehicles are made up of parts that are
precision made and have very close tolerances in order for
them to perform so well. These parts need to go through the
break-in process so that they fit together properly to ensure
that the engine will run properly. Running the engine and
"taking it easy" on it for the first few tanks of
fuel, and then gradually increasing the speeds and heat in
the engine until it is properly broken-in do the break-in
process. During the break-in process it is very important
to make sure that the engine never gets too hot, as this will
damage the engine. Keeping the engine between 200 degrees
and 215 degrees. As I was breaking-in my engine it was very
cold outside which required that I wrap the head of the engine
in aluminum foil to help keep the heat built up. Before
starting the engine for the first time you will need to use
air filter oil on the air filter. Simply apply the oil to
the air filter foam element and ensure it is completely saturated.
The break-in process for the VX-18 engine will require running
5 tanks of fuel through the engine. Before starting the engine
for the first time it's important to mark where the piston
is at the bottom of its stroke (Bottom Dead Center - BDC).
The easiest way to determine this is to remove the glow plug
and turn the engine over until the piston is at the bottom
of its stroke. Mark on the flywheel the location of BDC. This
is important because the engine will need to be returned to
this position after each tank of fuel is run through the engine
during break-in. You will need to find something to set the
vehicle on while doing the break-in so that the wheels are
off the ground. A toolbox or cement block works well for this.
To start the engine for each tank of fuel follow these steps.
First fill the tank with fuel, and without the glow starter
on the engine, cover the exhaust port on the muffler and pull
the pull starter to turn over the engine. With each pull you
will see fuel moving up the fuel line. Pull the cord until
the fuel gets to the carburetor, then remove the air filter
and place two drops of fuel in the carb to prime it and then
replace the air filter. Turn on the transmitter first and
then turn on the receiver. Place the glow starter on the glow
plug of the engine and pull the starter cord in a quick short
manner Be careful to not pull too far as this can damage the
pull starter. The engine should start in a few pulls.
Follow these steps to properly break-in the engine.
Tank #1. Once the engine is running it should be allowed to
idle for the entire tank of fuel. Let the engine run until
the fuel tank is almost empty, and then pinch off the fuel
line to kill the engine. The idle may have to be adjusted
while the engine is running. Adjust it to the point where
the wheels aren't spinning as the engine idles. During this
process it is normal for fuel to drip from the exhaust. The
excess fuel running through the engine helps to remove any
metal that results from the break-in and helps to keep the
engine cool. After killing the engine return it to the Bottom
Dead Center previously marked on the flywheel and allow the
engine to cool for at least 15 minutes before running tank
#2.
Tank #2. Refill the tank and restart the engine. For this
tank of fuel the vehicle will be driven. Drive in a figure-8
pattern while keeping the throttle below 1/4 throttle. Keep
driving this pattern until the fuel runs out. Make sure the
engine sounds running "rich" while driving. This
means that the engine will have a "sputtering" sound
to it and should be blowing out thick smoke from the exhaust.
It will also have excess fuel coming out of the exhaust as
before. If the engine isn't running rich adjust the high-speed
needle until it is (turned counter-clockwise). After the engine
dies once again return the piston to BDC and let the engine
cool for at least 15 minutes.
Tank #3. Repeat the steps from tank #2.
Tank #4. Refill the tank and restart the engine. For this
tank of fuel the vehicle is once again driven in a figure-8
pattern, in the same manner as for tank #2, but this time
the throttle can be brought up to 1/2 throttle. You will notice
that the idle of the engine may start to go up This is normal
during the break-in as there is less resistance between the
piston and sleeve as the parts wear together. Pay close attention
to the amount of smoke coming out of the exhaust during the
tank, and richen the engine if necessary. After the engine
dies return the piston to BDC and let it cool for at least
15 minutes.
Tank #5. Refill the tank and restart the engine. This is the
last step in breaking-in the engine. For this tank drive the
vehicle back and forth in straight lines, running the engine
from idle to 3/4 throttle. Try to use the full range of the
throttle up to 3/4 and smoothly accelerate the engine. Run
the engine in this manner until the engine dies. Return the
piston to BDC. The engine will now be broken-in and can be
run normally after this.
The engine will probably require some retuning after the break-in
process This is normal. In fact, keeping the engine properly
tuned is an ongoing process. After each session of running
the engine it's a good idea to use After Run Oil to keep the
engine from rusting. Remove the glow plug and drop a few drops
in the cylinder as well as a couple of drops down the carburetor.
Pull the pull starter 2-3 times to circulate the oil inside
the engine.
I know that this all seems like a lot of work, but trust me
that it looks worse than it actually is. The entire process
can be accomplished in an afternoon. The break-in process
takes the longest time which will be approximately 3 hours
total time. But this time is well worth investing as it results
in a well performing reliable vehicle.
That's
it. The engine is broken-in and ready to "play".
With
the Volcano engine broken in it was time to take
it out and see what it could do. Luckily the winter
weather in Oklahoma doesn't leave us locked indoors
for long periods and we still get good weather
even in the heart of winter. My son offered to
help me out in getting the video shot for this
review. We packed up the Volcano and the field
gear and headed down the street for a local park
that looked like a lot of fun to run in. The park
has a huge flat area that has a baseball diamond
on it, but it also contains a lot of ditches and
gullies that almost look like they were made just
for bashing. Once we got to the park I fueled
up the Volcano and a few pulls of the pull start
had it running. I tuned the engine and left it
running a bit rich since the engine was still
pretty new. As this would be our first time really
running the Volcano at any speed we decided to
start out on the flat baseball diamond. It had
plenty of room for us to get used to how the truck
ran. We started out just running it around on
the field to get a feel for it. I started opening
up the throttle and doing some speed runs around
the field. All I could say was "Holy Cow!!!"
It was definitely a lot faster than
i
expected it to be. There was a small pitcher's
mound on the field so we decided to get a feel
for jumping the truck. We finished out the fuel
tank doing small jumps off of that pitcher's mound
to get a feel for jumping as well. So, one tank
of fuel and both my son and I were itching to
get over to the rougher area to run in.
With a refill of fuel we fired the truck back
up and started out in the area of the park with
gullies and hills. In this area I really wanted
to push the truck as hard as I could to see what
it would do, as well as see how it would hold
up. One thing is for sure, this truck is definitely
built tough. We had plenty of bad jumps, tumbles,
and falls with the truck and nothing broke on
the truck. In this area we found a little area
that turned out to be a really nice jump, so we
spent a lot of time trying to "get some air".
Once again, I was trying to see if I could get
anything to break on the truck. Once again, nothing
broke.
Overall we ran 7 tanks of fuel through the truck
that day. Other than having to adjust the mixture
and idle on the 3rd tank of fuel the truck didn't
miss a beat. It fired up immediately each time
we started it. The engine remained reliable the
entire time and gave great performance. Once home
it was time to clean up. The first steps for cleaning
up were to blow off all the dried grass and dead
leaves that had accumulated while running it.
On the recommendation from several members of
the RCU Redcat Support forum I spayed down the
chassis with WD-40, and after it soaked for a
bit I used compressed air to blow off the chassis
and dry it up. I was impressed with how well this
worked in getting the chassis cleaned up after
a hard day of running.
One thing for sure, this little truck had a father
and son smiling like a couple of little kids after
we "played" with it that afternoon.
To boil it down it was just plain old fun to run
this truck. The only bad thing is that now I have
to buy another one so that both my son and I can
have our own to run with!!
I
started out this review with the goal of looking at this
vehicle from the standpoint of a beginner in RC vehicles
buying their first one. So how did it do? I would say
that the Redcat Volcano SV is a winner in this arena.
With the resources provided I have no doubt in my mind
that a beginner could successfully setup the Volcano and
have a fun and reliable vehicle in the end.
Redcat has put together a guide that will step the user
through the process of setting up and breaking-in their
new vehicle and leave no doubts in what needs to be done.
If there are questions that arise Redcat has a support
forum here on RCU that will work quickly to get the problem
solved. In the event that something does break on the
vehicle Redcat has a parts system setup to quickly get
replacement parts to the customers, as well as a network
of hobby shops around the US and Canada that customers
can use for their replacement parts. It's easy to see
that Redcat is devoted to ensuring their customers are
well taken care of and receive a great product for their
hobby dollars.
The Volcano SV has been a real "smile maker"
for both my son and myself as we have spent a lot of time
running it. For fun days out in the park "bashing"
I can state loudly that the Volcano is worth every penny.
It's easy to setup, it's tough, and it's just plain old
fun to run. Redcat has done a great job of combining a
quality product with a support system that will give the
customer fantastic all around care. For anybody wanting
to get started in nitro powered RC vehicles, or those
already in RC that are looking for something fun to run,
I highly recommend the Volcano SV.
very good work i must say. a clear and concise review with lots of information and great pics. my hats off to you rcken great review, very professional.
i owned a himoto eldorada which it is the exact same truck, and I can tell you it is a really weak truck.
But on the good side I can tell it was a lot of fun to run.
Redcat racing should put a lil more into this truck and make an 8th scale modelthat is alot more sturdier. This truck is very nice for the the first timers and the kidsas well. With a lil more work and alot more confidence i think this truck will match up to any of the smaller or bigger scaled trucks out there!
Great Review, and keep the goods coming!
The comments, observations and conclusions made in this review are solely with respect to the particular item the editor reviewed and may not apply generally to similar products by the manufacturer. We cannot be responsible for any manufacturer defects in workmanship or other deficiencies in products like the one featured in the review.
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