ORIGINAL: Allenmr
Thanks for all the replies guys!
I'm running a .28 force (came w/ the car) and 20% nitro. I've been preheating the engine w/ a heat gun every time I run it and it starts w/in the first 2 pulls every time. I have been pretty much following what you have recommended, doing all m setting up inside then firing it up and putting the body on and running it. I'm using the glow plug it came w/ also. I have not positioned the piston BDC, I'm not sure how to do that. I hope I didn't mess the engine up.
It has been running real good as far as I can tell (being new to the hobby) I tuned it a little today and it only seemed to need one turn to lean it out. It has been running rich as it has been at the factory settings for break in. It hasn't stalled once (after my first run) and seems to run strong. I am having some problems w/ the servo but from what I'm reading the stock servo is crap.
You shouldn't need to pre-heat it, but that won't hurt it either. As for finding BDC, you can use the pull starter. Simply gently tug it over. When you feel it go over compression, give the starter another half-inch of pull and you're close enough to BDC. The goal is to get the piston out of the pinch zone.
ORIGINAL: rc awesome
Its ok to break in a nitro in the winter but if I was you i would have waited until spring or a warm day. Breaking in a nitro in the winter will shorten it's liefspan by several gallons, which is actually a lot. You will need to run rich in winter because the engine needs the extra luberication.
Actually, breaking one in in the cold is just fine as long as the engine warms fully. As long as the engine gets hot enough it doesn't matter how cold the outside air is.
Also, it doesn't 'need more lubrication' because it's cold. You have to richen the mixture slightly because cold air is dense air. You're simply matching the fuel mixture to the amount of oxygen going into the engine. You would have to do this to your car, too, if it had a carb on it.