Reviving this thread.....

I purchased a used Thunder Tiger F-54S several years ago. It has sat in its box on a shelf since. I never ran it.

I am putting together a new airplane and I decided to use this engine in it. I came to RCU to get the lowdown, if any, on this engine. Well, there was a common theme here, about the air bleed carb and the fact the bleed hole was too small. Enlarging the bleed hole was the solution to numerous problems. So before even attempting to start this engine, I enlarged the hole to a figure given by one gentleman, 3/32".

I attempted to start the engine today. After priming, it started immediately. I warmed it up for a while, ran it through the rpm range a few times. Also did some quick acceleration runs from idle to WOT. Then I pulled the throttle stick down to low idle, and left it there. After idling perfectly for a few minutes, I figured it was good.

This engine runs sweet, smooth, and sounds GOOD! I'm very pleased with my Thunder Tiger four stroke.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the point of this post, duh, is that it is really great having the Glow Engines forum here at RCU as it is a truly comprehensive resource for information on just about any glow engine someone might encounter.