I have a duratrax Torq .21 engine that was bought used. I set up the carb and pulled and the pullstarter broke. It seems that the knot came out of the hole. I fixed it and it kept slipping through. I drilled more holes in the disk and tried all different knots and the rope still either breaks the plastic or slips through the hole somehow (maybe because of the wax on it but I'm not sure) I got the engine running one time but the rope keeps breaking. I tried fish line instead of rope...it broke. It was only 20lb line anyway. I can't even turn the one way bearing by hand. Is this normal? I will probobly buy a new pullstarter but I don't want to if the pullstarter isn't the problem. If anyone has this sort of problem or can help me out it would be appreciated. Thanks

Chris:

The pull starters on the little car engines are sensitive to the way you pull them.

One, don't yank it. Pull the handle up gently until you feel the engine load on it, then pull sharply.

Two, stop pulling before the cord is all the way out. If you pull the cord as far as it will go, and come hard against the stop, you will break it regularly.

Now, on your particular engine. If you are saying you cannot turn the engine at all by hand you have a problem in the engine. But if you are saying you cannot turn it all the way through one turn, this is normal for an ABC engine. If you can turn it through with the starter pull I doubt your engine is at fault.

I suspect that your problems will all be solved by changing the way you pull the cord.

Bill.

chrismaz15,
I don't know diddly about car engines but I assume they aren't much different than aero engines. Most aero engines, when properly primed and with a good glow plug, can be started with a simple flip of the prop. I don't think vigourously yanking the starter should be necessary.

Perhaps you're not priming enough.
Perhaps you prime too much and flood the engine, in which case forcefully turning it over may damage it.
Check your glow plug.

I can turn the bearing without the glow plug on. With the glow plug on it only turns about halfway. I also don't pull it all the way so that the string stops. Maybe I will buy a new pullstarter to see if that works. Maybe I will shave down my trx .15 components to fit into the torq pullstarter.

First, get the right pull cord from your parts supplier. It may have originally had a crimped end on in instead of just a knot(?). If your engine is tough to turn over merely due to the compression, loosen your glow plug a little when you start it. As soon as it fires, tighten it back up. If your chassis provides a hole to access the flywheel, you may want to invest in a starter box. They are a great tool, but quite pricey!

Hope this helps,

FP

I sanded down the stock trx .15 wheel and rope to stick in the torq pullstarter. I will try it out tomorrow with the glow plug loosened as Flyingpilgrom mentioned. I also have the section taken out of my XTM chassis for the flywheel starter so if worse come to worse...

You should also put a little after run oil in the cylider head ( a few drops only) and turn it by hand, this will help to avoid premature wear due to the tight fit of the piston.
Also keep a couple of spare glow plugs on hand too.

Good Luck.

100 pound test braided fishing line makes a great starter cord replacement. DO NOT use monofilament!

I was busy lately so the only chance i had to try it out my glow starter was low on battery. I charged it and I will try it soon. I will post.

i had the same problem with my xtm .18 pro. The guys and the hobby shop told me to use a hair dryer to heat it up then try to start it. That didn't work for me i had to take the back end of my t-maxx off and use a drill motor to start it.