would you ever pay to have someone break in an engine for you I'm having problems and it would be so much easier if some one else did it I've only owned on other nitro engin in was a plane and it was used so now I want to pay a hobby shop employee to just do it for me and kind of teach me

I have done it for people...many times...when they either don't know how and dont want to risk ruining the engine, or they don't have the patience, or whatever...

If you have confidence in the person at your hobby shop, and they are willing to share the time with you and help you learn, then it should be a good experience.

How much are they asking for their service, if you don't mind me asking.

$30 dollars an hour at this larger store more coporate hobby town usa

$25 an hour and this small town place but theres no waranty and i usually go to the small guy for service but the guy was a jerk

I wouldn't do it for that much. I broke in both my engines with no problems (and I'm only 13). Just take your time and read what the manual says. It really isn't hard, and you'll have learnt something at the end and will have more confidence. Also, if you were to buy a second car or another engine, it really helps to be able to do it yourself.

I've had to break in the engines on all 3 of my friend's cars (I persuaded them to get one), and sure, it was fun for me, but they didn't learn anything. One of them can't even take a screw off his car and put it back on again. Another can't adjust his gear mesh, etc.
If I wasn't there, they would both have messed their break-in up (because they don't look at the manual). However, they would have learnt themselves how to work on their cars, adjust the gear mesh, take the car apart then put it back together again, etc.

A friend of mine paid me $50 to break in his. I told him i would do it for free if he was there. But, he was too lazy to show up.

I'd never do it w/o the other persons participation, I don't care how much cash was offered. I can just see it now...six months later this moron coming back and saying his motor died because I didn't break it in right. I'd be po'd.

Breaking in an engine is not hard and something that you should learn how to do anyway.

On a related note, I don't understand why some of the rc companies don't do factory break in of engines, at least on their RTR's that sell mostly to first timers. I mean that Traxxas, HPI and Losi could do prebreak-in's and probably save themselves tons of money in coustomer service and warranty repairs. Not to mention the reduced frustration that newbs would be faced with would mean that more people stick with the hobby and generate more revenue.

I COMPLETELY agree with DaveG55.

That's a good idea...but I wonder how many people they'd have to employ just to handle the volume?

When I break-in an engine for someone, I always tell them that in the 30+ years experience that I have I've never blown up or broken in any way* an (r/c car ) engine, so if something happens, it's because of a fault in manufacturing...CYA.

* means there have been a couple of airplane engines that met the ground rather abruptly... but that was decades ago...

My typical fee is 30 bucks and I tell them that they provide the fuel, so it gets broken in on the same stuff that it's gonna be running on.

I have encountered all types...the ones who want to learn, to the ones who would have a hard time figuring out which end of a screwdriver did what!

ok here it is i try to just get the car started i warm up the header with a dryer i put the glow plug igniter on the plug (i know that its warm for sure) and leave it. I then put two drops in the carb and put the air filter back on then pull the starter and it gives for less than a second whats the problem

Well, first off your're not properly priming the engine.
Also, it certainly does not sound like you are following any manufacturers reccomedations/instructions that I have ever seen.

I reccomend that you read any and all instructions and manuals that came with your vehicle and follow them to the letter.

What vehicle/engine are you trying to break in?.

Not many. It seems to me that a couple of extra steps/machines in the production process could handle the break-in. Think about it. What is break-in really but a controled amuont of engine rotation at a certain temp to wear the parts togeather, right? Well if the engine were to be immersed into a vat of 220 degree oil and spun at a set rpm (or a computer controled variable rpm) for a predetermined amount of time - or even subject it to hot and cold immersions to simulate the heat cycle method, would that not provide the same results?
I have often thought that engine companies could drastically reduce their warranty repairs or a relitively minor initial investment.

That's not a bad idea...
Would just have to get it past the bean counters...

i have no idea what im doing i think i'm going to go get help i need it

thats what the instructions say its a himoto rapida

i broke my first nitro engine in by myself. as long as you follow the instructions you should be fine unless theres a defect in the engine from the start. at first its a little hard but as you go youll learn how to tune and get your engine running great. if you have someone do it for you take the time to sit with them and watch and learn. get hands on. the guy at my lhs showed me how to tune and get it running good and everyonce and a while ill go back and he'll check my tune and go over the truck and show me what to check and look for. most of the people ive met in this hobby love to help and talk to you about it. dont be afraid to ask if you dont know something. nitro trucks are a blast but there is alot of upkeep involved with them. theres nothing better than learning your truck.

I broke in my first engine myself. Before i even touched the engine i read the manual and watched the DVD 3 times.

Breaking in the engine for youryourself (for the first time) will be not so good for the engine but definately the best experience for you.

That's why I get guys bringing their stuff to me...they're afraid of messing something up. Several times I've put replacment engines in vehicles because their first attempt didn't go so well. Or I'll put a high performance (read expen$ive ) engine in their truck or whatever, and break it in because they're a little nervous about doing it themselves.

If it's at all possable though, I will tell 'em that I'll either talk them through it (did that twice, over the cell phone ) or meet up w/ them and show 'em...

Any of you ever heard an engine run over a cell phone? "Here, listen to this"..."what's wrong with it"???)

if they dont know how to break an engine in they shouldnt be buying expensive engines.

Hey...it's their money...if they want to buy it, who's gonna stop 'em?

no ones going to stop them...i know if i drop the money on a high end engine no one will be touching it besides me.

Whatever...if you have the experience to break-in your own engines, that's great...

I spend a lot of time at our LHS and guys walk in quite often and just want the biggest and baddest engine they can stuff into their Savage (or whatever vehicle ) The fact that they have very little experience doesn't seem to slow 'em down much.

ive ran all my engines in my self. its great crack trying to break in a cen nx 26 on a freezing winters nite with out a clue what your doing

I had thought about doing this but I did it myself anyway. You'll have to learn how to do it anyway so why not do it yourself.

Even if you pay someone to do it for you, you'll have to learn sometime how... And once engine is broken-in then its needles need readjustment. Not to mention that almost everytime you run engine needs new adjustments.