Help Ansmann Virus
 

Hi, I really need some help. I recently bought an Ansmann Virus for my son (not for me, honest!) on advice from the local model shop. I am having big problems starting it. We have managed to start it probably 10-12 times, and run about 5 tanks of fuel through. I have followed very carefully running in advice, and we have been very gentle.
When it starts, it's great.
I prime it by blocking the exhaust outlet pipe and gently pulling the starter cord. Fuel moves through the pipe and to the carb. (Sometimes I blow fuel up the pipe) I heat the gloplug with the charger thing, and pull sometimes 40 or 50 times and get nothing. There is fuel getting to the head, and going through to the exhaust eventually. I've checked the gloplug gets hot by taking it out and putting it in the charger thing, and it gets hot.
I haven't adjusted the factory settings of the screws on the carb, other than to turn up the rich screw by a full turn (I read to do this somewhere). I've now backed it back so that's it's now half a turn richer from original setting now, still no difference. I've got the trim slightly up.
Sometimes after about two million pulls, the fuel will flow back down the fuel pipe to the tank (when I've given up pulling and am examining my bleeding blisters and knuckles). I've blown fuel down the pipe back to prime it, then a couple of pulls to prime the fuel into the carb. Nothing. Well nothing but frustration.
there's fuel getting to the head (it flys out if you take the plug out and pull) the glo plug works. so are the settings set up best i.e. leaness / richness and the other jet settings ?
I've read that it should be relatively easy to start, if primed properly and set up properly, i don't know what else to try.
Can anyone offer advice, or some alternative / the best settings to try, and what the alternative settings do to the engine (I'd like to understand how it all works if possible).
Thanks in advance.
john

RE: Help Ansmann Virus
 

Go to factory carburetor settings.

RE: Help Ansmann Virus
 

A really big help can be to slightly open the carb with your radio throttle trim. Just enough you see it move a bit....maybe two "little bits".....chuckle. You can turn the trim back as the engine warms up.

When you say your glowplug gets hot, what do you mean? The coil inside must glow bright red, ....orange really. Also, break-in can be hard on glowplugs.....maybe try a new one.

Sometimes when it isn't getting enough fuel to start, you may have to prime it some more. Remove the glow-starter, put finger over exhaust, and operate pullstart 3 or 4 times. Re-connect glow-start and re-try.

RE: Help Ansmann Virus
 

Does anybody know where I can find the factory settings for the carb - the ansmann website very helpfuly doesn't give them, and i haven't been able to find them whilst surfing.

I've tried extra trim to put more prime in the carb, still doesn't seem to work. Tried removing glow plug and putting finger over exhaust and pulling - still no joy.

The glo plug goes orange when conected to battery.

Still baffled.

Thanks.

RE: Help Ansmann Virus
 

the glow plug could be bad and it will still light up. (Happens every once in awhile) the safest thing to do is to just put in a new one just to make sure.
if your glow starter battery is weak (the glow plug still light but its kinda dim) you could have a hard time starting the car

in all the cars i have the factory carb settings are in the manual.

you said that you "Tried removing glow plug and putting finger over exhaust and pulling" is the engine getting fuel? can you see the fuel comeing out of the cylinder head?

RE: Help Ansmann Virus
 

try turning your idle/low speed needle up? otherwise i also suggest getting a new glow plug.

RE: Help Ansmann Virus
 

Other things to check while you're at it:

- check that flywheel is not loose
- clutch springs are not broken
- clutch bell & bearings moving smoothly
- pilot screw on tight

RE: Help Ansmann Virus
 

Most of the time, when having starting problems, the cause is the lsn. The lsn is probably too rich, you'll definetly need to find the factory needle settings.

RE: Help Ansmann Virus
 

It sounds like a glow plug or glow igniter issue. Replace the glow plug for sure, if you've ran 5 tanks of fuel through it with rich settings, it probably needs a new one. Also how many turns in does it take until the HSN and LSN are fully closed? That will give us some idea as to what factory settings probably are. What is the name of the engine it has?

RE: Help Ansmann Virus
 

Thanks for the advice - I took it back to the shop where I bought it, and asked them to have a look for me. The glo-plug was good, on their starter battery. I had just charged my battery the night before, and even in the shop there wasn't enough power in it to make the plug glow. On their starter battery it was fine and started on the 3rd pull. All well and good, they adjusted the lsn settings, tickover etc.
I got it home, and having charged the battery, it started easy enough again. great news. Took it out today, after having charged the battery overnight, started on the 3rd or 4th pull. Yes you can imagine both me and my son are in rc heaven.
We ran a couple of tankfulls through (without stopping the engine) and then decide to take a break, full of confidence that we have the starting problem sorted (it was down to not charging the battery properly). Prime engine, try to start, no way hose. Several attempts later, check the plug for a glo, not enough glo in the plug to make it go. Arghhhhhhhh!
I would expect more than one good start out of a battery - or am I being too demanding?
Is there a better starter battery unit thingy I can look at? What do you reckon?

When it starts, the Virus is great, a real thrill. I am fairly certain there is nothing wrong with the car, now, just the battery starter.Still looking for advice.

Thanks.

RE: Help Ansmann Virus
 

If the batt's not holding a charge, then you've gotta replace the igniter. I'd check into getting a glo igniter that uses either a D-Cell battery or AA's. I use one that requires the D-Cell, made by Ofna, it is a good igniter and I just replace the batt when it's dead, one batt normally lasts a weekend. My Bro-in-law uses one that has AA's. He has more issues out of it than I have out of mine. Just make sure you get decent Alkaline batteries for them, not regular or heavy duty batts as they don't last anywhere near as long. The batts don't have to be expensive Duracells or Energizers, just alkaline.

RE: Help Ansmann Virus
 

Hey headwarp hope you got it sorted now wondered if you could do me a favor bro? could you measure the shocks lengths on that rc please im guessing you have the alloy green/blacks ones?i bought some rears for my pede and they hold up well but i need to change the fronts now (cheapy alloy ones ) and wondered if the fronts would swop straight on ? cheers for your time m8y ;)

My front shocks now are 95-100mm so if yours are around that they should go straight on :D