RaVen1357

I got my first Nitro ever Yesterday, and I've put two tanks of fuel through it this afternoon. It's a used and well cared for, stock Traxxas Nitro Sport SE. Being new to this side of the sport( I've a few years of electric experience) I made a rather large mistake trying to get it running. It didn't start the first time I tried so I decided to richen the mixture to factory settings. Well the instructions said to turn the needle all the way out, back 1 3/4 turns, then tune from there. I continued to have problems the rest of the run, Namely, it wouldn't start, and if it would, it would die if I went past 1/3 throttle.

So I decided to sit back and think about it. I decided that the reason the motor wouldn't start, was because the battery for the EZ-Start was probably dead, so the EZ-Start couldn't get the Pro .15 engine up to starting speed( I'd been trying to start on and off for about an hour). Then I noticed a special "Read Me First" paper. This paper was the Nitro Spot SE instructions. I had been following the normal NS instructions. Well, it turns out that the needle was supposed to be turned back 2 1/2 turns[:@]. I had been running the High speed needle about one turn farther out than the maximum Lean settings. No wonder It was having problems[:-].

So, I've put the EZ-Start battery on the charger and will tune the engine correctly, then try again later tonight or tomorrow.
In the mean time I've got some questions:

1. I put after-run oil in the engine after running it. Is there any other mantience I should be doing?
2. Can I safely change the high or low speed mixture settings with the engine running?
3. How often (# of runs) do y'all have to change your glow plugs?

Thanks for the help.

P.S. This thing is really loud and smelly (compared to my XXX-T).

aznhustlerboy

My Feedback: (3)

1. remember to clean ur airfilter when it is dirty
2. yes you can....(at least i do)
3. I have had my car for 2 months (bought it used) and i have only replaced the plug once. id say check it every week or 2 if u wanna be on the safe side

nitroman111

1. Since you put after run oil in it. The other thing to do is check your air filter. if it is dirty you might whant to clean it with dish soap.


2. no i would not do that while the engine is runing. i would not do that even though you are new to the sport its not a smart idea.


3. Well it all depends on how hard you run it. i mean i will probly go through one in a month or so, but i dont run mine that hard.


there you go have fun with your new toy!! jr

yoster

1. Clean all moving parts before you run it again. Some people here are neat freaks.. cleaning every ounce of dirt off.. but really the only important parts to clean are things such as the cooling head, bearings, air filter.. basically any part that moves, involves cooling or the way the engine runs. Cleaning off your chasis or shock towers.. whatever.. is just going to save you weight. Also, check your shocks every now and again for leaks.

2. There is, absolutely, 100%, nothing wrong with tuning while the engine is running. It is even recommended by many manufacturers. Just remember it can take anywhere up to 2 minutes before your adjustment actually takes affect temperature-wise.

3. It could last you half a year, it could last you an hour.. but usually I can go at least 1 gallon with the same plug.

mydartswinger

1. I agree with everyone else's statements.
2. Yes, you can. Just do it in 1/8th turn intervals, cheking the performance after each adjustment.
3. Depends on the tuning, how often you run, and wether or not the plug is a dud. To check if your plug is stil good, get a glow ignitor, remove the plug, insert the plug into the ignigor, and if it burns bright orange, it's good, anything less, change it.

RaVen1357

Thanks for the helpful replies!
Well I readjusted the needle settings, and it fired right up! Next I did some high speed runs in my alley and it worked excellently, the engine only cut out once. The run ended when I hit a gas meter by a neighbor's driveway. Gas meter is fine, but the crash stripped a front turnbuckle from the ball end. I also discovered that the glow plug was leaking. I'll tighten that better next time. So all thats left to do now, is clean up the truck some (it's kinda dirty), buy a few parts, and do some fine-tuning

New question:

I know it's bad to leave fuel in the engine, but will anything be harmed if fuel is left in the tank? If yes, how would I empty it (besides just dumping it out)?

badz

My Feedback: (1)

revokid? How do you tune a engine without it running? Why is it not good for a newbie to do? I gotta hear this one.



Tips for newbies...

1. Check it over real good after every run...check for loose screws and so on...engine exhaust screws are good for coming loose. Locktite them with blue locktite if they keep coming loose.

2. Clean Air Filter after every run. Whether it looks dirty or not clean it. Nitro's are really sensative to proper air/fuel ratio so save one headache and clean the air filter.
DO NOT BUY them little bottles of air filter oil...they are like $3.99 for 4ounces and a ripoff...you can buy some BelRay Foam Filter Oil at a motorcycle shop for around $10 for a quart which it's way better oil and stops more crap.

3. After run oil is important IF you aren't going to run it for weeks after...if you run it alot..don't bother it's just a waste of time...no metal can corrode over night or in a week or two.

4. Adjustments MUST be made with it running. After you set factory settings with the engine off your final tweaking and setup must be done with a engine running. The guy saying don't run it and tune it is wrong and apparently doesn't own a Nitro RC, maybe he's a electric guy and considers tuning changing his batteries

5. Keep it clean if you chose too. Sometimes it's a bugger to get them totally clean. I usually let mine a mess until winter then I tear down and clean them all up. Don't spray down the entire insides of the car with wd40...some people do and all it does is cause a mess and make more dirt and dust stick inside. You can blow it off with a air compressor after each run...just be sure your air cleaners on it when you do so...otherwise dirt will get in your carb and thats not good. Don't rinse the rc off with water...it'll ruin the electronics...you can use water on the body however. I found armorall touches the bodies up nice after cleaning them with soapy water.


Oh you should purchase if you didn't already...a fail safe unit and a temp gauge to check your engine temps...it'll aid in tuning...and the fail safe well it'll keep your rc from running away from you if battery fails or you lose radio range....also add a return spring to the carb linkage to help in case the throttle servo craps out or fail safe fails...


Most important thing!!! Have fun with it....and don't lose patience....Nitro's can test your patience with tuning but once you figure it out it's cake.

aznhustlerboy

My Feedback: (3)

oh yea....and another thing, from my experiance it is bad to say " ok just one more"...heres what i mean by that statement. My first break on my nitro evader st was was right when my tank was getting low so i said..."ok just one more jump" on that last jump i took a nose i took a noze dive into the ground and cracked my front shocktower. the second time i broke my car was when it was getting kinda dark so i said to myself "just one more jump..." well i missed the jump half way and after doing some flips and somersaults i ended up with a broken rear suspension plate and suspension arms....and the last time i broke something was last friday when (after i fixed the rear suspension plate/ arms) i decided that i would do one more run up the street...(not knowing that i had screwed up the mesh when i fixed the suspension plate earlier) and i just punched it into WOT and stripped my spur gear and clutchbell. I know that story was kinda random, but i had to tell it cause i have to wait like 2 or 3 more hours for my new parts to come in. WHEW

jkulhanek

Holy crap that thing breaks easy!

gerwen

Google nitro tuning guide and get reading.