I'm new to nitro cars, I had numerous electric cars many years ago, and I've dabbled in nitro powered aircraft over the years.

My new tornado just arrived this week and I've been screwing around with it all day. Tried for over an hour to get it to start and stay running. (it was starting on the raw fuel I squirted in the carb, but thats it) I tried blowing in the pressure pipe and it was extremely difficult. I tried taking the fuel tank out to look at it closer, but I couldn't get the lock nut off the bottom of the bolts. I got it to run for about 10 minutes when I ran a long line right from the fuel bottle to the carb, so I knew it was a problem with the tank. Turns out it was a manufacturing defect in the plastic tank, the 90 bend at the top where the nipple is was nearly completely sealed over. A deft application of some brute strength with a mini screwdriver did the trick.
Then when I was idling it around, I found that the brakes would lock up and the servos would start spazzing out when the car got about 20 feet away from me. Same distance every time, it'd just sit there. Was thinking of getting a whole new set of batteries, but i took the controller apart and saw the problem. This morning when I was screwing the antenna in the first time it met some resistance, but then finally went all the way in. Well apparently the resistance was on of the leads from the battery pack to the circuit board. The shaved wire was making contact with the antenna inside the handle, causing interference.
Ok, so two problems solved, and I'm feeling much better.
THEN, I had gotten another tank full run through at idle or nearly so, and was working on another tank, when the engine just up and quits. It had quit similarly at the end of the last tank but I didnt think much of it. It's got half a tank full of gas, and it won't restart now. It does have compression, I can feel it in the pull start. Is it possible it's overheated? I was running it at factory settings, it was idling pretty fast and wasn't bogging down, but it seemed pretty smokey to me, so I was getting conflicting symptoms.
Would overheating cause it to quit suddenly like that and not want to restart? I dont have a infrared gun, so I have no idea how hot it's getting. The top of the heat sink is too hot to touch immediately after running, but cools down pretty fast...
Lastly, if the concensus is that it is in fact too hot, am I correct in thinking that it's too lean, and I could turn the low screw counter-clockwise a bit?
Thanks for bearing with me and my longwindedness.....ness. :-)
-J-

when i got my vx in my tornado, the factory setting were to lean, and it ran hot and very fast and hard to start . after i learned more about this thing i richened it way up and i could always start it and it would run very cool. could touch it after running. i ran it for a long time at the factory settings not knowing anthing was wrong and i now have an OS 18 that im breaking in. i would say richen that hsp 3/4 turn and buy an OS a3 plug.$0.02

whats an (OS a3 plug.$0.02) i dont know lol

A3 is the type of plug....Made by OS. And thats his Two Cents ($.02) on the situation.

dclinton, you mentioned richening the high speed, would this be correct for my situation? I was less than half throttle most of the time, with only 1 or 2 second bursts above that.

ow say the full word ,lol GLOW PLUG(OS GLOW PLUG)

HES OFLINE EHROOF WILL TELL YOU LOL

Hi james and welcome to the forum.

1. close the high needle (turning clockwise) until closed then open 2 3/4 turns counter clockwise, make the low needle flush with the collar around it, this should keep you going and be good for break in.

2. a symptom of overheating is the engine quitting and not restarting easily, do the spit test, put some spit or water on your finger and wipe the top of the head with it, if it sizzles and is gone in 3 seconds or less your too hot, it should take 5 seconds and evaporate slowly.

3. os a3 plug is a hot plug and great for these engines, i would suggest having a few extras, alot of times plugs go bad during break in.

hope this helps you out bro, let us know how it goes.

one thing how do i tune on os engiene ehroof im stuck or do you just leave as normal settings?

same as all nitro engines, when you get it let me know and i will help you out.

ok bro thanks its helpfull go on chat now plzzzzz

Perfect, I'll do it first thing tomorrow and wake up my neighbors!

From what I've seen of my first few WOT (wide open throttle) tests, this thing flys! Its way faster than my brother-in-law's tmaxx with the same size .18 engine.

good, this should help you out, let me know

wot tests? I thought you were breaking this in? Iam not jumping on you but if your just breaking it in, there should not be any wide open tests lol.

Just give him a direct kink to a new engine on your web site[&o].......................lol

Yeah, so it wouldn't start this morning, and then the pull start broke. Came out, won't go back in. I know it was probably my fault, but Im so pissed right now... I havent even gotten to enjoy this thing yet. Nothing but bloody knuckles and cursing.