hey guys

i've been searchin the posts and cant seem to find what im looking for so mabe one of u geniuses can help me..


ive had my savvy 25 for a few months now and i the engine has started to act kinda strange. it was all tuned last time i used it (someehen before xmas) and i then put it away for storage over the winter months until i had the time (and money) to refund my hobby and start using again.

Well, i've noticed that every other savage i'v seen starts reasonobly easy (some better than others obvoisly). My first question is why the hell wont mine even think about starting unless i hold a blow-drier to it for 5 mins - surly thats not right??? its been like that ever since i got it (i brought it used by the way).

One other thing is, mine is loud...i mean really loud. a couple of my mates have savvys and none of them are anywhere near as loud as mine. i have tried both the alloy tuned pipe (attached) it came with and the stock one (spare). Again, this has been like it ever since i got it.

Noise level isn't a real issue for me its the fact that mine sounds more like an amplified small block (high pitched screaching, kinda) rather than a big block. ive tken the screws back to factory settings and it doesn't seem to make a difference - in fact its harder to start now.


My real question is, could any of this be ralated to an air leak somwhere. i take the pipe off quite a bit when im removing the engine (i do that alot nowerdays - keep going through clutchbells lol), so mabe if the pipe aint sealed it could have an effect - im only guessin here.


anyway, any help would be apreciated.

Yes there could be an air leak.
Check the gasket at the rear of the engine for leaks, and the coupling between the header and pipe as well.
Are you using the HPI ribbed pipe? They are extremely loud, too loud in my opinion.
Have you changed the glow plug? It may not be working well, or the wrong heat range.
Is the air filter clean? A dirty filter reduces air flowing into the engine.
Check the fuel and exhaust pressure lines for cracks and splits also.
Is the glow igniter fully chargeed?
A few things for you to check, good luck

ive checked all of the obove. i've tried both the glowplugs i haave and are working fine. i charge my glowstart overnight for a full charge and its only 3 weeks old so that works fine. the airfilter isn't on as i am starting it on a my bench untill i find a remidy for my issues[]. As for the fuel lines they are also band new and i have cheked those for leaks.

I was originally using a Hot Bodies chrome exhaust but the seal broke so i've gone back to the stock composite exhaust. im not too good with engines so excuse my ignorence but whats the gasket???

thanks again

Between the engine and the exhaust header there should be a rubber gasket between them. These do fail over time, sometimes sooner than later.

oh right. Thats the bit that broke forcing me to change to my stock pipe. The seal (that came with the tuned pipe) split and the purple one that came with the savage doesnt fit my tuned exhaust so i have to use the stock. it still feels kinda loose though.

I still cant understand why my engine wont start unless its heated before hand. im running at factory setings so would that make a difference in turms of starting?
my pullstart broke so im using a cordless drill to turn it over, but at a low tourque setting so it doesn't damage it.

How many rpm is your drill spinning at? Probably printed on the side of it. My drill spinning at 1300rpm would do it until the volts dropped, then not.
Some drills just cant do it.

i cant remember at the top of my head but its quite high (18V). Its got more than enough power to start the engine and if, like i said beofre, i hold a blow drier to it for 5 mins the engine will start. Thats alright if im at home but i cant exactly take a blowdrier with me whenever i go out bashing lol.

another issue ive only found recently is that i have to have the throttle trim right up for it to stay alive, like 1/3 throttle up (wheels spinning of course, spinning quite quickly) otherwise it just quits.

maybe i need a new engine. possibly an axial .28 (or even a 32!! )

Sounds a little odd, kinda like a brand new engine. Maybe i'm missing something. But assuming it is not new it should not need that sort of treatment. I have a near new SH.28 3 port that is still real tight but starts up nice and easy and idles just fine.
Is the idle set right on your carb? Check down the carb throat and see how big the gap is that you can see into the engine. Around 1 to 1.5 mm (dunno inches, sorry) is a good place to start.
Is your fuel old? A mate had trouble starting his Sav .25 recently until i put some new good fuel in it. Then, no problem. If your fuel a few months old get rid of it. The "bangness" evaporates out of it over time. That is a technical term by the way

I think you may have just solved my problem mate. the gap it 1.5 mm by the way.
i've had the savage since novemeber. The guy at the shop said it came to him in september (with a a full 1gal of fuel). i havnt changed the fuel since i got it which means the fuel is about 8 months old [X(][X(][X(] .

im guessin thats not good!!! could old fuel really be the cause of these probs (especialy seein as the fuel is that old)..

and yes the engine isn't new.

The older the fuel is the less it will want to burn in your engine. Put a match to it though and look out!
My mates fuel was probably 6 months old and his truck wouldn't start.
Get all the old fuel out of the tank, lines and engine if you can. Then it should start nice and easy. Let me know how you get on.

hopefully i will be getting some new fuel today.
how do i go about getting the fuel out of the engine - is it just a case of taking the glow plug out and exhaust off and just turning it over??
Also, if i get some different fuel (im using model technics at moment but i dont really like it) wat should i do in regards to setting p the engine to a diffrent fuel - take needles bak to factry settings??????

Take out the glow plug and put a small amount of fuel in through the plug hole and down the carb throat, turn it over to flush it out. Changing fuel brand is no real issue. Just return to factory settings and tune from there.

ok,

do you have any recomendation on fuels (brands - while we are on the subject lol).
like i said i did used the model technics it came with but several people hav told me it isn't that good, but thats the only one ive used so i cant comment.

i dont do any racing at all i just like to bash . also whats the best % to use. the guy at the LSH told me to use 12%, but surly that cant be right for a big block. in fact,the only engines i can think of that would use that % is micro???

thanks again

Use 20% nitro, the Sav manual recomends it. The oil content is up to you. I wouldnt go below 12% though. I personally use 15% oil 30% nitro and dont have a problem, although i got roasted on this forum because i use "too much" oil for some here...
I cant suggest a brand because what we get here would probably be different to what you can get there. I get a bloke in a tiny little hobby shop to mix my fuel up.

ive just got some fuel, its 16%. it was the same guy who sold me the savage and he said it worked great on 16%. i had been using 25% but i guess i wont really know as it was so old fuel.

well, time to empty the fuel tank and engine and sick this new stuff in there to see if it makes any difference (which i hope it does)

Let me know how you get on.

well. the savage certainly starts better with the new fuel (although it did take a good hr of turning over befor it acepted the new fuel lol).

But...(thers always one! ) at first if i got past half throttle, it just cut out. All needles are at factory setting by the way.
So i fidled a bit and left it to just idle for half a tank (a. so it could warm up b. so it could flush out all the old fuel and run the new fuel in). i picked it up, held the gas and it just screached, it sounded extremly Lean. i then noticed that the exhaust was hanging off!!![X(]

wether it was the exhaust causing it to run like that of not is beyond me but it was definaly not right. it acelerated and acelerated and acelerated, and had no sighn of stopping.

Also, i have to have he trim rite the way up for it to idle without dying (so wheels are spinning quickly). And that doesn't change after it gets warm either.

It could be that the LSN is still not dialled in just right.
When you got it to accelerate, did it spin up real quick (lean LSN) or was it a bit sluggish (rich LSN) to get there try going richer and see if that helps your idle. If it doesn't then go leaner. 1/8 turn at a time.
Also when it revved was there still smoke visible at high rpm? If not go a bit richer.
Good luck.

if i go any richer on the LSN it just cuts out. there at base settings already. Yes, it spun up very quickly and there was lots of visible smoke.

It only really screams when i go past half throtle, and if i go any richer on the high speed it doesn't start or idle. its never done this before by the way

The only other thing i have not mentioned is a terminal engine. When an engine is on its last legs it will be difficult to get to run consistently, will not idle well and kills glow plugs. When you had the pullstart on would the pullstart pick the truck up off the ground due to the compression or would it just sit there and the string fully extend with little resistance?
After that i'm out of clues for you.
Sorry mate.

It would pick the truck up off the ground. funny you mentioned glow plugs as the one in it died and i had to put a spare in.
i got it to idle at a resonable speed after about an 15-20 mins of sitting there and then an extra 10 mins of driving, i could finaly lower the throttle trim so it would idle at a reasonable speed without dieing. But high end still seems lean.

it was the compression that killed the pullstart. It quite literally twisten the bit that the string wrapps wround right off (supprisingly i have never snapped the string itself). It did flood about 6 times before it would start however, but i no longer need to heat it for it to run which is good.

like i said, i used it a few months back and it was fine (as it could be) before i put it in storage. It my first nitro truck so im not the best at tuning these beasts!!

is strong compression a good or bad sighn, the guy at my LHS said it hadnt been used that long.

Strong compression is a good thing. Keep tuning then. Base settings are a good place to start, you dont only go leaner though. I remember my Tmaxx was way lean at factory settings. Go richer on the HSN then. See how it runs then.

went to start it and it fired up first time, no probs and idled fine. i went richer like you said. but high end is still lean, either that or its a very very loud, very high pitched rich setting. either way it dont sound right. i did go richer on both needles.

out of interest, can rich(or base) settings kill glow plugs as i've heard that people have to replace glow plugs after break-in. or is that just the break in process.
its just i've already gone through 2 glow plugs and im my last one and dont want to kill that off aswell.

Can you post a pic of the pipe?

sorry, dont have camara (getting one soon), but its exactly the same as stock pipe. im planning on getting a new one soon (hopefully a little qiueter), or a seal for my HB tuned pipe.