RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

What is the correct battery "pack" configuration to get for the TC receiver box. Flat? Hump? What about a charger for this 6 volt battery and the 7.2 volt Tiger Drive battery pack. Is there a combo battery charger that will handle both (at a reasonable price) or is it best to just get stand alone charger for each?

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

Get your self a SJ swallow adv 2 charger it wil be the last charger you ever buy.

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

Ron

Excellent info.

Wow did that thread open up a whole big can o worms, and it really got those wheels in my head churning.

Looks like there is more to learn about props lol, and also it may take lots of trial and error to find the best one for changing conditions.

Since I will be using the boat in everything from flat as glass fresh water lakes to inland saltwater bays (these get some serious chop lol) I know I am going to need to stock up on a few very different props.

Has anyone here put in any time with setting up a prop for rougher water? I am thinking I would want something with very different specs than the ones posted here already that were seeking top speed only.

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

Do you have a link to a website for this???

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

So what is the best nitro to run in the thundercat?
I have been running 15% and i want to run something more powerfull
So what is everyone running in this boat?

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

try 20% or higher, you have watercooling so you can run higher nitro than a car/truck can. I am running 20 right now, but have gone as high as 50%. For sport boating/playing around there isn't enough performance gained over 20-30% to make it worth the extra engine wear though. If you race, then maybe the 50% is worth the extra wear and tear on both the engine and your wallet :)

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

I started with 20% now am using 30%, and this year I will use anything from 30% to 60%.


Paul

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

The site for the Swallow adv 2 is www.bbimporters.co.za.

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

On the prop setup for choppie water, I race my boat with a Prather 225 prop and the prop is fine in all water. I just move the prop up and down. The prop gives me nice staight line speed and good acceleration. I ran on (35 % nitro/15% Morgan/3% castor) and methanol, the motor has plenty power and does not run hot at all. I am going up to (45% nitro /12% morgan/ 3% castor) for the rest of the season. I was much faster than the A class V hulls but now there are 4 TC 31 and 3.5 cc tunnel hulls that will race with me so I need the more power.

It is nice that we have enought RTR boats now to start a class on its own. Going to be great fun cause now it comes down to the best set up and talent and not the biggest wallet.

Will ceep you up to date.

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

What size/lengthr belt is required for the TC31. Tower Hobbies has all different lengths and "sizes"

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

So there are not any problems with reaching full rpm with the Prather 225?

When looking at the specs alone it does size up larger than the other props the members here have had success with so its something I was considering, but also questioning too.

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

the mc 59 is a hot plug the mc 9 is a cooler plug. they are both used for the same type of engines, mostly cars and trucks and boats, i do not belive that they are used in airplanes

if you are using higher nitro content, 25% or more use the cooler mc coy 9, if you are using lower nitro content use the mc 59, or if you are running your boat on a pretty cool day (40 degrees) then you are going to want to use a hotter plug like the mc 59

i use the mc 59 in my revo truck in the winter to keep the engine warm, if i use the mc 9 in the winter my truck never gets hotter then 220 degrees and i need to be up around 260-270 range

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

Do you mix your own fuel? If so where do you get the components and what is the minimum purchase quantities?

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

I am very confused about glow plugs for the tc. I understand that you need to use a colder plug when going to a higher nitro content but how much of an affect does the water temperature have on what plug I should use. I have been using two different fuels blue thunder sport 20% and sidewinder 30%. Where I am running I am guessing the water temperature is probably 50 degrees. I went out and bought 3 different mccoy plugs today because I was going to see what worked best but some suggestions would help. I have the #9,#8 and #59. Do I run a hotter plug when the water is colder or a colder plug when the water is colder? Also any sugestions on when the water temp raises to 80 to 85 degrees.

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

Yes I mix my own fuel. I run a hobbie shop called Clowns hobbies and we are one of the biggest inporters of model fuel in to South Africa so I have all the the stuff I need in the shop to mix and play with. We have been doing a lot of researsh in to fuel and play around with allot of diffrent mixes.

The best fuel you can get for performence and power is a blend of castor and morgan or klotz. Nothing get heat out of your engine like castor. Castor does not burn away at the lower temps like morgan or klotz does , so if you run a little bit to lean the motor wount just heat seaze. The castor give you time to here the motor is runnig lean. With pure sinthetic the motor might just fail were with castor it will loose power first and give you time to cool the motor down on lower rpm and then richen the mix.

The best protection for any motor is not to run to lean. Take the motor to peak rpm and then 1 or 2 clicks richer.

Good boating

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

HI, COULD SOMEONE TELL ME WHERE I CAN GET A PULL START FOR MY THUNDERCAT? I CAN'T FIND ONE ON EBAY. THANKS. TERRY

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

[link=http://www.southeastrc.com/Items/StdItemView.aspx?lookup=DYN6464].32 Pullstart[/link]


These guys have always been great to me, good prices, quick delivery... good place for rtr replacement parts

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

If you're running fuel in the 20-30% range you could stick with the MC-59 plug, regardless of the water temp. However, experimentation is always a good learning tool. Try all three plugs to see which works best. Note that you will probably need to change the needle setting for each plug. Instead of changing the plug when you're running in colder water, you could also just restrict the water cooling line a bit. Also, unless you're striving for maximum performance, don't sweat the little details like engine temp.

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

i would have to disagre with using the mc coy 59 with 20-30% nitro, the mc 59 is a hot plug, now if he is using 10-20% i would say use the 59, but if he is using 30% use the mc 9 plug as it is cooler. if you used a mc 59 with both 20% and 30% nitro the 30% engine is going to run quit a bit hotter then the 20% is.

the only time i run 30% and mc 59 is in the winter when it is cold out, other wise if i use the 9 in the winter the engine does not get up to the proper temp.

the point of using differnt plug is to make sure that the engine is running at optimal opertating temperature, for example:

on my revo 3.3 and jato 3.3 if i use a mc 9 in the winter with 30% nitro my engine will only get up to about 180 degrees, since the proper operating temp for my engine is about 270 i have to use the mc 59 in the winter. i know im talking about trucks put the principal is the same with boats.


But to be fair what plug you use has more to do with how you have your engine tuned then anything else and what plug to use is more of a prefference thing to be honest some will sayt use the mc9 otjhers will say use the mc 59 the best thing to do is run them both and see what one works better for you

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

When you say "runs better" what symptoms are you refering to that indicate running better versus symptoms you are referring to that indicate running poorer in reference to the temperature of the glow plug?

1.) ease of starting?
2.) rough idle?
3.) rough high rpm?
4.) poor acceleration?
5.) engine quits?
6.) engine gums up?
7.) engine seizes up?
8.) premature failure of glow plug?
9.) or what?

I am a newbe so be gentle.

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

everyone is going to have there own opinion on what plug to use, in time you will too. So i will explain it like it was explained to me when i firsts started nitro.

I would suggest to you that if you are using 30% nitro use the mc 9 plug, if you are using 20% nitro use mc 59.

one thing that i suggest that you get is a temp gun, single most important thing for a newbee to nitro.

when i say run better this is what i mean, (this is after break in by the way) your engine should start on the first or second try, when first started it will rev a little high but then settle down to a nice smooth idle, just like when you start your car, it revs a little high but then goes to a nice smooth idle, it shouldnt be reving up and down it should be a constant speed. when you give it throttle it should be smooth ( you might experience a milisecond hesitation but that is fine and normal) it shouldnt sputter up in revs, basically it should run like your car does.

I personally suggest to run 30% nitro for a couple of reasons since you are new. and also run the mc 9 plug, the reason is this. when you use a higher nitro (30%) you have to set the needle richer then if you use a lower nitro (20%), and for a newbee it is safer because in order to get teh engine to run even deceintly the fuel mix will be on the rich side and you will still have great performance, so it is less likely that you will tune the engine lean and thus saving you enginge wear.

thats why i say run 30% and a mc 9.

you run a cooler plug because 30% nitro will burn hotter in your engine then 20% nitro will, so the cooler mc 9 plug helps keep the engine cooler then the mc 59 would

now if you are running 20% use the mc 59 because you need to get the engine up to proper temp.

i have noticed that people on here have said that there engines are running in the 130's (degree's) that has to be because they are aiming the temp gun at the top of the head which is water cooled so you are actually measuring the temp of the water and not the engine itself, now im not saying that 130 in the water head doesnt mean that the engine itselfe isnt 260, because it probably is.

but get a temp gun it will help you out, after a while you wont need a temp gun or anythig else to help you tune the engine, your will be able to hear the engine and know if it is tuned right or not, but that takes practice.

also if you havent broken in your engine yet get yourself several glow plugs, during break in you will go thru several of them, tiny particals fromt eh sleeve and piston will come off and that is normal during break in.

i also think you might have misunderstood me becasue you said poor running in relation to the plug, the plugs main purpose is for getting the engine to run at the right temp. this is what i mean:

on my revo truck i run 30% nitro all year round, but in the winter i run the mc 59 because it is a hotter temp plug, int he summer i run a mc 9 because it is a cooler plug. the reason i run a warmer plug in the winter is because if i were to use a mc 9 in the winter my engine would never get up to the right opertaing temperature, the mc 59 gets my engine up to the proper speed, if in the summer i run a mc 9 in my truck my engine temp will be at about 270, which is exactly were i want the temp to be, now if i were to take a mc 59 and put it in my truck and make NO other changes my engine will run at about 320 degrees, and to get it to run at 270 degrees i would have to richen the mix up quite a bit and i will lose performance the point im trying to make is the plug is mainly used to get the engine at the right temp with out having to lean or richen the mix to the point that i lose performance or longevity of the engine

i hope this makes sense

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

just remember what i said is not set in stone, there are tons of variables in nitro motors, i just tried to give the concept to follow and im sure if you follow the concept you will be fine and will learn very quickly how to properly tune your engine, your ears will end being your tuning guide after a while, it will get to be secind nature for you after about 1 gallon of fuel you should be able to tune your engine without a problem

also i forgot to add tune the HSN first then the LSN, and after each adjustment of the needle make a few pass's before making another one because the changes arent imediate it takes a little bit of time for the adjustments to affect the engine

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

lol revo, he was the one that asked for the pullstart :)

your welcome! ;)

RE: Thunder Cat 31
 

its hard to keep up when a thrad is this long there ends up being 4 differnt conversations at the same time, o well [8D][8D][8D][8D]