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Transponders
All you need to know 
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| Running In & Tunning Your Nitro Engine |
These notes are for guidance only and should be read in conjunction with the engine manufactures instructions.
This is probably the most important period of the engines life. If run in properly, the motor will be easy to start and develop real power and be reliable. If run in badly it will never work correctly possibly even self-destruct before any real use.
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Before you start the engine check it over for loose screws or problems, it does not hurt to be safe.
The first two to three tanks of fuel should be run on the bench with wheels raised off the ground to start the bedding in process gently.
When initially starting drop a small amount of fuel into the carburettor (remember to refit the air filter). Crank the engine over to get some pressure into the fuel tank and allow the fuel you have put in the carburettor to lubricate the liner and piston.
At this point if the pinch on the engine is causing a problem getting the engine to turn over, relieve the pressure by loosening the plug by one turn, but remember to tighten it back up once the engine has started.
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Now connect the glow clip and start the engine. Once the engine fires check the tick over and set it slightly high but not so high as to engage the clutch. When you start to open the throttle, the exhaust should emit a lot of smoke and the engine run very rich, as long as the engine is rich, you can now start to build the revs up, the richness should restrict the RPM and the engine should have a strong burbling sound, now keep a look out for the temperature, if you have a temp gun it should not read more than 55 to 65 deg C, run the engine like this for 2 or 3 tanks. The richness of the engine will keep the temperature down.
After this run let the engine cool down. Reset the tick over back to a more normal setting and over the next 5 to 7 tanks of fuel we can start to work the engine, you can still do some of the work on the bench but by the 3rd or 4th tank it is best to run the car so the engine is being properly loaded.
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Until we get the top end needle set the only adjustments we usually make to the bottom needle is make sure the motor pulls from tick over.
If you are running the car you will find that even on full throttle it is slow and has a distinct beat to the exhaust burble, after a tank of fuel, start to lean the top end needle by about 1/8th of a turn, remembering to check the engine for temperate after a minute or so.
This leaning out process will be continued over 5 to 7 tanks always checking to make sure you are not getting the engine to hot to quickly.
As you are running through this process, the running temperate of the motor will start to increase along with the engines ability to rev higher, try to allow it rise gradually until the engine is running at about 90-95deg C and the exhaust sounds crisp at speed. A good test of the top end is to watch the exhaust on the straight, if the smoke trail disappears it is to lean and damage will be done, so increase the richness slightly.
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Remember
never run your engine to lean
or get it to hot.
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Once you are satisfied that the engine is loosened up and ok, we can start to work on the bottom end needle.
When you punch the throttle from tick over listen to what it does, if it burbles and sounds like it is staggering to accelerate it is usually to rich so start to lean it a bit, about 1/8 of a turn at a time at most, if it sounds like it is struggling to breath and just dies after a metre or two it is most probable it is far to lean so we increase the richness.
A good test for the bottom end is to watch the exhaust smoke of the slow corners, there should be a small puff of smoke, which gradually becomes a whisper by the end of the straight. If you are satisfied the engine is now run in there is another test you can do to check the bottom end, Rev the engine up and let go of the throttle, the revs will die to a level and sit there for short time and then drop a second time to the true tick over point, the longer it take for the second drop the richer the bottom end is, it should take no more than 4 or 5 seconds.
Another general indication of the overall tune of the engine, is to listen to it as it arrives in the pits, if as you back off and the exhaust note makes ting-ting-ting sound as the revs drop, it is too lean and is running to hot, so increase the fuel flow.
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Apart from the very obvious points like the engine turns over and nothing is broken, there are only four elements needed to make a engine work, FUEL-AIR-FIRE-COMPRESSION, and if any one of these is missing it just does not
work.
Problems Starting The Engine
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Hydraulic lock.
Excess fuel in the chamber. Remove the glow plug, turn the car upside down and allow excess to fuel to run away
Ignition problems.
Remove the plug and try lighting the plug, if there is not a strong glow the wire in the plug may have broken but first check the ignition battery
Fuel starvation.
Check all pipe work and fuel tank for blockages. Be careful when removing the needles from the carb to ensure exact replacement once cleaned. Settings to lean top and bottom.
No idle.
Engine too lean on bottom so starving the engine, or too rich so flooding the engine with fuel. No compression between piston and sleeve, engine has become to hot and worn out. Idle to closed when carb is shut. Wrong type of fuel for your engine.
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When running the engines it is just as important to keep the air filters clean and well oiled. This will help keep the internals of the engine clean and again reduce wear and increase life and reliability.
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