How To Stop Your Engine
You may have been wondering how to stop the
engine. All you have to do is pinch the fuel line that
runs to the carburetor and from the bottom of the fuel
tank. Pinching this will restrict the fuel flow and the
engine will quit within a few seconds. You can also
touch the flywheel with the tip of your shoe through the
hole in the bottom of the chassis.
The First Tank
Your first tank of fuel should be running the truck at a
very rich high-speed needle valve setting. This allows
the fuel to carry as much oil as possible into the engine
to lubricate the internal parts during the break-in.
1. Open the needle valve 3 turns from fully closed
(counterclockwise). This is factory set already, but
check it to make sure. When closing the high-
speed needle, close the needle until you feel some
resistance.
DO NOT
overtighten or you will
damage the engine.
2. Start the engine.
3. Once the engine is started, open the high-speed
needle valve around 1/8 turn at a time, finding the
setting where the engine just barely runs. This
may take a few times adjusting the needle, running
the truck away from you and back, then adjusting
the needle. The truck will perform sluggishly and
stall from time to time - that is normal.
4. Run the truck back and forth at medium speeds,
slowly accelerating and decelerating the truck.
5. After a minute or two of running, make sure the
engine is not overheating by putting a drop of
water on the cylinder head and watching it boil
away. If it boils away within 10 seconds, stop the
engine and allow it to cool. Open the high-speed
needle around a 1/4 turn before starting again.
This is a good habit to get into every time you run
to ensure that the engine does not overheat during
any run. Looking at the smoke that comes out the
exhaust is also an indicator of how rich or lean the
engine is running. If there is a good amount of
smoke coming out of the exhaust, then chances
are good that you are running rich.
6. Run the truck back and forth at a medium speed
until the tank is almost out of fuel. Do not allow the
tank to run out of fuel. This leans out the engine
and can cause overheating (See
How To Stop
Your Engine
).
7. Stop the engine and allow the engine to cool
before the second tank. This normally takes
around 10 minutes.
Tanks 2-6
Turn in the needle valve (clockwise) around 1/12 turn
from the previous setting. Run the truck back and
forth. You should notice that the truck will perform
better during each run. Stop the truck periodically to
check for overheating. If it is too hot, stop the engine.
Wait for it to cool, then open up the needle valve and
restart. After the 6th tank, you should be near to the
peak performance of the engine.
Ten Ways To Ensure A Long Life From Your Engine:
1. Keep your engine clean. Dirt will act as insulation
on an engine. It will not be able to shed heat as
easily. Use a good air filter to keep dirt out of your
engine and clean it often.
2. Do not over-lean your engine.
3. Do not run your engine with little or no load. Don’t
throttle up the engine to full throttle when the
wheels are not in contact with the ground.
4. Do not overheat the engine. This goes along with
keeping it clean and not over-leaning the engine.
5. Do not use a fuel with a low oil content. Make sure
you use a fuel from a reputable manufacturer,
such as DuraTrax Red Alert.
6. Avoid using old fuels in the engine. Always run all of
the fuel out of the engine. After running for the day,
use an after-run oil and work it into the engine by
turning the flywheel or pulling the engine recoil slowly.
7. Do not use a fuel with a nitromethane (often called
nitro) content over 20%.
8. Do not scratch the piston or cylinder sleeve. Avoid
jamming something into the exhaust port when
removing or re-installing the clutch or flywheel.
Use a special tool called a crankshaft locking tool,
which is installed in the glow plug hole.
9. Do not use silicone sealer on the engine joints.
Silicone sealer contains acetic acid, which is
corrosive if it gets inside your engine.
10. Do not allow any water inside the engine. This
sounds easy, but temperature changes can cause
condensation inside the engine. This is a good
reason to use an after-run oil. Store your engine
inside the house, not in a garage or shed where
there will be temperature extremes.
ENGINE MAINTENANCE
16
