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Nitro/Gas Troubleshooting / Tuning Guide

(Gas engine tuning at bottom of page)


Airflow is restricted

Fuel doesn't reach the carburetor

Engine and/or fuel system has an air leak

Fuel mixture needles not properly set

Glow plug fails to function

Clean air filter

Clean fuel filter

Inspect fuel tank, line and engine for poor seals

Return needles to factory-recommended settings

Replace glow plug and/or change glow plug filter

Idle is set too low

Low-speed needle is set to rich

Low-speed needle is set to lean

Clutch is binding

Glow plug is loose

Glow plug is fouled

Piston and sleeve are worn

Damaged bearings in the clutch bell

Adjust idle-speed screw clockwise

Lean out low-speed mixture

Richen low-speed needle

Take clutch apart and fix the problem

Tighten glow plug

Replace glow plug

Seal engine with high temp sealer

Clean or replace bearings

Low-speed needle is set to rich

Clutch engages too quickly

Glow plug is too cold

Lean out low-speed mixture

Replace clutch spring/shoes

Install a hotter plug

Engine might have air leak

Low-speed needle is set to lean

Seal engine with silicone

Richen low-speed needle

High-speed needle is set to lean

Fuel flow is restricted

Piston and sleeve are worn

Richen high-speed mixture

Clean fuel filter

Replace piston and sleeve

Tuning Your Nitro Engine

Tuning the engine is the number one most important aspect of running a Nitro Powered Vehicle.
Your day will be jam packed with fun or you will get so frustrated you will want to throw your car across the parking lot.


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All nitro engines have an idle adjustment screw. This adjust the motor speed when the throttle is in the idle position. If it is set too fast, the tires will want to move. If it is set to low, the engine will cut off. The factory setting is usually right on, but if you need to adjust it, you want the throttle opening to be about 1/8" at idle speed. If you are new to nitro motors, you may easily get the impression that the motor is always running too fast. If the motor is actually running too fast, the clutch will be engaging and causing the tires to turn. You want an idle position that is as slow as you can get without the motor Nitro TC3 Idle Screw shutting off. In most cases, the factory setting is right on as you want the throttle opening in the carb to be right around 1mm. This is not likely to need adjustment.

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If your carburetor has a low-speed adjustment needle like show on the Nitro TC2 motor to the right, this needle is used to adjust the fuel mixture when the throttle is between 0 - 50%. This is the needle to be adjusting if your motor is difficult to start. Some motors are very sensitive to this setting and a difference of a 1/4 turn may be the difference between good performance and not being able to get your motor to start at all. Once you have this needle set, you should rarely, if ever, need to adjust it again. Turning the screw Nitro TC3 Low Speed Needle clockwise will lean the setting while counter clockwise will richen the fuel mix. A good method of testing the low speed adjustment is to get the motor up to operating temperature and pinch off the fuel line that goes from the fuel tank to the motor. If the motor dies abruptly in under 3 seconds, the low speed setting is too lean, if it takes 4-5 second or longer to die, then the low speed setting is too rich.

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The high speed needle adjust the air/fuel mix when the throttle is between 50% - 100%. This is the needle you will be adjusting to get the top performance out of your car. If the high speed adjustment is too rich, you will hear a chugging sound when romping on the throttle before the motor revs up and takes off. If the setting is too lean, the motor may sound like it is slowing down or hesitating before revving up.

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Some motors only have a single needle adjustment which means the low-speed and high-speed are eliminated by a single setting. While this is easier than a dual-needle setup, it is not as efficient as you often are sacrificing acceleration for top speed or vice versa. The best way to tune these is too start with as rich of a setting as you can get the motor to start under and keep leaning it out 1/8 of a turn at a time until you find the motor's sweet spot.

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The best way to tell if the motor is tuned properly is by testing the temperature of the motor. Each motor is a little different so consult the motor's owner's manual or website to find out what the optimum temperature of the motor is. This is usually between 230 - 260 degrees. There are some motors that run under that range and even some that prefer hotter temperatures, so again, check with the motor manufacturer. Without a temp gun, how can you tell if the motor is too hot or cold? One simple way is to put a drop of water o the cylinder head. If it evaporates in 5 seconds or less, the motor is too hot and needs to be richened up (counter clockwise adjustment of the high speed needle). If the water takes longer than 7 seconds to evaporate, the motor is too cool and can be leaned out After each adjustment, run the vehicle as you normally do for at least 2 minutes before adjusting it again in order for the temperature to equalize. Always make small adjustments.

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Your sitting there yanking on the pull start for an hour and getting blisters on your hands and your motor still wont start. What do you do? The best thing to do is to put your settings back to a point where the engine "should" run even if poorly. First, make sure the idle adjustment isn't set too low, make sure there is at least a 1/8" gap for air to flow through in the throttle body. If the idle adjustment is not at fault, then the low speed mixture needs to be adjusted. Start by turning the low-speed needle (or single needle adjustment screw) all the way clockwise until it stops, be sure to not tighten this screw down. Next turn the screw counter-clockwise 2 1/2 turns. Almost all motors will start within a 1/2 turn of this neutral setting. To test the low-speed setting once the motor is running, pinch the fuel line. If the motor dies within 2 seconds or less, the low speed setting is too lean. If the motor take 4 second or more to stop, the setting is too rich.

While every motor is a little different and will take a little effort to get dialed in perfectly, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, it is always better to run a motor rich than have it be too lean. If a motor is run too lean, it will run hotter and wear out the components quicker. Secondly, keep in mind that at the temperatures these engines run at, they can easily cause nasty burns. Always think safety. Remember that when you adjust a setting, the motor needs to run for at least 30 seconds for the motor temperature to adjust to the new settings before you can tell if that setting works better or worse. The single most important thing when tuning a nitro motor is patience. Take your time, learn the "personality" of your new motor and soon will have it dialed in and working perfectly.


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Gas Tuning Guide

Applies to Zenoah and most 28-32cc large scale motors

Mixture Settings:

Zenoah G230/G260/G290 RC (H) 1.1/2 turns (L) 1.1/4 turns (these are stock settings)
Modified engines usually require more fuel and have the settings at 1 on the High and 2 on the Low as a starting point, Altitude, weather, pipe and other variables can require different settings.

How To Tune a Gas engine:
These are the factory settings on the Zenoah engines. They are set according to local conditions. This is depending on the air filter, exhaust and climate conditions. Use the above settings as a starting guide line and depending on what your engine set up is, you will probably have to make some slight adjustments.

Basic
carburetor style (your carburetor may vary in style)

The standard settings are just a guide line and most carbs have to be adjusted, If you feel that your no-load(L) or your full load(H) screws are completely mis-adjusted, then carefully turn the mixture screws clockwise till they stop. Then turning them counter-clockwise to follow the settings that are listed above.

Starting a cold engine:
Always make sure the throttle is in the closed position. Now apply the choke which is on the carb on the engine or on the air filter. Press the primer pump located on the carb until the pump is full of fuel, this you will be able to see. Pull the handle until you hear the engine try and start, this usually takes 2-4 pulls. When you reach this stage, open the choke and give another couple of pulls. This should start your engine.

Starting a warm engine: 
Make sure that there is fuel in your primer cap and that the choke is open, then pull cord.

Always remember to have fun while playing with Nitro or Gas Cars