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Greetings Fellow Modelers
That nitro engine can really be a beast at times. Hope this guide will help you if problems occur with the engine.Many of us had to learn valuable lessons the hard way.Lets start off with some basic information into the mystery of the mechanical creature.
All mechanical devices go thru three stages of life.
1. Initial break In
2. Nominal wear
3. Failure
What we wish to do is prolong the second stage (nominal wear)for as long as possible,thus we will have many years of trouble free operation.Here are some keys to achieving this goal.
Engine Break In
All engines need to have loving care when they are brand new.Carpenters work to tolerances of 1/16 inch.Engines are built to tolerance of .001 of an inch ! No matter how high quality the engine.The break In period must be addressed for the engine to live in the desired period on nominal wear.
Fuel for break in must be good quality,use a quality fuel with 18% oil.Do not use high percentage nitro during engine break in.Save your money and your ENGINE! Use a fuel with 25% nitro or less.Use NEW fuel. Avoid the temptation of using up that fuel which has sat around for several months or a year.Condensation will form in stored fuel and can cause you some engine problems and aid in corrosion.Make sure the fuel is filtered in some manner BEFORE it reaches the carburetor of your engine. I know of many times people could not set the needle valve properly due to dirt being in fuel system.This will drive a person crazy until they disassemble the carb and fuel system to eliminate the debris.
Glow plugs are disposable items.Have a good supply of glow plugs for your engine. I recommend O.S.plugs for their quality and performance
When breaking in a new nitro engine,first check all the bolts on the engine for tightness. You would be surprised what I have found to be loose on a new engine.Yes,they do make some mistakes at the factory at times.You have a new engine,before starting it,go ahead and remove the bolts securing the muffler or tuned pipe and get the RED loctite out.Put a few drops of the loctite on the bolts and reattach the exhaust to the engine.Do not smear the red stuff ALL over the bolts ! No since having a gooey mess to deal with! Use BLUE loctite on all bolts whic may vibrate loose. The RED stuff is stud and bearing mount and will be hard to break loose to disassemble if you do not have HEAT on the part. See why you only use nthe RED stuff on exhaust bolts ?
Remove the glow plug from the engine and place a couple drops of Marvel Mystery Oil into the cylinder.This will really help the engine from a dry initial start and help in the longevity.I use the stuff for after run oil too. MMO has inhibitors whic will prevent corrosion of the cylinder and crankcase.A byproduct of combustion is the formation of hydrochloric acid and if you do not choose to treat the engine with an after run oil,acid will eat away at your engine.
Replace the glow plug after a few drops of oil in the cylinder and back the needle valve out three full turns.We want the engine to run as rich as possible when we break it in. When engine starts keep the RPM down.DO NOT RUN THE ENGINE AT FULL THROTTLE DURING INITIAL BREAK IN ! We need to let the parts mesh together as gentle as possible.Vary the RPM up and down during the first tank of fuel. This will prevent HOT SPOTS from developing in the engine during break in.You can leave the glow igniter attached to glow plug for first tank,this will allow for the engine to run as rich as possible during this critical period of operation.You will need to run about three tanks of fuel thru the engine before the brak in is achieved. When running the third tank of fuel,remove the glow igniter and set the needle valve at the factory recommended setting.After the third tank,you have completed the most important step in trouble free engine life.Proper Break in !
Stage Two: Nominal Wear (trouble free operation)
Always look at the exhaust trail,no matter 2 or 4 stroke engine. YOU SHOULD SEE A GOOD AMOUNT OF SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST ! No smoke ? Than the engine is running too lean and you are shortening engine life and will eventually seize the engine !When engine is running lean it is running HOT and HOT is BAD ! Running lean is operating engine while lube starving it.
Air filter:
No secret to the most destructive thing is to an engine.DIRT ! Bearing manufacturers will tell you, 50% of premature bearing failure is caused by inhalation of dirt.Air filters will capture particles 15 micron in size,keeping the crud out of your engine will really extend life.
When you are thru running engine,treat it to some MMO in the cylinder and into the carburetor.Give it a good drink and then spin it over with the glow plug out. This will prevent hydraulic lock when you go to start up the next time.Replace the glow plug into the engine.
Stage Three: Engine failure
I have the engines which I purchased new in the 1970's. They still have good compression and still purr like a kitten. The secrets to preventing wear and engine failures have been disclosed in this guide.Use them and you will be able to pass on your nitro engines to your grand children ! Treat your engine with careless disregard and be prepared to replace it WAY before nessasary.
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