Team Losi XXXNT forum v2.0

[losifreak2004]

It's not garbage at all. The smoke is just unused vapor escaping. Nothing to worry about.

Start back at square one. Return all needles back to their factory positions, and work from there. Lean out the bottom until you can get it to run, then tune the top end, running up and down your street if you have to, for no more than 5-7 seconds wide open at a time. Once you have the top where you want it, then go for some crisp throttle response down low. As long as you keep the temp in check you'll be fine!

It's a toy car! Don't let it get you frustrated!

Aaron

[StadiumJ]

I would love nothing more at this point then to drive my truck up and down the street. But I can't because when I give it gas it dies. At the factory settings it is VERY sluggish if I gently squeeze the gas. If I give it any real gas, it dies. When I lean it out, dies immediately, even if I just gently squeeze the throttle. What do think might be wrong?

I need more specific advise then "lean the low end until it runs, then tune the high end". I am frustrated because I have had nothing but problems for 6 weeks. It is to the point that I have very little patience with this machine and tend to give up easily. It's not that I don't want to get it broken-in, it's that I don't know what to do. I've followed the advice of many people, but everyone's personal system seems to break down at some point. I need to UNDERSTAND why this is happening. I need something like this:

If the engine dies when you give it gas it's BECAUSE of this or that. To check for this do this. To check for that do this. If it still doesn't work, you might want to do this. Since you're so lean on the high end, you CAN'T be too rich, it MUST be this.

Something like this would be great, thanks. I've read the "Super Engine Tuning" article written by Steve Pond about 150 times. It doesn't get specific enough. It doesn't give me enough INFORMATION to let me diagnose the problem myself.

[StadiumJ]

I'm burning daylight. Anybody home? :(

[jesse370]

Well I don't know what to tell you that hasn't allready been said. I think you also need to lean out the low end needle. If you give it gas and it bogs down you are running to fat. I don't know that carb so I can't tell you to make a whole turn or a .25 turn. But I would bet if you start leaning out the low speed the engine will start to run. And if you are spitting alot of gas out of the pipe that would be another indicator in my mind that you are to rich in the low needle. The best tuning instructions I have used were from the paris racing website..

[StadiumJ]

That does have alot of information. Frankly, I'm surprised the RTR kit didn't have any Picco instructions. I'll read it over tonight and try to apply any new knowledge tomorrow. I know it's not broken, it's just user error. Hopefully I'll learn enough to break this damn thing in!

[cabbynate]

StadiumJ

Whan you lean out your motor turn it one hour at a time. what I mean by one hour is when you look at a clock, 12:00 is where the stock setting is. One hour is one O'clock and so on.....
Little by little you will get where you need to be. Let it idle some and give it a little gas, get it warm and try more gas. If it stalls, lean it one hour on the bottom and try it again. Make sure it is warm. Leave the top at stock setting and work the bottom. It should run after a few turns(hours). After you get it to run, then you can work the top the same way to get the throttle response crisp. You cant tun if the motor is not warm though. :)

[winning edge designs]

Cabby,First off,if the engine runs fine for 15-20 seconds then "boggs out when you give it gas ",its too lean. A VERY good symptom of a lean setting is the fact that it gets worse as the engine heats up. A cold engine will run better with a lean setting due to poor fuel atomization,once the engine heats up it will be vaporizing the fuel on it's way to the combustion chamber and show the lean problem more.....Unfotunatly,none of us or any Picco techs for that matter,can diagnose your problem "exactly" without seeing it first hand. But,I would start at 3 turns out on the high end and 2 turns on the low end if it doesn't give any settings in your manuals. Even if it only gets a little better but still acts up you'll know you need to go even richer,all you need to see is an improvement to know your headed in the right direction......I believe in my last tuning post I guessed you were too lean and the setttings you said your at now are even leaner?

If it seems to idle fine and gives you trouble when you "gas it",then your trouble is mostly on the high end adjustment. If it goes good at speed,but dies when you let it idle,or idles erratically,then your problem is the low needle or idle speed,etc.........3 screws,not as complicated as it seems right now while your frustrated.

Put the truck on a stand or block,start the engine,after changing your carb setting as desribed above. then while it's still cool,give it some throttle and see how it runs. It should blubber a bit and rev to a steady medium speed if it's set rich enough. If it revs and dies,go richer,if it bogs and dies,you may need to go in a 1/4 turn and try again.....A fuel engine will tell you what it wants by the sounds. Any time you get a very good response,with a sharp Reeeeeeeeev,blah,and it dies,it's too lean. since 2 strokes like lean setting it will sound crispy right up until it dies from fuel starvation(the only reason for rich settings is to keep them running consistantly and living a while)......If the engine is too rich it will tell you,by acting like a spoiled child who your trying to get to eat spinach. It will spudder,burp and **** and try not to rev,but if it's close some blipping of the throttle will get it to rev anyhow,if it's just way too rich it will blubber and die..........Stay calm and listen to your engine,it will tell you what it wants,once your frustrated your just cranking screws and getting P'O'ed with no direction! ( this is the reason there is no warranty on these monsters!)..........:)...........Jim

[winning edge designs]

Sorry Cabby,I meant that post for stadiumJ,not you,heh!.....Jim

[OmegaTrac]

Hey.
I just got back from a day of racing. I got the TQ in the first race and second in the second race. Then when it came around to mains my truck would not respond to any radio signals. It would respond for a few seconds and then die out. So im think its the connector between the battery pack and the receiver. Its one of those little red connectors. So, I was wondering what I should do to prevent this annoying problem. BTW, im running the Limited Edition ready to race.

[PJCruz]

For what it's worth, let me offer my 2 cents to StadiumJ on his tuning problem.

I am by no means an expert, but based on his description of the problem.. here is what I would do.

Return the carb to "factory settings." I would then start the engine and let it idle for a tiny while. If you have trouble starting it use the idle up or S-POS feature on your radio (or even use the throttle trim) to raise the idle a little bit to keep the idle going.

Once you have the idle going, you can start on the needles. You don't have to have the truck idling for ever. It should be really rich and should die or come close every say 10-20 seconds unless you GENTLY blip the throttle. NO FULL THROTTLE, just enough to clear the carb. If it stalls when you blip it, up the throttle trim another notch or two.

Ok, now you need to set the high end needle. For this you need to "blip" the throttle and then SLOWLY give the truck some throttle.. eventually working up to FULL throttle. This will take a while.. and it would help to have a ton of room too =) ANyways, listen to the motor at "full throttle" and you can hear the engine holding back and it will be slow. That's your key. Now bring er in, and lean out the needle about 1 hour (like someone mentioned above). Drive around for a minute or so.. then repeat the high speed test again. Repeat this process until full throttle has still plenty of smoke, AND the engine sounds "clear." It should rev pretty good, run pretty fast, and STILL give off smoke. Check the temp with a temp gun.. and you should be at a reasonable temp (*say 200 or so).

Once you have the high end needle set, now go to the low end needle. This one is easy and there are MANY ways to set it. Basically.. the easiest is this. performance. Bring the engine in, let it idle for about 10-20 seconds.. then give it full throttle. It SHOULD STALL. Due to a rich low end. Ok, lean out the low end say 2 hours or so, repeat the test until the truck LAUNCHES when you want it too. Now, once you get close to the ideal low end, your IDLE speed will begin speeding up on you. Use the radio to trim it back for now.. you can adjust the idle speed screw and linkage later once the needles are set.

Now, run it around for a few minutes and take the temp. On a picco you should be running about 200-240. Adam Drake has this running at major races about 200-215 so you should be close to that.

Good luck dude.
Pete

[Nutter]

Omega: Firstly.. are the reciever & transmitter batteries full, as in you've tried replacing them with new ones? Sometimes the reciever batteries will come lose in the holder, and taking them out & putting them back in works.. another good reason to use a reciever pack. :) If that still doesn't work, you could try connecting the reciever battery pack directly to the reciever, avoiding the switch, that way you'll know if the switch is the problem.


-Nutter

[losifreak2004]

PJ - There's a reason he's at 200-215, and it's not what you think....

Jim - *bows down to the tuning god* LOL I hate tuning on the net!

If there is a part of the wire that you soldered together, that'd be a place to check. If you push here on this wire and it works, but if you take pressure off of it, then it's the joint (don't do this unless you have each wire heat shrunk seperately, you don't want two bare wires touching each other!)

You can try without the switch just to test, but I'm not really a fan of plugging/unplugging your receiver pack to turn the car on/off. If you have a different set of crystals/spare receiver/receiver pack try those one at a time. If only steering or throttle is compromised, try swapping out a servo.

If none of those fix it, it is very possible it is the connection between the battery and the transmitter. Your LHS will probably let you try a new transmitter on a slow day to see if that helps.

Keep us posted!

[cabbynate]

Losifreak2004
The Silver State track is comming along good. Not any real big jumps yet. A lot of open flat track. It looks fast. So fare. (Subject to change with out warning). :)

[lositeamdriver]

nate so you are saying there is no big jumps what about that one ..hint hint...by the wall? its big for 1\10 scale but it will be more of a fast track and high speeds!!

[losifreak2004]

I heard we're going to be spending a lot of time in the air.....

And whatever time was left on the ground would be moving very quickly....

Aaron

[lositeamdriver]

well thats true there are some jumps where are big air there is like 5 or 6 jumps where you get air but the strights are big so there will be alot of speed in the track

[OmegaTrac]

Hey,
The battery pack has been replaced three timees before. THe first time it burnt up, the second time it was just time to replace and this is now the third time we've had trouble. Its not the receiver because it works fine. It has to be the connector. Are there any other types of plugs that can be used instead of the little red connectors?


Also, my truck is totally stock and I have 25 bucks. What is a good hopup I can get for this ammount.

[cabbynate]

OmegaTrac

Change over to Deans ultra plugs.

Lositeamdriver

Yea, The jump by the wall is pretty big but makeable. It's a cool layout.

[OmegaTrac]

where can I get deans ulta plugs?

[INFERN06]

Hey what are your thoughts on the Trinity CRE rear hub conversion?I just put it on after busting a stock one for the second time and have not had time to try it out.I don't much like how it does not come with an inner spacer between the bearings inside the hub,but I do like how it makes the rear end a bit wider.
Your thoughts?

[losifreak2004]

Omega - Check your LHS or any online store....Unless the red ones you are referring to are the ones that plug into your reciever. Those have to be stock. Try changing the plug, the connection there might be bad.

Inferno - It works OK on electric cars, I don't think I'd run it on a gas truck.

Anyone got pictures of the layout?

Aaron

[StadiumJ]

Today I started over at 3 turns on top and 2 turns on the low. I made the adjustment with the servo off and the throttle open. I think this may have been my problem with my previous attempts: adjusting the low end while the throttle was closed. My low end was nowhere near where I thought it was (It was much richer). I would stop screwing because I didn't want to strip it out. So, the end result was that I was way to rich on the low end and way too lean on the high end. With that out of the way, on to today's dilemma. :)

The car is now at 3.25 out on top and a little under 2 on the bottom. Here is how it acts. When it idles it tends to race. It constantly gains temperature. When I first drive it bogs. When I open it up it strains to go and doesn't get near full RPM. After a couple minutes it is responding very well. It actually sounds like I think it should. But when I check the temp after a pass, it goes from 220 to 240 sitting still. I think this means that my low end is too lean. I will try to richen it and see what happens. If anyone reads this soon, am I on the right track? I'm so close I can smell it!

[OmegaTrac]

losifreak.
What are you referring to? The power cord the goes from the receiver to the battery pack and it has a plug in between the two? I was only going to replace the connector between the battery pack and the reciever.

[losifreak2004]

I'm referring to the Z connector that plugs into the reciever. However, it sounds like you guys are talking about a plug inbetween the receiver and battery back; in that case, another Z connector set or Deans Ultra plugs would be the best bet.

[losifreak2004]

StadiumJ - Now we're getting somewhere! It sounds like the bottom is a little too lean and the top end might be an hour or two too fat.

Keep up the progress!

Aaron

[winning edge designs]

Stadium,as aaron my RCZone teammate said,it sounds like your getting close,but a little rich up top and a little lean on the low end. As a reminder,if you'll be running at WOT(WFO for some,:)...) for long,try and leave the top end set slightly rich,so the engine doesn't rev like crazy during high speed runs and grenade itself........Wouldn't it stink to have to do this all over again?


Good point on the Picco carb adjustments,all the low end settings require a slightly open carb position(off idle screw,,manually).....Also a small peice of fuel tubing or a spring from an O.S. carb on the idle speed screw wouldn't hurt either.......ttyl,Jim

[winning edge designs]

side note,after the Snowbirds and the winterchamps,i'm all electric'd out.....Time for some GAS,missin' that whaaa,whaa,waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa sound!.......Racing our state series race in Bartow florida next weekend,Gas truck and 1/8th scale!.....Cya,Jim

[StadiumJ]

Ok, so I'm glad you guys agree. But when I richen the low end by one hour, it will not start. It just turns over and floods. It seems to me that my engine is very erratic. It's either way too rich (boggs down, barely moves, dies quickly), or screaming idle (not moving, but steadily climbing in temp until it hits 270 or 280, then I panic and shut it off. If I richen the low end it won't start. If I lower the idle, it won't start. If I richen the top end, it's bogg time again.

Examine this scenario, if you will. The engine is idling, sounds good, but the temp is at 245 and climbing. If you then richened the high end 2, 3, or even 4 full turns, shouldn't it die from getting too much gas? Mine doesn't. I turned and turned, but the temp got all the way to 288 before I shut it off. Is it possible that the "gritty" bearings that I felt during rebuilding but the LHS guys dismissed is actually a problem. Would this explain why if I do get it going good it's running too hot, because of unnatural friction within the engine? Like I said, there doesn't seem to be a happy medium. It's either way too hot or way too cold. I feel like I'm going in circles.

[OmegaTrac]

Thanks for the help. I will get a set of deans ultra plugs.


Now onto my other dilema (sp?). I have 25 bucks right now so what is the best hopup i can get for this ammount? I am running the Picco as well.

[winning edge designs]

Stadium,the high end needle only has a small effect on the low end. Oddly enough,it usually only has ANY effect when you go leaner up top,it will sometimes cause the low end to go slightly leaner. But,either way the change isn't very significant,since the high end needle is larger,or less of a restriction to fuel flow. Since it already flows, say for example,6 or 8 times as much fuel as the low end it won't have too large an effect on the orifice that is much smaller and below it's potential flue flow already.........Here's a better example,drill a 1/4 inch hole in a bucket,then begin to fill it with water from the garden hose at home. Since the garden hose is an inch in diameter(lets say) it won't have much if any effect on how fast the bucket drains,if you go to a 3/4 inch hose,or a 1 and 1/4 inch hose,right?...Primitive method,but it worked for me in Automotive classes 20 years ago,LOL!

Omega track,i'd go with titanium Losi ballstuds on the inner camber links,or turnbuckles if you haven't gotten any yet..............Jim

[losifreak2004]

StadiumJ - *bows down at your patience level* Is it safe to assume you've been keeping your glow plugs in check? When in doubt, a new one can't hurt. And try using a hotter plug, which normally seems to work better in .12 engines. A McCoy MC59 should do just fine.

Jim - RCzone teammate......niiiiiice LOL. And if I'd told you once, I've told you a million times....Batteries are for flashlights!


The Silver State track! http://kazz.homestead.com/files/Web_art/track.jpg



Aaron

[winning edge designs]

Hey,where'd they get all that H2O?............looks like they wet it down pretty good,hopefully there won't be a sandstorm this year,LOL!........Jim

[OmegaTrac]

nice track. Where is it located?

[losifreak2004]

Las Vegas NV, site of next weekend's 2002 Silver State Nitro Challenge.

It must have rained....LOL

Weather forecast= Highs in the 60's, lows in the 30s, clear skies, and WIND

[lositeamdriver]

well all i got to say is it didnt rain but we have a water tanks and a fire hose so we water it down good and the track is sweet but there is some little ..rocky mountins you cant see and a little single ...

[cabbynate]

Bubba, I was just goinna to say that.

[StadiumJ]

Right now, the engine runs sluggishly. It doesn't respond very crisply and will bog down at WOT. This seems to be a rich condition, but my engine is at 230! If I lean it out any, it starts idling wildly and starts hitting temps in the 280's. If I either reduce the idle OR richen the low end, it will not start. It will turn over, flood, but NOT start.

I would like to clarify a few things if I may.

When the engine is idling, if I don't give it any gas, is it supposed to die after 20 to 30 seconds? Mine will seemingly idle forever. This sounds like a lean engine to you? If I richen the low end anything past 2 turns out then it will not start. It turns over, again & again and will flood, but not start.

Should the wheels move when idling and under no load? When idling on the starter box the wheels spin, but the car doesn't move if I put it on the ground. I was told by the LHS guys that a good idle is if the tires "want" to move while the truck is on the ground, but they won't.

Let me take the time to say thank you to all of you. I know my constant problems are annoying (to me as well, believe me). I will continue to go in circles until either I tune it by accident or the thing blows up. I have just spent an entire weekend trying to tune this thing and cannot do it. It will not be tuned. My engine refuses to act like all the articles and advice I've read say it should act. There is something besides the obvious going on here. I am so frustrated. I've managed to burn three tanks in an entire weekend and am no farther then when I started. I am getting tired of this ####.

Let's say I start over, again. Step one. Set the high end to 3 turns out. Set the low end to 2 turns out. I have no idea where to set the idle. It will not start. It turns over but won't start. What should I do next?

[StadiumJ]

Yeah I put in a new glow plug today thinking (hoping, praying) that would be the magical fix. I've been using MC 59's. The glow plug had no effect. Same thing, over and over. Bogg or blow. No in between.

[Racin Rev]

Stadium J what radio are you running? Does it have an idle step up for starting?
When you are having the temp going up on you are you sitting on the stand or are you running on the ground?

[StadiumJ]

JR XR3. It has a button to raise/lower the throttle. When it's going heat crazy it is idling on the ground. If I lower the throttle while it's running, it seems to have no effect. If I kill the engine and lower the throttle, it won't start back up again. If I do anything to the damn low end it won't start. It seems to want to be at 2 turns out. Any more or less and it won't start.

[StadiumJ]

Since the high and low end settings seem to be agreed upon, I'm thinking my problem is with the idle screw. It would help me to judge the idling speed if you guys can answer these:

1. Should the engine die after 20 to 30 seconds while idling if no throttle is given?

2. Should the wheels spin while idling with no load (off the ground)?

3. How difficult should it be to start the engine? Should it turn over for 20 to 40 seconds before starting or should it fire as soon as you touch the wheel? These are the two conditions I have experienced. There is another condition in which it turns over, does not start, and hydrocks very easily.

4. Does anyone with a Picco .12 engine/OS carb combo know how many turns out their idle screw is?

5. If the engine turns over but doesn't start at 3-high and 2-low, should I raise the idle until it starts or lean the low end until it starts?

Thanks guys.

[losifreak2004]

Turn the idle up and get the thing to stay running. I don't care if the thing is half throttle, you can't have an engine that idles at 280 LOL. Get the botton end richened up once the idle is a little higher, then start turning down the idle until the car doesn't move, or barely lurches forward. At this point in time it sounds like you'd be OK with a compromise LOL, so do whatever you can.

Yes, it should load up and die after idling for much longer than 30 seconds. If it doesn't, the bottom end is too lean.

If the thing cranks over and over and over without starting, hold the throttle wide open, or it will load up and not start.

Your problems are not causing agony, although some headaches from thinking what the heck is wrong here.....:p Actually, right now I am laughing at some of it, which is kind of a nice break. We WILL get this thing running right, or die trying. (And that's a lot of years of trying, I'm only 15, so I have 85 left LOL).

A too lean engine will bog down at WOT (or WFO :D) if it is too lean because it won't be getting enough fuel. It won't be a bubbling bog, but it will sound literally like it is starving.

Hopefully this helps. Again, that's why we're here, to keep you guys having fun!

Aaron

[lositeamdriver]

ok StadiumJ

not to be rude or anything i think you schould send it to igozoom that offered to tune it for you and send it back to you or go and buy a o.s. motor a cvr or the cv they are both good motors i had a picco and it gave me hell for a long time till i sold it and got my o.s. picco are for people who have been racing for a while and know what they are doing no offense but its up to you ..

[iondsky]

This is on the main page, too. I made a mistake in posting.

Hey y'all
This is my first post to this forum, but I have read a lot of the posts, and I must say that this is a valuable resource.

Ok, to my question:
I bought the Limited Edition XXXNT RTR, and I found that with the stock setup I was nosing-over rather dramatically on the jumps. I have to really stay in the throttle to keep a level attitude.

So, from posts I saw here, I changed to Drake's setup, but that seemed to exacerbate the problem. So now I am running red springs front and rear, 56 pistons front and rear, and 30wt losi oil in front with 40wt losi oil in rear.

Now my problem is (lol) that my rear end wants to kick out on me on jumps. It seems to fly much more level with minimal throttle input in the air, but the kicking out or dropping of one corner (not sure which is truly is) is a killer on landings, hehe It gets so bad that if I rev it in the air, the truck will literally turn up sideways. I have to hit the jump dead on with absolutely no steering input to get a decent jump. From appearance, it seems to be one of the rear wheels that is dipping.

Maybe I need tips on jumping, hehe. If that's the case, feel free to enlighten me

I changed from stock turnbuckles to titanium during this time, and I believe I have the camber set equally on both sides, but I have no way to measure other than eyeball. Could a difference in rear camber cause this problem? Or difference in preload? I'm not experienced enough to know how close each side has to be to the other to keep things from acting up.

Any help here would be appreciated, even just general tips on how springs, oil, pistons, etc. affect jump handling.

I'm sure this post is not complete and leaves you experts with questions, so please respond and I'll answer all that I can to help us work out this issue.

Thanks a lot, y'all!

[purplerides]

ionsky - there are a couple things to look at real quick , make sure preload on the springs is the same , make sure that the bottom of the shocks are mounted in the same hole on arm ie.inside,middle etc., make sure that when fully extended that the shocks are the same length if there a little off you can sdjust each by unscrewing or screwing the shock end more so both left and right are equal. make sure that when shocks and tires are removed from truck that the A-arms move freely through there travel and are not binding , to help eyeball camber use a can or book or anything that sits square to a flat surface , put it against the tire and view the gap between that object and the tire and do the same on the other side and adjust so both gaps are equal , pick up drop the truck about 6-8 inches then check , if you make and adjustment drop truck again then check etc.


stadium - ok for the O.S. carb. your low end needle is usually flush with the housing and when you look down the carb. throat there's barely a gap between the low end needle and the spraybar the gap is maybe as thick as a thin piece of paper or less (unlike the picco carb. that has a larger gap.), put the high end needle at 2 turns , after tuning you'll probably end around 1 3/4 - 1 7/8 turns out on the high end. set the idle screw so that when the throttle is fully closed the barrell is opened around a match thickness maybe a little more /less , go more then adjust down as required , the wheels will usually turn some when off the ground the main thing is it shouldn't go anywhere when on the ground.

oh yea a put a mccoy mc59 glow plug in it , so know that's not going to be a factor if you have problems , i've tried others and the picco motor doesn't like some of them but i know it likes the mc-59.

[INFERN06]

Staduim I hope you are not making adjustments in full turns on the bottom end.It only takes minor increments to get to the right settings.Just like the clock setting it by hour is fine but may not be close enough.If you try setting it for every 5 min- 10 min then you will be way better off than before.With a slide carb things are much simpler to adjust as you usually start the top end at 3.5 turns out and 3 on the bottom.Tune the top first to get it to the ball park area of where it should run then bring it in and make small adjustments to the bottom blipping the throttle every now and then to check the response.While doing this check the tempYou may find the right tune at 2.8 turns out.

[purplerides]

yea and as inferno said the low end needle especially very fine adjustments not 1/4 turns or 1/2 turns , as some posted above like an hour or even sometimes a 1/2 hour when you get it close , which equals 1/12th of a turn.

[rc10tc3drivr]

how do you guys set ur brake because on mine i either have no brake or so much brake that the brake is always on i cant find the happy meduim

[StadiumJ]

Yes, all the adjustments I make are an hour or less.

Purple, regarding the idle, do you mean a match stick like this: ] or like this: ---

My truck will idle forever with no throttle input. This means that the low end is too lean, right? But my low end is 2 turns out and about flush. AND the throttle response is delayed. Shouldn't the throttle response be "snappy" when the low end is lean? I have tried to richen the low end before, but it wouldn't start afterwards. I will try Inferno's method of opening the throttle while turning it over when it won't start again.

Let me ask this. Could it be possible that all of my problems revolve around a too lean low end? Could a truck with a ballpark high end and a too lean low end exhibit the following symptoms?

Idles forever.

Idles erratically (gaining and losing rpm).

Sluggish throttle: Response to throttle input is slow at all throttle levels.

Hot idle: Temp goes up while idling.

Engine rpms go up until throttle is fully opened, then engine dies or nearly dies.

When you pinch the fuel line, the rpms go way up and the engine dies in about 5 seconds.

Let me guess, some of the symptoms suggest too lean, and some of the symptoms suggest too rich, right? Lucky my, I get all of them. Thanks

[StadiumJ]

rc10tc3drivr, my radio (JR XR3) has an adjusment for that. I can set the amount of space that I want the servo to travel in either direction. I believe it's referred to as End Point Adjustment.

[rc10tc3drivr]

i have the xr2 so it prob has same thing

[rc10tc3drivr]

i have a slide carb motor and is the screw thats on the end os the slide or what ever you call it is that the low end

[purplerides]

stadium - the barrel should be about 98% closed at idle , if at idle the rpm's just keep climbing your either lean on settings or you have a air leak. on this page there's a picture of about how far it should be open actually it looks a little to far open to me http://www.rccaraction.com/articles/ht_fixflameout.asp

[StadiumJ]

Thanks, Purple. I'll try to set the idle first tonight and see what happens. One question, if you will. Let's say that I have the idle set to 98% closed, the high end at 3 out and the low end at 2 out, but the engine just turns over instead of starting. What's the first thing I should do? My first thought is to lean the low end until it will start. What do you think? Thanks.


rc10tc3drivr, follow Purplerides' link from above. About 2/3 of the way down the first page is a picture of a carb. The screw on the left is the high end needle, the one in the middle (with the red arrow pointing to it) is the idle screw, and the one on the right is the low end.

[losifreak2004]

If you are cranking the thing over and over and over and it won't start, hold the throttle WOT, and it should fire. Once it is started, turn up the idle high enough so you can richen the bottom without it dying. The low-end screw should have "clicks", and you should go one at a time....then you'll be OK.

Idle settings vary from people's preferences. I like mine a little high so I can pit without blipping the throttle. As long as your car stays still or even lurches forward you're OK.


purple - Good stuff!


Aaron

[purplerides]

forget 2 turns out on the low end i want you to look in the carb. with the barrel wide open and adjust the low end needle so the distance between the end of the needle and the end of the spray bar is about the thickness of a 2 sheets of paper , cut a thin strip of paper (thin enough to fit down there) cut a strip long enough so you can fold it in half ( put the 2 ends together) and still reach it down in there , and adjust the low end needle so that when you have the paper in there , the paper still slides in and out but touching both the needle and spray bar , it should slide but you should be able to feel resistance of the paper. and set the high end needle at 2 turns out.

[drdirt]

Hi guys; You are all so busy trying to help stadium j, I' m hesitant to ask a silly question. Does any one know where I can get a blow up of a picco carb. I don't know what the model no (if any), but it's the one that comes with the xxxnt special edition. I got it broke in without too much trouble, but now after about halve a tank of fuel running it pretty hard I have fuel being sprayed back onto the diff. I would rather pull the carb apart myself, but the diagram would help a lot. I have a lot to learn with this STUPID HOBBY......LOL Thanks as always, Jim

[PJCruz]

Well, if you all recall I had a flywheel that was locking up and not turning. Most of you seemed to think it was strictly a starter box issue. Also, I did manage to accidently dump spooge from the pipe when I was tilting the truck on it's side... a ton seemed to come out.

I did some "minor surgery" on the box by solder the connections to the battery and power panel. I also soldered up a glow warmer for the box. I charged it over the weekend and this afternoon I got the picco started again. It took a bit since I removed the alignment posts but once I found the spot.. she cranked a few seconds and roared to life.

Anyways, I got her started and ran about 1/4 tank........ and put er away. Did the piston BDC and after run.... the weather looks to be great for Thursday (my day off). Who's gonna rock =)

Pete

PS Hang in there StadiumJ

[losifreak2004]

No such thing as a silly question, only silly people :p

And it's not a stupid hobby! Just leads to frustration when a 13" long piece of metal and plastic makes you feel dumb LOL

I looked a bunch of different places, but only found pictures of the slide carb, and that's not gonna be much help.

Your LHS should be quite a bit of help, providing the owner hired people that SHOULD be working there LOL. Otherwise, just remember how things came apart. There's not a whole lot of parts in them, so it shouldn't be hard to put back together.

[StadiumJ]

Just take your time and account for where each piece came from. When your tightening anything on the carb and you think you're tight enough---you are! I broke my carb by overtightening the main needle assembly. Chances are that your not spraying fuel out of the carb anyways. The first thing I'd check is the screws on your header (heat sink). They tend to vibrate loose and some spray can come from out of the side of the engine. A friend of mine even lost a screw during a run!

Evil Picco update.
Ok, when I got home I checked the idle. It was already 98% closed. So, knowing that I was close to tuned yesterday, I started it up and ran around. It bogs down, alot. I hit the gas and the truck doesn't even move until I hit 1/3rd throttle. The damn thing dies when idling or if I give it any gas. So, I leaned out the low end a little until it would start, idle, and accept blips without dying. I bogged around for a few minutes, checking the temp: 170, 180. Ok, so as I got to the end of the tank there were alot of bubbles in the fuel line. The truck seemed to perform better and better. "Ok", I said to myself as I checked the temp, "here's where it goes crazy and hits 280". But instead the temp was................230!!!!!. So, I know I need to lean the top end. But when I do this, the idle is going to start racing. Should I lower the idle or richen the low end when this happens? I'm slowly getting there. Thanks again.

[winning edge designs]

Stadium,always use the idle "speed screw" to adjust the idle speed,never the fuel mix screw. If you use the fuel mix screw it will make the idle change during running,such as revving initially when letting off the throttle,until it slows down on fuel flooding,etc......If the low end is close,a pinch of the fuel line at the carb inlet will result in a change in engine Rpm after only a second or two....Jim

[purplerides]

stadium - i don't know , it sounds to me as if the bottom is lean and the top is rich , set the dang thing up as i posted above and start with the top end.


dr.dirt - sorry i can't help with carb. blow up , but more then likely the fuel is either coming out of a loose exhaust manifold/gasket or also check that the fuel line don't have a pinhole in it especially where the it slides over the bango fitting , clean the truck up good then run again and keep checking to see where the fuel is coming from i'd hate to see ya take the carb. apart and not solve the problem , before you take it all apart now is the time to diagnose where it's coming from while it's together if you can.

[losifreak2004]

I just thought of that, if fuel is on your tranny, then fuel has to be exiting towards the back, and that's either tubing around the inlet or around the exhaust area.

What side of the tranny is getting splashed?

Aaron

[rc10tc3drivr]

is there supposed to be a gasket between the head and the block

[losifreak2004]

(Answer courtesy of winning edge designs through AIM)

Yes, there is a thin metal shim between the button and the block, and it usually sticks to the bottom of the button.

Aaron

[StadiumJ]

rc10tc3drivr, if you're talking about what I call the heat sink (feel free to correct me guys), there is a shim (it's actually 2 stuck together on my Picco) as the guys said. If you're talking about the exhaust header, the order on mine is engine block, metal piece (shim?), gasket, exhaust header. For some reason there is no gasket between the block and the metal piece. I sealed that part on mine with some Permatex high temp gasket maker. Once it was sealed, it actually let me take the exhaust off a couple of times before the metal piece became unstuck again.

Purple, I will do it exactly as you said when I get home from work tomorrow. 2 paper thickness, got it. Thanks.

[lositeamdriver]

see everyone whos coming to vegas and have a safe trip down.. silver state 2002 is on like donkey kong...yahooooooo

[rc10tc3drivr]

i took my xxx-nt down to the practice day for the touring cars put some on road tires and started driving with them and i noticed coming out of the turns the right front tire came off the ground i have the ride hight at arms and bones level any ideas why it did that

also when the motor bogs down at wot do i need to richen or lean it

[andy51289]

rc10tc3driver: To answer your first question, your truck is lifting off the ground because its and off road truck! Unless you are breaking in your motor, don't drive it on the pavement! It flips over way too easily.

To answer your second question, you need to lean your top end needle (the big one)

[rc10tc3drivr]

andy where do u live in charlotte ( if you dont mind me asking) ive got family in mint hill

[NItro-Smoke]

Is the engine bogging as it goes up to wide-open or does it bog and slow down once its toppng out?? if its doing the latter then you will have to richen it up a little because its not getting enough fuel when its wide -open!!:eek:

[StadiumJ]

Raced home today just in time for it to start raining :mad: I have Thursday off, so this damn storm better pass by then or I may go insane :rolleyes:

On a side note, I picked up a set of street tires for my truck. Will they really flip that easily? I live in a cul de sac so I have some open space here. I'd like to think I can just slap my street tires on an take it for a spin. Plus, there is no local track, yet. A friend of mine drives his on the street all the time. In fact, his tires (off road) are almost bald. He hasn't complained about flipping too much. Are there any other negative side effects of driving on the street? Thanks.

[winning edge designs]

rc10tc3,the truck is lifting the inside front due to a soft suspension in the rear. If you'll do alot of asphalt driving with the truck,make the shocks and springs stiffer. I'd try blue springs all around,with 45 wt oil and 56 pistons to start out. You can also get really slick and add spacers inside the shocks to remove alot of the un-needed suspension travel.

As nitro posted,the bogging could be either,you'll need to look at what the engine is doing otherwise. For example,how hot is it after it starts bogging down. Also does it do it right away when the engine isn't too hot,or does it change when it heats up. For example,if it runs good cold,then starts to bog as it heats up,it's too lean...If it bogs cold and hot,but seems to get better as it heats up,it's too rich.

Stadiumj,I haven't had trouble with flipping while running my truck on the street(two boys,7 and 10,:)...),i do however use the teamlosi onroad truck tires,A-7690S,they are lower profile so that likely helps.........Plus I lower the ride hieght ALOT for street use....Jim

[rc10tc3drivr]

i lean it out a little much better

the only time my truck flipped is when i got of control with the throttle

[rc10tc3drivr]

i lean it out a little much better

the only time my truck flipped is when i got of control with the throttle

which setup is best for a packed and tight track

[igozoom]

I run my truck on the street every once in a while. I use use a worn out set of dirt tires. My truck will wheelie any time I jump on the throttle. I always let off prior to looping it out. (I love it. Must have been all those drag races my dad took me to at the old Orange County International Raceway! Jim, does the name Pisano Matsubara (sp?) ring a bell?)

Hey, where did all of those scratches on my battery box come from ? lol

StadiumJ, almost there. Do not let the Evil Picco have it's way with you.

Tarvey, R U still coming to Jax? Need to help me set up my flippin suspension. I can't get it right. While you are here you can teach me to drive. hehehe

Tech Tip - Never check motor temp with your tongue. :p

[tarvymoto]

I'l be driving down to J-ville in less than 2 weeks. I think we leave on the 20th(Wed) so with any luck I'll have a few practice sessions and get to race on Sunday. I'll only be in town for a week , but I'll be back down April 10th-18th(I'll be at the Losi race in Clearwater babeeeeyyy).
Anyway we should hook up one day for a practice/tuning session before the Sunday club race. Maybe Thurs , Fri , or Sat?

My brother finally got his GT running again so he will probable be around the track some. His name is Austin if you've ever met him? He is somewhat of a newbie and ask alot of questions. I've gotta help him get tuned up as well.

Travis

[dkj-M3]

Originally posted by iondsky
This is on the main page, too. I made a mistake in posting.

Hey y'all
This is my first post to this forum, but I have read a lot of the posts, and I must say that this is a valuable resource.

Ok, to my question:
I bought the Limited Edition XXXNT RTR, and I found that with the stock setup I was nosing-over rather dramatically on the jumps. I have to really stay in the throttle to keep a level attitude.

So, from posts I saw here, I changed to Drake's setup, but that seemed to exacerbate the problem. So now I am running red springs front and rear, 56 pistons front and rear, and 30wt losi oil in front with 40wt losi oil in rear.

Now my problem is (lol) that my rear end wants to kick out on me on jumps. It seems to fly much more level with minimal throttle input in the air, but the kicking out or dropping of one corner (not sure which is truly is) is a killer on landings, hehe It gets so bad that if I rev it in the air, the truck will literally turn up sideways. I have to hit the jump dead on with absolutely no steering input to get a decent jump. From appearance, it seems to be one of the rear wheels that is dipping.

Maybe I need tips on jumping, hehe. If that's the case, feel free to enlighten me

I changed from stock turnbuckles to titanium during this time, and I believe I have the camber set equally on both sides, but I have no way to measure other than eyeball. Could a difference in rear camber cause this problem? Or difference in preload? I'm not experienced enough to know how close each side has to be to the other to keep things from acting up.

Any help here would be appreciated, even just general tips on how springs, oil, pistons, etc. affect jump handling.

I'm sure this post is not complete and leaves you experts with questions, so please respond and I'll answer all that I can to help us work out this issue.

Thanks a lot, y'all!

It could be something else but i had a slightly bent front axle. every jump i went over i never landed squarely, until i replaced it:confused:

[drdirt]

Thanks again guys, (wish there were some women in this sport:D ) I'll check the head bolts. It seems to be in the front of the diff. Any body have the limited edition? What kind of loctite do they use on the engine mount bolts? I couldn't budge it, and TLH couldn't get them loose with a torch. Dang. I'll let you know what happens after saturday. The Pennjerseynitro boys will be racing near Allentown, Pa. this weekend. Gotta love spring time!! BTW an excellent tech tip on the TONGUE..........fell over on that one! see y'all, Jim

[drdirt]

dude, I owe you a rub on the belly for the tip. The frickin head bolts were loose. three of em anyway. I'd a pulled that all apart if it wasn't for your tip. If you weren't on the wrong coast I'd buy you a cold one .....Thanks again, Jim:p

[igozoom]

dkj- while I am one of the least experienced people on this board, I can try and help you avoid some pain regarding suspension.

I have tested the majority of set ups out there and, while, close, still have not found damping/rebound mecca. There is no secret set up good everywhere for all experience levels, driving styles. As an example:

Started stock reds, 30wt, 55's front, 56's rears .12 limiter on the fronts. Nose dived horribly just like you.

Went to Adam Drake's set up with (oranges in the back and 40 wt). Suspension was so stiff that the rear wheels spent half the time off of the ground. Had to panic rev over the triple to drop rear end.

Left the front alone and went to Pinks in rear with 56's, and 40 wt as many of the fast drivers are running this set up at the track. Experienced some horrific understeer. Also looped out my truck over triple. Cost me a battery box. The wheelie's in the street probably didn't help either !

Without walking you through the other's I have tried, here is where I'm at. Frankenstein set up......Orange fronts, 56's, 27.5 or 30 wt. Pinks in the rear running same pistions and 30 wt. .12 limiters all around. I can't explain why it works for me, but it does. Now have to chop throttle after leaving jump face of triple to drop front end. Rear end stays hooked up everywhere. I have no understeer problem, go figure !(20 of the fast guys on this board are thinking that I need to step away from the crack pipe.)

Try to find someone at your track with a similar driving style. Try different combinations until you find something that causes truck to settle in handling and inspire you to stay on the throttle more aggresively. Trade rides with others to see how their truck handles, feels, jumps etc.

Bottom line. Start someplace....stock, Drake..... and pay attention to how the truck feels. Ask one of the fast guys at your track to drive it. Record your changes so you can always go back.

Hope my endless diatribe helps. Jim, Losi, Purple, Tarvey, Cabby neone.....feel free to comment, correct, or just plain tell me to GTH.


Tech Tip - Never drink 20% on a hot summer day. It'll give you gas.

[cabbynate]

Igozoom

The set up I am running at the Silver State race is close to what you are running. Only I am running reds in the rear. As the track gets ruffer I will most likely go to pinks. Your set up sounds great to me! Are you running the 1dg Losi hubs? I'm like-in them.:)

[iondsky]

Hi y'all :)

Well, it seems I agree with y'all on setup. I have finally settled on 40wt with red springs in rear and 30wt with orange springs up front. 56 pistons front and rear on mine, only because that is something I haven't messed with yet, hehe. I doubt I will though. The truck is handling very well for me on my local track.

Last night I experimented with reds in front again, but I found I had too little steering with them. So I changed back to the orange and it just seems to fit my driving style.

I took my truck down to a friend's machine shop and used a surface plate (a very flat surface) and used some squares and calipers to get my camber and toe in correct. That seemed to solve my kickout problem that I posted about a couple of days ago.

Thanks for all your help guys :) I'll hang around and see if I can offer any advice for anyone, and I'm sure I'll have more problems I'll need help with soon! Thanks.

Thom

[igozoom]

Cabby, I run the Losi one deg.'s on one truck and the trinity 2 deg.'s on the nt rtr. When the track is rough (when isn't it rough?) the 2 degree hubs make the rear end do the Cha Cha Cha when braking hard prior to a turn. (Jim, why didn't I listen to ya ?lol)

The one deg.s are awesome. I already purchased a second set for the rtr. We are getting a fresh load of clay for the track this weekend. IT IS ON !

Can you or anyone help me? Just bought a brand new jr 4750 servo to use as throttle servo. The thing is chattering like my knees in church. I have checked brake and throttle connection to ensure that there is no binding....and still it chatters. Anybody got any ideas? This is an expensive servo. Transient time is smokin. Hate to take the hack saw to it to show it who's boss!

Next.... the nt rtr le uses an exhaust manifold designed for pull or bump start motors. I hate it as my pipe sits too high. Would like to move to a Dynamite e.m. as pipe rides low along frame. Setting aside length, and space between e.m. and pipe, does the e.m. play a huge role in the power output of Picco?

Finally, does 55 piston and 35 wt = 56 piston and 32.5 wt, or, 56 piston and 30 wt ?

Cabby - Hope you tear it up at the Silver State. One day I will learn to drive well enough to be a force during a race and not an obsticle.lol

Thought of the day - I love cats. They taste like chicken!

[cabbynate]

Igozoom

Is that a Digital servo? If it is they buzz all the time. That i the servo centering. I use the M.I.P Header. It is most likely the best side exhaust header out there.
As far as the pistons and oil go, I can't tell ya. Maybe W.E.D (Jim) can.
I'm gonna need all the luck I can get at the Silver State Race.
Lots of big names in the R/C world are here. We will see.......
Nate

[StadiumJ]

Dr. Dirt, right on! I'm glad I could help. I've taken the Evil Picco 7 week training course ;)


Evil Picco Update............Perfection

My friend and I took the hour drive up to Sacramento yesterday. We met another friend of ours (also a XXXNT owner) and went to a track. This place is in a industrial area so there was a huge empty parking lot in front. I spent about a 1/2 hour on the pavement and had it tuned. I then spent the next 5 hours ripping up the track. These things are sick! It wasn't the best track ever, there were sharp & loose turns into and out of the double which prevented any of us from clearing it. There was also a support beam right in the middle of one section. But it was great to not only get it tuned, but to drive it on a track as well. I had it crispy and fast at a cool 205. I would like to thank all of you on the board for your tireless efferts to answer my countless questions. Jim, you'll be glad to here I got many compliments on my Winning Edge Designs paint job as well. I'm glad to say that it no longer has that showroom finish. :p

[purplerides]

yahoo! stadium glad to hear you got it going and actually was able to enjoy several hours of thrashing you truck , instead of it thrashing you , now you'll be able to enjoy the hobby as it was meant to be. as you now know tuning over the internet can be one of the most difficult and frustrating things , i don't know about the others guys on here but i'm sure it's true for them also but it also very frustrating for us trying to get you going and failure day after day , i'm just glad you hung in there and didn't get to the point of giving up , now you can enjoy a great hobby.

[ragamuffin]

I admit, I've been having too much fun with my XR buggy and new AE NTC3, but I want to drive the Losi again. I think that the diff gear is stripped, but only a teardown will reveal that. I do have a couple of Q's, though:

1. What's up with the pressure line? I notice that the pipe gets full of fresh fuel, and it's a bear to drain it.

2. It appears that like my flywheel or engine mounts, seem to be an odd size. I'm using an OS CV-R non p/start and no washers, and yet it's a right PITA to start the truck on my trusty starter box. When I compared my Losi to another one, his flywheel appeared to sit slightly lower than mine, and he also had a non p/start engine. What gives? :confused: I hope I don't have to machine the engine mounts...:(

[igozoom]

StadiumJ, You made my day !!!!!!!!!!!

I still remember my first nitro drive. It had to be twice as sweet for you. Congrats !!!!!!! You now have the confidence to deal with any problem the truck throws your way.

So tell us about your ride. How was the acceleration? How did it handle?

Message of the day - xxx nt horn broke. Watch for finger.

[StadiumJ]

How was it? I don't know. I have nothing to compare it to. I can say that it was fast enough (never got above 1/2 throttle on small track) and it handled very well. I probably could have gone leaner if I wanted to (running at 205), but I definately didn't need to. If I had any complaints it would be that my turning radius was too big. There was one particular corner which I could not take at lower speeds. I had to come in fast and slide out in order to make it. This, of course, was easier said then done during driving experience #1. My truck also bottomed out when I "went big". I'm not sure if that's normal or not. I took quite a few flips, cartwheels, head-ons and such, but my truck held up well. The only time I had to stop was when I bounced off of a wall at an odd angle (don't ask) and broke my left rear suspension. At least I thought it was broke until I got closer to inspect it. The ball cup had popped off and everything else was cool (thank you Lunsford). 30 seconds later I was back on the track. Sweet!

I would love to learn more about setting up the truck. Such things as hubs, springs, shocks, spacers, etc., etc. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any good sources on the net. I've learned some by reading the boards, but it seems that trial and error will be the way I have to learn. I would love to know which piston to use in a particular situation and more importantly WHY. I'm definately a "why" kind of guy. With that said, what would you do to a stock (RTR LE) setup to improve it? What oil & pistons come in it? What do you guys think of the Trinity CRE?

http://www.teamtrinity.com/hotstuff/1/f1.html

Oh, and if you know of any information on the web that can help me, please share! Thanks.

[winning edge designs]

igozoom,the pistons and oil deal is a little tricky,if you consider "pack" and "rebound". Not sure how deep inot this you are,but i'll give a run dwon in case(disregard if your as hardcore as I am,:)). Most of the time we're only "Feeling" rebound on the bench,but Pack is what keeps our trucks from bottoming out,while still feeling the way we want. So with that said,30wt and 56 pistons will fell the same as 35 wt and 55 pistons,but the 55 piston set-up may bottom out easier on big jumps.


On the header,I use a low header from Losi's NXT,or an A/E header,same dimensions.


Stadiumj,sorry to hear that your body is beginning to lean towards needing replacement....Well,not really that sorry,:). But a little. Send those guys who liked it to our website at www.jconcepts.net ,Thanks. Also,glad you got that engine up and running. If you leave it on the rich side and resist the urge to make it faster by leaning on it,it will last a long time!


ragamuffin,I dremeled a bevel edge into the flywheel opening in my chassis. Not only does it make it easier to get at the flywheel,it also helps the starter wheel live longer!...btw,usually if you're feeling a "stripped gear",it's the compound or counter gear,the diff will usually feel like the left and right tires aren't connected to each other. ie,when you turn one tire,the other doesn't go the opposite way like usual.

Jim

[igozoom]

StadiumJ If you have the nt rtr that came with z550 servos and the xr3 trans, adjust your steering endpoints to 125%. I did mine and at 125% your truck will turn on a gnats eyelash. Down side is that you can't grab a bunch of steering while grabbing a whole lotta throttle or your truck will have a violent accident. ( Us newbie's are notorious for oversteering, overthrottling, overbreaking, and overcrashing !!!!!!! hehehe)

You can set the A or B button ( I forget which) so that when activated, it gives you 60 % steering for high speed straights. I elected not to activate another switch and just don't yank the front end of the truck around at speed.

While I concur with you that there isn't a lot of info available, I can highly recommend trying the different settings on this BB. There are some very talented and experienced racers/hobbyists here. This is one of the few places that everyone is willing to share all of their set up tips. They can save you hours/days of testing.

Only half throttle? Just wait until you get a little cocky when you're driving well and bury the throttle down the straight, barely hanging on through a sweeper. It is an incredible feeling.
Yep, I am a nitro junky.

I need to get some sleep. Going to the track tomorrow to lay down some fresh clay! Our Sunday club race is gonna rock. I will be the old, slow guy in the nitro GT class with the big a$$ smile on my face.

Tear it up sir.( The track, not the truck!)

[igozoom]

Jim, think I am with you as I have esperience (Lucy, I'm Home. You got some splainin to do!) revalving forks and shock as a former mx'er. Need you to check my pea-brain reasoning.

So, rebound speed is governed by spring as well as the speed at which the oil moves through piston holes? Or, is rebound speed governed solely by oil and spring is damping only ?

Hmmmmm......so riddle me this jim-man, I must assume then that 35 wt moving through 55 pistons will not pack as rapidly as 30 wt though 56 pistons. Wait a minute......lighter weight oil moving through smaller holes vs heavier wt oil moving through bigger holes is the same flipping thing.

So is the spring itself preventing packing through a whoop section?

It is grossly apparent that I don't know what the heck I am talking about. Teach me oh master Jim and I shall reward you with a picture of your future wife, Alissa Milano !!!!! lol

Also need you to talk me down off the ledge. I got to drive a 7.5 Kanai with the v01b ? os. Talk about insane speed and three to four foot rooster tails, not to mention 10 mile an hour faster corner speed with the 4 wheel churning! My wife has informed me that there is no need to spend 1500 on an 1/8th scale buggy as I won't be able to afford maintenace while paying alimony !!!!!!!lol

[tarvymoto]

Igozoom. Me and you are on the same page brother.lol .

We finally had a nice day in the North East. Shorts and sunshine..."I like it"... Anyay... I had to crank up the NT and run a few tanks. I can't wait to hit the track again w/ this mofo. I'm running electric at in indoor track this weekend just to keep it tight.(Minrreg in April BABY).

[purplerides]

igozoom - i know the smaller piston thinner oil vs. the larger and thicker oil sounds as if it would be the same and in some instance they are , and some there not , ex. if your running the #55 piston and 35wt. oil set-up and like the way the truck handles for the most part but are bottoming out landing some of the jumps, the #56 piston 30wt. set-up will give similiar handling on some area's of the track but won't bottom out as easy off the jumps , the spring also does play a roll , if you were to change the spring rate especially if you make a drastic change of several springs rate , if you put a much harder spring on then the vehicle may become bouncy do to to thin of oil so you would thicken the oil to slow the spring down , if you put to light of a spring and thick oil the suspension won't rebound fast enough and the truck chassis will roll more in the corner but won't square up coming out of the corner and cause you to delay getting on the throttle early or you'll spin out. so if you like how the trucks handling put are bottoming out change the piston/oil and you'll have the same static feel and in area's of the track were the shock isn't being compressed at a high rate of speed (corners , straights etc.) the truck will handle the same but hitting a jump when the shock speed goes up that's when the smaller piston will take effect.

[PJCruz]

Glad to hear of your success StadiumJ. It's sweet to see you come full circle and now be in love with your rig.

I went to the track for a couple of hours yesterday with my NT. It was the first "track action" I have seen since the Invitational in Feb at J's Action RC. Anyways.. the track was pretty loose and bonehead me.. let my "tire box" home. I had the step pins on there on they were not hooking up too well. I had Reptiles (red) and Proline bow-ties at home.. I think either would have done better.

I have to say I am impressed with the mannerisms on the Losi. It was my first real lengthy day at the track (both on and offroad) where I didn't have some mechanical failure of some sort of broke something that ended my day early. I went to try to get the picco loosened up and tuned up. I took a couple of tumbles but no real "crashes" to speak off. I landed most of the jumps pretty well.. and even landed on the battery box once or twice.. and nothing is broken. I was psyched. The truck held up very well. I will need to do some "cleaning" on the truck and check all the screws, etc. But overall it held up great. It handled pretty well too considering... and like StadiumJ I didn't need to get full throttle. Esp since the conditions were so loose. It would get squirrely down the straight as the back end would break loose at full throttle.

(more to come =)

Pete

[PJCruz]

The picco gave me some trouble turning over to start but I think it was 1. hydrolocked again, and 2. bad alignment on the starter box. Once started, I had no more trouble the rest of the day. I continued my tuning from where I left off.. basically factory settings and maybe in a 1/2 turn on either needle. I didn't count or keep track since my last race 1 month ago.

Anyways, finally I got the truck running pretty well and the idle was "stable" for about 20 seconds or so.. but it would continue to idle for a while if I left it without loading up. Well, at first without the body it was running low 200's in temp.. but after putting on the body (i have windshield half cut-out, and side window and over the picco in the back) and running a few laps it was in the upper 200's. But what was funny was it was giving off plenty of smoke when I got on the gas.

Let me pose this to you guys. Should I TIGHTEN the slipper clutch down all the way to tune the engine. I noticed on occassion the rpm's would CLIMB really high when I was on the throttle.... almost like the truck had a 2 speed...... then the hobby shop guy mentioned it was probably the slipper kicking in. I'm thinking.. that perhaps the high end needle is too lean (since it wasn't fully reving due to the slipper) I may have leaned it out a bit much to improve the response, and the bottom is too rich.. and therefore my temp was climbing.

I'll have to look at the needle settings and see where they are at. I think the low end should start at 3 turns out and high end at 2 turns out for factory settings.

Thanks

Pete

[PJCruz]

The picco gave me some trouble turning over to start but I think it was 1. hydrolocked again, and 2. bad alignment on the starter box. Once started, I had no more trouble the rest of the day. I continued my tuning from where I left off.. basically factory settings and maybe in a 1/2 turn on either needle. I didn't count or keep track since my last race 1 month ago.

Anyways, finally I got the truck running pretty well and the idle was "stable" for about 20 seconds or so.. but it would continue to idle for a while if I left it without loading up. Well, at first without the body it was running low 200's in temp.. but after putting on the body (i have windshield half cut-out, and side window and over the picco in the back) and running a few laps it was in the upper 200's. But what was funny was it was giving off plenty of smoke when I got on the gas.

Let me pose this to you guys. Should I TIGHTEN the slipper clutch down all the way to tune the engine. I noticed on occassion the rpm's would CLIMB really high when I was on the throttle.... almost like the truck had a 2 speed...... then the hobby shop guy mentioned it was probably the slipper kicking in. I'm thinking.. that perhaps the high end needle is too lean (since it wasn't fully reving due to the slipper) I may have leaned it out a bit much to improve the response, and the bottom is too rich.. and therefore my temp was climbing. Otherwise the engine was running ok.. wasn't super powerful and no wheelies for me.. just wasnt gonna happen. =( It ran fine.. not super snappy but a bit gingerly... I could grab some throttle and rarely would it stall out.

I'll have to look at the needle settings and see where they are at. I think the low end should start at 3 turns out and high end at 2 turns out for factory settings.

Thanks

Pete

[PJCruz]

I just wanted to share with you guys perhaps the greatest invention since the XXX-NT. At the Invitationals, I noticed SEVERAL racers with these pit boxes that rocked. It was about 3 feet high, had wheels and a handle. The top section was a toolbox, the middle was 2 drawers with dividers, and the bottom section is a "bin" where you can put large stuff. Apparently it's available in many colors, and manufacturers. It's like the Stanley's Rolling Workshop.. but these are plastic. Anyways, ZAG makes one, Benchtop makes one. And they are available at Walmart, KMart, etc. I bought the Benchtop one (only one I could find) for under $50.

I moved all my RC stuff into it.. and yesterday going to the track.. was a piece of cake. I made ONE trip with all my stuff. The top of the box has an angled ridge where a starter box fits perfectly tilted towards you, and then the truck rest nicely on top of the box.. and rests again the pull up handle... lean it back.. and wheel it off to the pit area. I only had to carry my radio in my other hand.

Anyways, just sharing this info.. I found this to be a big help. Before I used to make several trips back and forth to load and unload at the track.

Just sharing some info with my fellow NT'ers.

Pete

[losirtr]

I just received probably the last Ready to RAce XXXNT in the Eastern US. I have read most of the posts on this thread and am petrified!!. I have some nitro experience and have broken in about 3 engines and a couple of piston and sleeves in other vehicles. However, the Picco may be my match!!

I haven't even opened the box yet so I have a few questions:

1. What should I do before even trying to fire up this beast for the first time? (I plan to check the diff, slipper, and seal the carb)

2. Is there a rechargable battery pack for the JR 3 radio?

Any other hints??

[igozoom]

Tarveymoto- Met your brother yesterday. Actually had chatted withhim before, just didn't know he was your brother!lol

We used your brother as the "crash test dummy" (lol) for the new jump section. Have a roller/table right out of a turn that you have to hit perfectly to try and clear the new triple. If you aren't pure and chaste with the approach, it's off to the hobby shop for parts! hehehe. Actually, I probably won't even try it today until after the race. I will email you my phone number. Call me when you are in town and want to go the track.

Purple- You are the man!!!!! Thank you. I finally understand. Smaller holes equal less packing. May have to slow the spring down with a slightly heavier weight oil when there is a large difference in spring rates between front and rear.

losi rtr - Do not be petrified. You purchased one of the best trucks available. I have had mine three months and haven't had any major problems. Remember that problems are amplified on the BB as this is the place to ask questions.

While I am in love with the Picco motor, the Picco carb gave me fits. I got it under control; however, hated messing with it all the time. I purchased a brand new os 10er carb off ebay, bought the Trinity adapter, and installed. it. I will be racing today so I will let you know how it goes.

Other than the carb, I purchased Lunsford turnbuckles, Trinity aluminum brake mounts as they give a more porgressive feel to the brakes, and a fuel filter.

Just check your diff regularly, zip tie your air filter, and hang on down the straights !!!!!!!!!!

THere is a recharg. battery for the xr 3. I know Horizon carries them but you may be able to find the more reasonably priced elsewhere.

[makaluch]

Pete - The best advice was already given to you...OS carb and adapter. That carb's a pain to deal with. I also had a Picco G1 Pro that seemed to wander out of tune even when broken in. It sounds like you're a little lean up top and just a tad rich down low...but, it's a Picco carb so you never really know.

A rock solid bottom end test...Warm up the engine and stand at the end of the straight. Run two laps and at the end of the straight pull in...let it idle for about ten seconds...then pinch the fuel tube pretty close to the carb...if the bottom is tuned close you should hear the engine rev up after 2 or 3 seconds. After adjusting run it around two laps again...but be sure that your top is rich if leaning the bottom or you might damage the cylinder with too much heat.

The top and bottom needles are directly related. When adjusting one it effects the other. Think of the top end needle as a main valve and the bottom needle as a fine tune to the first valve. The only thing that complicates this concept is that fuel will store in the cases of a 2-stroke...hence pulling it off after the straight.

Hope I've helped...later...Mark :)

[makaluch]

One more thing...tune to EVERY track.

If you go to a bigger track you may clear too soon in places and run hot...and vice versa...smaller track you'll run a little rich and never really clear. Your plugs will tell the story. Just be sure to never "drop-and-race." Get a Raytec laser temp gun...it's worth the money and you can use it on all of your motors without carrying the weight on the car.

[StadiumJ]

I can also recommend the OS 10er. I got it and the Lunsford adapter. My friend who owns an NT with the Picco carb here in Napa has to make much more drastic changes to his needle settings when we go up to Sacramento.

Igozoom, yes I have that same setup and will try that. But what about the throttle? I noticed that the servo/carb will travel farther when off then when on and at full throttle. It looks like the carb can open a little more. Should I bump up the throttle % or is that playing with fire?

Weak gas cap strikes again. I went up to Sacramento again yesterday (they need to finish the track here in Napa soon!). I noticed that I was getting about half of the run-time as 2 of my friends with XXXNTs. I was even getting less run-time than an electric buggy LOL. It turns out that I am spilling gas from the cap when I flip. I am thinking of rigging some sort of tie-down since I'm not racing yet. Do they make replacement caps for tanks? I could've sworn I saw a picture of one with an aluminum cap. None of the shops around here have anything. Actually, none of them have replacement tanks either. :(

One more thing. Don't bother buying the $10 quick ramp off of Tower. It has too short of a face and all you do is flip off of it. I'm now considering ramp designs that will let me jump from the street onto my lawn. Are there any basic guidlines for angle/length that any of you track designers can share with me? Thanks.

[igozoom]

StadiumJ- you want your throttle at WOT to be....well... wide open. The throttle trim adjustment is easy. Manually open throttle first to see how far it can open. Look down in carb to get a good visual picture. Now turn trans and truck on. Dial up the throttle throw on trans and increase percentage of throw while looking inside carb. The object is to get the throttle to open just short of the barrel stop for lack of a better term. In effect, you don't want the servo to strain at WOT against the carb's mechanical stop. If you are unsure, email me and I will walk you through it step by step.

If you just quit flipping the truck, you will stop spilling fuel. lol.
The gas tank has been a sore spot with some people. I have two trucks and flip them regularly. ( I am sorry to say) I don't have leakage problems with either one.

If you continue to spill 10.00 in fuel every time you flip the truck you can either purchase another tank (7.00-8.00 I think), or, convert to an associated tank like some of the guys at our track.

Hope this helps.

[purplerides]

stadium - it sounds as if you have a bad fuel tank , i bought a new kit in december and the tank was bad i didn't even have to flip mine over and fuel was squirting out of the lid , contact losi's customer support and tell them you got a new truck with a bad tank they will more them likely take care of it , i've been running losi's since they came out with the GTX and that's only my second bad tank , 1st bad one leaked at the seem the 2nd out of the cap , they used to make a fuel tank lid rebuild kit don't know if they still do , the one i got the inside diameter of the filler neck is slightly larger then other tanks that i have so i rebuild kit wouldn't do it even if i wanted to try it , i just put a new tank in it no problem.

stadium - you should take care of that tank it can make your motor run inconsistant and/or cause a lean condition , take it easy until you do.

[PJCruz]

Thanks again guys... I have an OS Hyper 12 with the slide carb. But I think my problem is "user error." Last night I checked the needle settingon the high end needle.. and it was less than 1 1/2 turns out.. so probably pretty lean. I wasn't able to get at the low needle last night.

My question though is should I tighten down the slipper all the way in order to tune the engine.. or does it not matter? It seemed whenever the slipper kicked in the engine would rev MUCH higher... maybe I was leaning it out too much BEFORE the slipper kicked in.. and when it did it was way too lean (hence the high temps).

Anyways, I do need to give the truck the once over and a cleaning... but so far no trouble. Maybe I can get out there this weekend for some club racing.....

Pete

[losirtr]

I have a solution for the leaking fuel cap.
1. take the fuel cap off the tank (a little difficult to do because of the hinge spring but possible!!)
2. Remove the screw from the bottom of the cap that holds the plastic disk on the bottom of the cap.
3. remove the rubber o-ring
4. Wtih very fine sand paper sand off a very tiny amount of the flat surface where the o-ring fits (just a few 1/100ths of an inch!)
5.replace the o-ring, etc

What this does is flatten the o-ring out a little more so that it seals the cap inside the filler hole tighter. I have done this to 2 tanks and it works. Just be careful to sand a tiny amount off at a time, reassemble the cap, test the fit, and repeat the process itf needed!

[iondsky]

Hey y'all, can anyone give me some advice on where to find a front bearing set for the picco that comes with the RTR?

I opened the clutch bell just to make a routine inspection and found that the inside bearing is missing a seal and it looks like it is missing a few ball bearings, too. Although I did not find any balls in the housing.

The only bearing set I can find is at Horizon for 32 bucks. I'm hoping I have other options, seeing how I have only had the kit a couple of weeks and I changed nothing near the engine (gear mesh, etc.) to cause this to happen. If this is a regular occurance, 30 bucks a pop will get really steep very quickly!

Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks a lot, y'all :)

Thom

[NItro-Smoke]

I dont think you are missing a seal in the front bearing! When I took my Hyper engine apart for the first time, I also noticed there was no seal in that front bearing and I could see the balls rolling around in there, so I dont think you have a problem! If that seal WAS missing along with a ball or two you would have had a very big problem sooner!

[WHITESTER1]

Just recently purchased OS.12 TR for triple XT. What pipe header combo works best. For lowend performance, and which combo for highend performance.

How's performance of engine?

[winning edge designs]

whitester,that engine is awesome,maybe even too awesome?........:)........For a pipe believe it or not i;ve had great succes with the New Dynamite pipes and headers,i'm using a one peice on my V one R. I'm going to try one on my truck now as well. They look extremely close to the RB and rossi pipes,maybe made by them for dynamtie?...hmmmmm....Jim

[igozoom]

Jim, too awesome? As in too much power ? I didn't know you could put too much water in a nuclear reactor. lol

Seriously, what's the deal? Too much on top? Bottom? Hitting too hard ?

I am shopping a new motor. Since I threw the os 10 er on the Picco, I am pretty darn excited. Tried a Dynomite spd just to see if, as a newbie, I could recognize the power difference. Well, let's just say that I had to set my alarm clock to wake me up at the end of the straight to remind me to head into the sweeper.

While I am looking for performance at least equal to the Picco, I don't want unusable power. I think you'll agree that it takes a little time for us new folk to exercise some finger control.

What say you, RC Jedi Master ?

[tarvymoto]

Igozoom , once you can take a hot lap w/ your eyes closed you are ready for 1+ horses.lmao
I'll be in J-ville Tuesday night(20th) and will hopefully hit the track on Friday and Sunday.

Jim , I placed an order w/ Nitrospecialties(Broward) , talk to Alan who is a super nice guy.

Whitester1 , I'm using the Trinity manifold part# 8125 on my NT w/ rear ehaust engines and it allows plenty of room to use the stock NT body.

[dkj-M3]

iondsky- are you talking about the engine bearing or the clutch bearings. I have the rtr & had my clutch bearings shredded. Too much heat I guess. I just switched to ASSO bearings with the teflon seal. $13 a pair. I will see if these hold up any better.
Oh yeah, I had about a gallon through the engine before the stock bearings broke down. Is that normal, does anyone know?

[makaluch]

Yeah, it's pretty normal to go through a set of metal shielded bearings with a new clutch. The dust from the shoes settling in contaminates the bearing...and they may not be lubed well from the factory too. I've had good luck with stock Losi bearings, but that's just one of those regular maintenance things. Just upgrade to teflon or rubber seals to cut down on maintenance costs. And when you install the bearings be sure to face the rubber or teflon towards the area of heaviest contamination (if only one side is shielded).

It's also a good idea to go through the truck and clean it well at least every other week. Pay close attention to everything when cleaning. I've been accused of being a clean freak...but I never have catastrophic break downs. If you see something with wear... replace it...it'll save you bigger headaches down the road.

[WHITESTER1]

makaluch

Good advice. One question, the rubber sealed bearings, do they ever melt?

[makaluch]

I've never heard of Bocas melting...I personally still use stock Losi bearings though. Just take care of 'em whenever you can...shoe change/inspection, bell change, mount screws come lose, hehehe. And if one blows, be sure to change 'em both.

[losirtr]

Update on my new Ready to Race; I inspected it out of the box and found only one problem. From past experience I know that the diff is a potential problem area. Sure enough, the diff was too loose straight out of the box. too make matters worse when I tightened it, the diff nut stripped. So the first thing I had to do on this brand new truck was take the tranny out, replace the nut, and adjust the diff. At least I know its right now. I fired the Picco right up. it doesn't seem to have any leaks that I could find. I idled 2 tanks through and am now ready to start the serious tuning !! Wish me luck!!

Boca Bearings Green seals for the clutch bell are wonderful. You can order them directly from Boca (see their web sight) (about $4 apiece- you will need two)

I doubt iondsky has blown his front engine bearings but rather the clutch bearings. If it is the engine bearing I think Boca has those too. :D

[losirtr]

Stadiumj: Sorry to burst your bubble but the Ready to RAce Limited Edition does not have graphite parts. All the parts are stock, same as in the kit!!. All Losi Graphite parts will have the word "graphite" painted onto the part!!;)

[Nutter]

No, he actually said that the graphite parts are *available* for it, not come with it.. :p

*edit: err, I mis-read it.. you're right, he did say that.. and you're also right, it doesn't come with them... oops! :o


-Nutter

[dkj-M3]

thanks guys;)

[OmegaTrac]

Hey.
I have the XXX-NT RTR Limited Edition. How should I set up my xr3? What percentages should the trims be set to? Like steering and throttle?

[iondsky]

Thanks for the responses y'all. I got some teflon or rubber (not sure which, red seals) sealed bearings (yes, it is clutch :)) from the LHS. Cost me $4.00 a piece, so they were much cheaper than I thought. I was looking at the wrong bearings at horizon (duh!).

Yeah, I have run exactly one gallon through my engine, and the bearings weren't at the complete failure stage, but they were hanging on the brink. I'm glad I read an article at rcnitro about regular inspection. I caught them in time and have better bearings now as a result. I'll for sure keep an eye on them.

Now, about the differential. I have the RTR and have done nothing to my diff. How do I check that and how do I tighten it if need be. The info in the manual and on the wesite seem a bit vague to me. Anyone mind taking a shot at explaining this stuff to a newbie? :) Thanks for all your help. You all are saints :)

Thom

[winning edge designs]

igozoom,heh,it is a VERY powerful engine for a 2w truck. I would guess that the scenario would be several bad laps and a few fast ones with an engine that powerful...Unless you have "throttle finger restraint ?" and Alot of traction. I use the standard O.S. CV-R side exhaust in my truck and on high bite tracks wheelies are no problem,by mistake! I'd recommend the standard exhaust engine with a barrel carb,picco pro pipe and the broward precision cylinder head. I TQed and won our state series race last weekend with that combo,so it works!


losirtr,the diff was too loose?...did it slip,or just feel very good? I haven't seen a loose diff in a kit yet,slipper yes,diff,no!


iondsky,The best way to check the tranny adjustments,is to push down on the right tire with your right palm,and the spur with your thumb and pointer finger. Then turn the left tire slowly,while watching the slipper and spur gear. The shaft and it's nut should turn inside the spur gear,if they don't and you feel slipping,it's coming from the diff. Tighten the diff,or and "this is a common mistake",loosen the slipper!...........Alot of first time gas truckers have been stripping the diff nuts trying to lock the diff with the slipper locked!,be sure the slipper is approx 5 turns backed off from locked down snug. Then retest.............Always be sure that the slipper slips first and you'll never have a diff problem. As I stated above,mine pulls wheelies with the slipper slipping a little and not "locked"!.........Ever hear a B3 touch down over a jump,then go "BaRk",thats the diff slipping from a slipper that's too tight,it happens in every brand,but gas trucks and long mains,with slipping diffs don't mix!!!..................Jim

[Racin Rev]

Actually Jim, I saw a losi rtr at my lhs (before he sent it back for lack of interest) with the diff way too loose. I had just finished building mine and checked theirs. the diff slipped long before the slipper. This is one of those things that makes me dispair at the whole rtr thing. If you don't carefully go over your new car you might miss something important that will cost time, place, money soon thereafter. you just can't assume that some guy at the factory did everything right. (especially with the new xxxnts coming from some foregin country). On the other hand, when you build the car you know the car and i found that building was a kind of a zen experience.

[losifreak2004]

Taiwan actually....

I haven't seen one yet, but I'm sure Losi has a checklist of things to make sure of before you run the new truck.

If not, as long as the owner has a clue what he is talking about, they will probably send him another diff that's better adjusted.

[dkj-M3]

OmegaTrac

Sorry, can't answer that one. I sold that radio & kept my Futaba 3PDF.

[cabbynate]

Losifreak2004

I tried to find you at the Siver State race but you were never in your pit space. My friend Adam was pitting next to you on Sunday
but I never saw you. I saw your truck. So how did you end up? I got a third place plack in the "H" main. LOL!!!!

[Nutter]

LOL! I seriously burst out laughing when I read that.. I didn't even know they *had* H mains! :p

Don't worry, I'd have been in the Z main if I was there! ;)


-Nutter

[losirtr]

I agree, it is better to build your own kit. I built my son's kit last year and have maintained his truck through a year of racing. I am no novice to builidng diffs, etc. I bought the Rady to race because I needed a truck, radio, and electronics for myself so that I could have some fun too. It was either buy the kit and add the radio, electronics and a engine or the Ready to Race. The ready to race was the better value. However, there is no "RTR" out there that doesn't have the potential of something on it not quite right. I only checked my new diff because of past experience. I like to run my diffs really tight so that I can run the slipper fairly tight on large high bite tracks. The diff out of the box was about 1 revolutions of the tire too loose!! The diff was probably set alright for a fairly loose slipper.

By the way, why has Losi put a plastic sleeve to cover the threads on the slipper screw in the Ready to Race? It will not allow you to tighen the slipper very much (maybe to keep newbies from tightening it and thereby melting their diff?)

[dkj-M3]

I have the rtrace. It was my 1st nitro & only 2nd car. I knew nothing about diffs then, so I end up over tighting mine, stripped the bolt & melted it. I took it apart to rebuild it & found the plastic spacer under the slipper spring would bind the slipper so I just took it off.

Oh yeah, I built my diffs the way the book said & it's been running like a tank for about 1-1/2 gallons. <<<<<<>>>>>>
Knock on wood. I think I'll go rebuild it now.lol

[Lord Radeon]

I melted my first 3 diffs in the losi... each lasted about a week, it was pathetic. I bought a metal gear for the tranny, built it right, tightened it up to almost HULK-tight and i've been running my slipper at 3+ turns since.... that SAME diff has had 1.5 gallons run through it and still is smooth as a baby's butt. (The metal gear may/may not have made a difference, BUT it did make me feel more confident in my car, which makes me drive better.)

[StadiumJ]

Losi XXXNT gurus step up! I have a short quiz and a shopping list for you to complete. I figure the best way to find out about suspension is to buy some parts and play with different setups I've seen listed on the board. But being that I know nothing at this point, could you please help me with the following:

Initial stupid question: The red mark on the tires on the RTR mean that they are the red compound, right? Just checking.

1. What shock pistons come with the ready-to-race?
2. What wt. shock oil comes with the ready-to-race?
3. If I buy pistons from Horizon Hobby, do they come in pairs? It costs $3.00.
4. Is there any difference between Trinity and Team Losi shock oil?
5. What are Titanium Nitride shock shafts? Are they a worthwhile upgrade at $7.00 a piece?
6. What is the part number on the internal limiters?
7. What are the best rear tires for a track, reptiles or step-pin?
8. Can you comment on the new "razor rib" front tires?
9. What are the part numbers for 1dg rear hubs?


OK, so it wasn't THAT short of a quiz. :) Just think of it as a great opportunity to show your brilliance! ;)


I'm looking to stock up on some suspension components. What should I add to this shopping cart?

(2) A-5154 orange springs
(2) A-5160 blue springs (for street)
(2??) A-5046 56 pistons
Other recommended Pistons?
SHOCK OIL (possibly Losi 6 pack or Trinity)
(?) A-5050 Shock spacer set (how many do I need?)
(?) Internal limiters (how many & what part #?)
A-17505S Glued Truck Front Directionals (Silver)
(?) A-2033 Rear hub spacer (1 or 2?)

Thanks alot!!!!



LOSIRTR- Ha ha! *in his best Dana Carvey doing Johnny Carson voice* "well I, uh, well I, DID not know that". :D Now I have something else I need to buy!

[ragamuffin]

Originally posted by ragamuffin
I admit, I've been having too much fun with my XR buggy and new AE NTC3, but I want to drive the Losi again. I think that the diff gear is stripped, but only a teardown will reveal that. I do have a couple of Q's, though:

1. What's up with the pressure line? I notice that the pipe gets full of fresh fuel, and it's a bear to drain it.

2. It appears that like my flywheel or engine mounts, seem to be an odd size. I'm using an OS CV-R non p/start and no washers, and yet it's a right PITA to start the truck on my trusty starter box. When I compared my Losi to another one, his flywheel appeared to sit slightly lower than mine, and he also had a non p/start engine. What gives? :confused: I hope I don't have to machine the engine mounts...:(

Geez, thanks for all the help, guys...:rolleyes:

Guess I'll sell it and wait for the Mugen truck...

[StadiumJ]

Sorry, can't help you on the diff. I am clueless about them. As far as the pressure line I'm not sure what you mean. The exhaust is filling with fresh fuel? How are you shutting the engine off? If I shut it off by blocking the stinger, the back-pressure will force fuel into the pipe. Now I either run it dry or squeeze off the fuel line. Hope this helps.

[losirtr]

StadiumJ; my, my what a lot of questions!!
I'll take a stab at them
1. Part numbers for shock pistons are:
A5046 for 56 pistons (red)
A5047 for 55 (orange)
I think you get 2 pistons when you buy/order. I'm not sure what comes in your shocks but if you open the shock you will see. (I think the directions that come with the truck have that info somewhere) If they are black pistons then they are 57's

2. the limiters are part number A5050 and you get lots of sizes in the kit. (limiters and spacers are the same thing)

3. The RTRace comes with 30 shock oil in it. My opinion is that you need 30 and 30 and 30!! ( you might want to buy some 35 too - and if you have huge jumps and a high bite track with lots of loose dirt you might occ use 40)

4. The Trinity and Losi oils are close enough to be about the same - you will not be able to tell a difference

5.. the titanium shock shafts might not bend, scratch, brake as easily as stock but I personally don't feel that they are necessary. We have been racing for a year with the stock ones.

6 Rear tires depends on what type track and dirt you race/ drive on. If it is loose/ loamy dirt then step pins will work fine. If it is hard dirt and broken up the Bowties/T-bones work well. If it is hard packed with no loose dirt or dust then try t-2000's or Hole shots

For the front I would use the directionals for everything exvcept in situations in which you use the hole shots/T2000 on the back. In that situation I would use Proline Blades

7. one degree rear hubs are Part A9807 . We use stock hubs on large open tracks and 2 degree on small tight tracks A9808

Your shopping list looks fine except for the blue spings. I've never seen anybody use those but then again I've never seen a XXXNT anywhere but on a dirt track!!

My advice would be to buy things as you find that you need them. So far it doesn't look like you are going overboard. Graphite parts are not a necessity and I wouldn't rec. them until you are an expert racer. Those plastic parts don't break as easily and are a lot less expenive to replace!!

[tarvymoto]

Pistons come in a 4 pack for the $3:)

[Nutter]

ragamuffin: I'd help ya if I knew the answer.. sorry :(

SJ:
There's 4 pistons in each set.
4) There's probably a slight difference between Losi and Trinity shock oil.. stick to one brand only for consistancy.
5) I think they're smoother, and I know they last longer. As a shock shaft wears it'll become thinner (duh), and it'll alow oil to leak out of the shock and dirt to enter. Not really necessary, I use the normal ones still.
7) As losirtr said, it totally depends on the track. :)
8) Check out the Losi tire guide on their site, it seems like they're only better than directionals for slick, broken surfaces, and only marginally better then. http://www.teamlosi.com/newprod/tirechart/tirechart.htm
And finally, I'd get the Losi 6-pack of shock oil that has 20-45wt in it.. lots to experiment with. Also get a set of pink springs so you have a bit more choice.


-Nutter

[igozoom]

Jim, congrats sir!!!!! I would have thought that it was the paint job on your truck that won it for you ! lol.

I came in 2nd in the B Main at our club race. Somehow " 2nd in the B Main, club race" doesn't roll off of the tongue like "State Series". hehehe. What do I have to do to get into the A Main ? I know, buy a W.E.D. body !!!!!!!

If the TR has that much juice, then it is probably not for me.

OK. Standard CVR side exhaust. Go the with the 10e carb or the new 10 er ? How do I contact Broward ? Sorry if I got the (Cyl.)name wrong. I changed pages before writing.

What about the header?

[purplerides]

ragamuffin - hmm i haven't seen that problem before all the motor mounts and flywheels should be the same unless for some reason you got an oddball set , if you say there's no spacers between the motor mount and the motor then you should be good unless something was put between the motor mounts and the chassis , pullstart and non-pullstart use the same mounts but no spacers and flywheels , the only other thing i could think of is maybe you got mounts from a NXT or something on yours did you/or anyone else ever change the mounts or changed a motor that had mounts already on it?

we try to help everyone here , some on here may not have the experience to answer your question's or have seen it , i myself am on here a lot most weeks but i work rotating shift work and am selling one house and buying another house so i myself have been busy and not on much lately , just be patient and repost if it may appeared to have been overlooked but drop the attitude. none of us here own losi so your threats to buy a Mugen are idle , go ahead. then who are you going to ask?

[tarvymoto]

Has your set-up changed for the new track lay-out ? I think I'll be at the track Thursday or Friday of next week to tune for Sunday's club race. We should hook up and burn some laps. My Broward (nitrospecialties.com) heads-{yes I got one for each of my engines** should be here tomorrow. I'm not expecting to take first in the A , I just want to come down and be fast. I'd really like to bring my electric truck and buggy down to practice for the Losi race at minreg , but I don't have enough time this trip to.(I'm bearlly getting away w/ raceing on TPC Sunday as it is.lol) Anyway I hope the weather cooperates.
Travis

[purplerides]

i have a broward head on my O.S.tr , i like it so far , i couldn't compare the O.S. tr to the cv-r i haven't tried a cv-r , the tr seems to have a ton of power and is very fast, yet seems smooth and controlable but i don't have alot of time on it , i bought in the off-season , but racing season starts in like 22 or 23 days can't wait , heck it's even supposed to get into the 50's this week!!! hopefully them 30 deg. days are gone. http://www.browardprecision.com/

[tarvymoto]

It looks like I'll be able to make the first race at Vineland this season(April 6th?) I should have my 1/8 scale ready by then too...we'lll see. I'll be in Clearwater for the Losi electric race the very next weekend.Any way your track looks sweet. Travis

[StadiumJ]

Right on, LosiRtR! Thanks for the help guys. A couple of follow ups if you don't mind:

1. Do you use the M2 or M3 compound on the Pro Lines?
2. How can I tell which shock piston is when I open one up? What will be black, the whole shaft?

[StadiumJ]

I just saw this at Pro Line. From what I've read they're bodies arre pretty popular due to their film coverings, masks, etc. Anyways, I figured you guys would want to know. I like the low profile look and the Mercedes-style headlights! :cool:

http://www.prolineracing.com/flash/plhome.html

[INFERN06]

I love that body ,wow.:D

[losirtr]

stadiumj: when you open your shock the piston is the round plastic part with 2-3 holes in it at the end of the shaft that is held on by an e-clip on each side.

I ordered one of those Crowd pleaser bodies 2 days ago. My son paints with an airbrush and should have one for sale on e-bay soon.

[losirtr]

M2 for conditions when the track has some bite to it. M3 when it is slick!

[cabbynate]

StaidumJ

You will know by the color of the piston. Black is #57.
You will get four in a bag. Racers edge makes piston finger use drill bits so you can drill out a combo if you want or make a pair of #57 be #56,#55,#54 or a combo of what ever. If you see a set up that reads "566" pistons they are #56 pistons with one hole taped out to a #55.;)

[purplerides]

Tarvymoto - no 1/8th scales in Vineland , all 1/10th scale , M3 holeshots are the tire that normally works most of us use Trinity TK1523 2 stage foams or bomb 1's and up front it's the tire of your choice , i mainly use losi directionals with bomb 1's , compound depends on the track silver or reds both will work just some days 1 is slightly better then the other , also m3 edges work but sometimes they can be a little unpredictable , they get plenty of traction but don't carve as smooth a turn. also the first two/three weeks or so sometimes M3 fuzzy "T"s are a little better until the track gets run in but they wear quickly. hope to see you there i'll be working tech.

[purplerides]

stadium - i pretty sure the rtr's have the stock set-up on them so th