help-- engine started and now not running

[philztoy]

She started right up ran for awhile. killed. a little more effort to start ran for awhile. revved it a little back to idel killed. Now it won't start. or even fire. I have a spark bought other plugs. tried a little starter fluid. choke, no choke, new plug, old plug, little gas in the cylinder, loosened fuel cap for venting. lines getting fuel. open low speed needle. adjust idle pull on full throttle pull on no throttle. let sit three hours plug out.


I am getting nothing. I have a lot of weed whips, chainsaws and the like and they always start.


Are any other engines better? Any ideas?


This is a brand new out of tbe box car. I want to joing the 1/5 gas club but my 1/5 baja flux runs. So far this one doesn't.


If there are better more reliable engines maybe it would be worth the upgrade.


Any help would be great.


Phil

 

[Guest]

Always try and pull the plug when it won't start and have a look. If it looks even a little wet, the engine is flooded.

 

[philztoy]

The plug was wet. If a plug get fouled by flooding is that the end of the plug. I assumed it was but couldn't find another at the local hardware. I cleaned it and dried it and still had spark. Doesn't look like there is spark on the inside.

I went to another store and found some plugs with the same threads. I couldn't get any life with those either.

I was usinge amsoil interceptor oil 12 oz to the gallon which should work but maybe the oil is wrong or bad and I clogged the screen in the carb as I am not sure I am getting fuel in the cylinder now.

I have a few more plugs on order and will probably stop by the local weed whacker store to find one. Maybe give it a try later today after work.

I found a check list so I will start checking that down.

I was hoping this would run better than a nitro car since it had a standard weed whacker type motor. But so far, it seems to be as much or more trouble than a nitro motor.

Hopefully sitting for a day and a new correct plug will get it going.

Thanks

Phil

 

[Guest]

The plug was wet. If a plug get fouled by flooding is that the end of the plug. I assumed it was but couldn't find another at the local hardware. I cleaned it and dried it and still had spark. Doesn't look like there is spark on the inside.

Wet does not equal fouled. Just let the plug dry out. Leave the plug out and let the cylinder dry out for 20 min or so. If there is an abundance of fuel in the cylinder it helps to turn it upside down with the plug out and pull the starter a couple of times to clear it out.

 

[Guest]

I was usinge amsoil interceptor oil 12 oz to the gallon which should work but maybe the oil is wrong or bad and I clogged the screen in the carb as I am not sure I am getting fuel in the cylinder now.

Should be only 5oz to the gallon.

 

[Hayes371]

don't forget about tank venting, try starting it with the gas cap open or off

 

[philztoy]

I vented. bought new plugs today. It sat with the plug out for a day. I put the new plug in and nothing. I was running 12 oz amsoil interceptor two cycle oil for two gallons 93 octane as a 24 to 1 ratio yesterday. amsoil I switched to about 5.4 oz per gallon of a top grade stihl oil today with brand new can and brand new gas and oil. that should be a 25 to 1 ration. I emptied the other gas/oil out and cleared all the lines and the carb of the other mixture and nothing.

I haven't pulled the carb off yet and I haven't retimed it yet. I don't have experience doing that and the manual is lacking in detail on those subjects.

I have never pulled a starter cord this many times on any engine. i might try to exchange the engine in its entirety with redcat. This car is making me appreciate my electrics. Why do these engines not run? I can pull out any chainsaw weed whacker I own that has been sitting around with its original plug with year old gas and start them with three pulls. This one is DOA after an eighth of a tank of gas and probably 300 pulls.

I bought this because the sales man said "it's a weed whip motor How many problems have you ever had with one of those?" Never had a problem before this one.

Are other motors more reliable? Like the ones DDM and obrien or gizmomotors sell? i may just buy one of those and drop it in. I thought I would get some use out of the stock engine. But it might be useless to me. This platform is underwhelming and frustrating for me so far. i am really disappointed with the Redcat lack of racing engine supplied.

 

[blak__jak]

i had trouble with my first engine too. pretty much just what you're describing. i don't remember exactly what it was. i think it was an air leak on the manifold,spacer or something like that but what i've found is that it's normally something simple. once you get to know these motors and work out a few bugs you'll find them much easier to deal with than nitro's. i'm just trying to say don't give up on your new motor yet it's probably something simple too.

 

[andyken]

I have seen fouled plugs spark out of the engine and then nothing when installed.

I guess the porcelain gets wet and messes them up, they might take a while to dry and work again.

You may want to check the coil gap and see if the bolts are tight.

Is there a killer b switch or loose conection to the coil?

Are you using a NGK plug?

 

[RampageHopUps]

You need to re-tune your carb first thing. A different egnine will not be any better without some tuning knowledge.

 

[philztoy]

Thanks for the advice. I agree probably something simple. Hopefully. From what I hear the starting settings for the jets are 1 1/4 turn on the low speed and 1 1/2 on the high speed needle. I haven't seen anything on the idle.

I have used all sorts of new plugs. yes NGK's I have a few more coming in the mail from DDM. I think I have ruled fouled plugs out.

Is the coil under the pull start? I have read the timing instructions. I probably need to pull the carb off too and see if any screens are clogged?

Redcat has offered to look at it if I send it to them. So I might just do that. And if the engine is out .... putting in an O"Neil engine in as a substitue might be on the docket. I was hoping to wait for awhile to do that but it may be a target of opportunity and road of least resistance. Call it fate?

I don't think it is a carburetor tune issue. Even if the carb is off something would make it fire at least a little over the course of the last 300 or so pulls. Maybe the coil isn't producing the correct timed spark or producing enough voltage.

It coudl be the kill switch. I think I have to take off the rope starter housing to get a look at that. Maybe will jump it and try for a start. I haven't done that yet.

Not sure when I will have time to run all that down. Might be simpler to send it off for service and swap in a new motor and use that for a spare or another project.

All this work is leading me to another engine.

Thanks for all the tips. I am definetely green when it comes to this engine.

I even have questioned myself if I need the remote and the battery in the truck on. I assume it starts with them off but I turn them on just in case and got nothing. It doesn't matter right? It should start with the controller and solenoids off?

I want to get it running. This bug is bugging me.

 

[dozer187]

sumtimes with the tuning if its off these things wont start and if u have a killswitch the electronics must be on in order to start it otherwise the killswitch just sees it as a loss of signal and wont allow the ignition coil to spark

 

[GoffeeRedCat]

a bad tune wont make the engine try to turn over!! i would check for air leaks around the carb!! my XT had a similar problem a while back!! the needles kept backing out. i ended up buying the 990! I personally wont send it to redcat. are you getting a spark when you pull the plug and touch it against the head? if you are then its not a timing issue. i bet its a bad tune or an air leak!

 

[Ildy666]

Check ur head gasket.if ur head is loose it can blow out the gasket and it will never start.mine had nothing but head gasket problems from day one.maybe its good but its worth a look...good luck...

 

[philztoy]

re-timed her tonight. It was a little wide but not bad. new plug no start. pulled carb cleaned carb. put carb back on. readjusted needles to factory settings, new plug, no start.

Only thing left I figure is somehow the cylinder is scored. Went to take off the muffler. The head of one of the bolts was stripped, so can't check that. Pulled engine sending back to its maker for input. To their credit Redcat didn't hesitate to tell me to send it to their repair shop. So I will take them up on it.

I can't tune anything if I can't get it to fire once in 400 pulls. It ought to run more than 10 minutes.

POS RIP.

 

[Guest]

Please post Redcats findings. I've never heard of one going back for not starting right out of the box. Good luck.

 

[philztoy]

I will post what they find.

While it is off I am going to switch the gas tank around so I can fit the CPI pipe that just arrived yesterday along with a flock of more new spark plugs. lol. Does anyone sell a substiture vented tank. What is the best fuel line to use?

I think the only thing left with the engine problem must be something related to lack of compression. It didn't feel any differnent but you probably can't tell much by pull or putting your finger over the spark plug hole.

Any other upgrages I should look at with the engine out?

Thanks for all the assistance.

 

[Deluge]

Fuel line...

Clear Fuel Line (by the foot)

Solid Fuel Line (by the foot)

You can put a three hole grommet in the tank and use the third hole to run a vent line.

Snappy RC Replacement Grommet for Ultimate Fuel Line Kit

 

[Guest]

Any other upgrages I should look at with the engine out?

Great time to install an 8k clutch.

 

[philztoy]

I bought the snappy kit. My tank definetely needed venting.

What does teh 8k clutch do for you?

That is like a 35$ item correct.

I am looking forward to getting a running engine in her.

I bought some new servos and a venom battery pack and a super bee kill switch.

What does the inline switch or whatever that came with the car do? (It was a wire with an inline couple of LED/s I installed it but didn't find the actual purpose referenced anywhere).

I didn't get the 8k clutch though. Is that a good idea?