wahturi

on my nitro rs4 3, even at lowest possible idle, the clutch grabs slightly and moves the car. any ideas what could be wrong? it used to just sit there at idle. can i adjust?

popsracer

wahturi;

Since you said RTR, I assume you have never had the clutch apart before. There are two things that could cause the problems you describe.

1) Clutch spring(s) broken. Replace with new ones. Might be a good Idea to up-grade to the racing clutch (about $15 usd)

2) The Clutch Bearing is melted/dry from lack of lubrication. Disassemble and lube with a SMALL dab of grease (anykind).
Replace if melted and lube occasionally. (every few hours of runtime)

Either way you will need to disassemble the clutch for inspection. The easiest way is to remove the engine. Get out the manual and use the parts diagrams/instructions for assistance.

wahturi

thanks a lot for the reply. i have already taken the majority of the car apart since i've had it. i took the clutch apart the night before i experienced this problem so i bet all it needs is oil on the bearing. i was playing with the bearing.. like rolling it in my fingers to see how it worked. i probabally rolled all the lube off of it. thanks so much, im gonna take it apart now.

wahturi

just ran the car after oiling the clutch bearing. i am still having trouble getting the car to idle and sit still. the clutch and bearing looked fine when i took it apart. now i am wondering if maybe the prob. is that the car should have a slower idle. i take it down to the point just above where the car dies. is this a problem anyone have heard of?

josche_rs42

check your clutch spring. make sure u dont put too much tension on it, dont move your clutch shoes apart, doing so will weaken the sprins, replace the spring or force them together again with your fingers so theres more tensio when u put them back on, u may also want to try the racing clutch, its an awesome upgrade for 15 bucks

popsracer

wahturi;

Turn the engines flywheel so it sits free and can move back and forth easily with your finger. Then turn the gears so the clutchbell turns and see if the flywheel moves. It really shouldn't move at all. If you feel a drag, then something is rubbing inside the clutchbell. With a correct idle speed the car should stand still without stalling or just barely inch forward without picking up any speed.

I'm sure that the problem is in the clutch somewhere. Examine the shoes and springs CAREFULLY. A weak spring will cause the clutch to drag at idle. Try what I suggested above.

racinZrooky

Just get a new racing clutch. If you've got to a point where setting the idle any lower you would kill it, its likelybad springs. It seems as if the springs have become looser. A racing clutch has 3 different holes for different levels of engagement.

wahturi

thanks for the advice, guys. i ended up bending hte springs back and now it seems fine. ill get a racing clutch eventually though. the adjustability sounds great.

as soon as i got the clutch problem worked out, a new one appeared. my pull starter is letting go. it will grab for one revolution of the engine and then just let free of the engine. i took it off and cleaned the one way bearing. it worked for say 20 pulls after that and then it started getting to the point where it wouldnt grab long enough to start the engine. i dont know anything about one way bearings.. do they need oil or should oil be kept away? could i get it to work better by roughing up the crank with sandpaper? that sounds scary but its all i could think of.