Help? Whats Happened to my Engine?
 

Hey guys,

I took my XB8 over to D & K Hobbies in Cherry Hill (Awesome place!) and they helped me get the car completed. We ran 2 tanks of gas through the XB8 and I just went to try and start her up and run another.

I had the car started for about 20 seconds when it died. Now, my flywheel seems locked and I cant budge it. Any idea why this happened and how to remedy it? I'm so frustrated!

Help!

what engine?

Sorry, OS 21VZ-B V-Spec

your piston got locked at TDC. when you break an engine in it has alot of pinch. you must have left it like that and it seized. take it back to the hobbyshop to see if they can get it loose. usually some after-run oil and alot of patience works

damn that sucks, thats a nice engine

Invest in a heat gun before you try to start the car again. Go up to your local hard ware store and buy one. Heat the engine up to around 140 deg.+ and then it should start up fine. Do this every time before you start your engine and it should last you a whole lot longer too. Be sure to take your top off before you heat up the engine. It will melt your top if you don't. You should be able to find one for under $35. Every time you stop your car take the fly wheel and spin it untill it is at the point in which it is the furthest away from being dificult to rotate. It should move fairly easily at this point. This means the piston is at the bottom of the sleeve and will allow the engine componants to properly cool.

This is quite common with new engines that are tight. There are a couple of ways to free this up I will tell you the safest way since you sound kinda new to nitro. You can try a hair dryer but a heat gun works best, get the engine hot say 200+* she will turn over just fine. Let it cool with the piston at BDC. If you have to, take the engine out of the buggy to better turn the flywheel. I would recomend heating up the engine everytime it is cool durning the time you are finishing break-in.

Ah.........Mr. wagon beat me to it! :)

Most of the ware on an engine is caused when it is cold. If you heat it up each time before you start it then it should last much longer.

Party_Wagon what kind of heat gun? Something LIke this? Should I also use it on my Jato before start it???

Thanks guys,

The advice was invaluable and I was able to get the car started and running at low to mid speed for almost a half tank of gas. The temp was around 170F and I started to lean the car out to get the temp up, but idiot that I am, I was turning the meter valve, not the needle valve!

Of couse all of this was taking place ahead of a huge thunderstorm, so I had to cut things short. I was not able to succesfullly start the car again after tinkering with the metering valve for more than 20 seconds or so... I"ll be back at it tomorrow!

Thanks again, and any advice on how to reset the meetering valve would be appreciated!

Yep just like the one in your link. Good to here ya got it going. Try to keep the temps above 200* durning breakin. If you have to wrap the head with foil or a old sock. This way you can still run it rich and keep the temps up. I am not up on the OS engines so somebody else will have to set you with the needles.

Good luck!

Will a hair blow dry work as a head gun? to heat the engine. Or nah even bother with it?

http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS...gkg.0&MID=9876

Something like this. You don't need an expensive one, just something that will get the engine hot. Yes, It would be wise to heat the revo engine before you start it too.

This link has a break down on how to properly break in your engine with the new method that is better suited for the v-spec.

http://rctech.net/forum/showthread.p...at+cycle+break

I would recomend heating up any engine before starting it. However, you may need to be careful not to melt the rubber on the wires of the traxxas ez-start on your jato.

Great stuff... One last question, any advice on how to reset the metering valve on my OS? As I posted, bonehead that I am, I was turning the metering valve and not the needle valve in an effort to lean my engine and get the temp up. :mad:

Any idea what to do? :confused: