s10dude

but it sure does make ya feel better....fixed or not!

royfan33

iTrader: (8)

I emailed Mugen USA a couple of times for support. Just simple stuff like glow plug recommendation and base carb settings. Never got a response of any kind

conrod51

Airing your frustrations may not solve your problems but I would suggest that the real benefit of these forums is being able to seek advice and help from others. It is also about sharing information and opinions.

I have a Ninja .12 and it was the hardest engine I have ever tried to get started. But having run about three litres through it I now find it easy to start and tune and runs really well.

rmdhawaii

iTrader: (4)

Don't worry about it - we all have these moments. A lot of manufacturers are not very good about documenting their products or known issues, so many of us flounder around like a caught fish on the deck of a boat gasping for air. There are a lot of "Well how the heck was I suppose to know that?" moments in R/C.

I've always gotten excellent support from Mugen USA when I called them. Always very courteous and helpful.

There have been some issues with the Ninja that are really no fault of Mugen USA - and let's not forget the fact that the engine doesn't come with any warranty, so while some people may not like Mugen USA's response to their issue - I don't believe they are under any obligation to eat the cost of whatever is wrong with the engine - factory defect or not.

Ranting online is more therapeutic more than anything else. Misery loves company.

BTW... Email gives people the opportunity to "hang up on you" after they read your message. This is an R/C industry-wide issue that won't go away any time soon. If you don't get a response within 48 hours, it's always best to call. Sending subsequent emails expecting a response is usually futile.

Roelof

Within Europe (EG) there are rules about warranty, every commercial sold product should have warranty and because these engines are sold as a normal commercial product shops and factories can not hide for this but they try to do so !

almtx3

iTrader: (1)

Hey Jason, I totally feel your frustrations, I to went through the same thing. My best bud bought a ninja .12 and I was a few seconds away from throwing it into a lake!!! I have broken in a ton of engines and although I don't claim to be an expert I feel pretty confident in my engine skills as I'm sure you do. Back to the engine: I don't know what the heck was up with that thing when we were trying to break it in. It literally took us a whole Sat - half a Sunday (we stopped cause I was so frustrated) and finally got the darn thing fired up Monday night! I had never had such a hard time just starting an engine. The compression is ridiculous. We tore up the wheel on his starter box. We also noticed that the 2 stick packs in the starter box did not have enough juice to really give the engine a good turn so we ended up using his car battery. The biggest problem I found is that the engine kept locking up. I thought it was getting flooded but no way. This thing just had some serious compression so when it would lock up we would have to take the engine out of the car and turn the flywheel just to break it loose so that the starter box would turn the engine over a few times. We tried freeing the engine up while it was in the car but there was no way, our fingers were totally raw from trying that! I was chasing settings the whole time and the worst part is that I couldn't find the factory carb setting anywhere, Im still looking by the way.

Well, it finally fired up and Ill tell you what, once it starts DO NOT TOUCH THE NEEDLES! This engine is so picky, tuning is another nightmare. Ive turned the low speed needle less than 1/4 of a turn and thats it, all heck breaks loose. The engine wont start, it starts acting up and there I go again chasing settings just to get it to start again. This engine is very temperamental. I don't know what Mugen did when they built these but Ive heard similar stories and Im convinced, its the engine not us!

So far the engine does run well and its very fast in his XRAY NT1 but we are just waiting for it to basically blow up so we can get an RB or Nova. There is no way I'm rebuilding this engine and going through the same thing again!! Ive owned several novas and messed with a few RB's and I never had any trouble with either of those. I own an MTX and Im a big Mugen fan. I have gotten great customer support from them in the past and they make great cars and buggies but that ninja is just a big no-no in my books!

Good luck with that engine and let us know if you finally get it going!

Taylorm

...........then the purpose of this forum is what??????????? so you've never been helped by someone on this board??.......and yes, it apparently did solve his problem

rmdhawaii

iTrader: (4)

ROBBIE C = Mugen USA

Robbie is correct - air frustrations will not solve anything. Stating facts and asking for help will.

royfan33

iTrader: (8)

+1. But, if Robbie C. or someone would answer Mugen USA email this would also be a plus. If they are on here the computer is working

wallyedmonds

did you heat it up before you tried to start it
its not compression thats the problem its the pinch and theres alot of it and most motors today have it
its the most non finicky motor iv ever run so easy to tune its not funny.
and one of the fastest but i will say my LL3 years ago was faster or it had more bottom end and it was tuned but it did cost 500.00 as to the 330 ninja

PROVK

iTrader: (14)

The ninja was not any more difficult than a Nova to Run in.
Hold its tunes very very well and easy to tune.

but if you try and start it for the first time with out heating it up, wellllll, ummm, good luck, lucky you even fired it up after 3 days

M7H

In the future don't take the engine out of the car to free the engine, but use a screwdriver, put it against the flywheel and the chassis, and it is quiet easy to rotate the flywheel.....

fastharry™

iTrader: (4)

you're kidding me right?.........

they represent it,they cover it.......espicially if its bad from the beginning......esp if known defects exist..

but seeing the comments on Mugens CS.....I wouldn't buy a ninja or a mugen anyway.....

in fact, its not the first time I've heard this...probably explains why after 10 years, and 135 RC cars.....I don't own 1 mugen.....

rmdhawaii

iTrader: (4)

Straight from the warranty section of the documentation CD...

WARRANTY
This engine has been produced using high technology materials and maximum precision machines. However, you have to consider that the severe conditions prevailing during competitions and the use of fuel containing increasing quantities of nitromethane constitute situations that cannot be controlled by the manufacturer.
We therefore regret that we cannot extend our normal warranty conditions to this engine.

Roelof

So there is a normal warranty ? And that is ?
If a warranty says you may kill your mother in law when the product is broken you do believe that as well ?

Warranty can be different over the world, in Holland under EG laws warranty is a must for commercial products and is something between the shop and the customer regardless what the factory says. Problem is that shops are hiding behind the crappy warranty's of the factory and a lot of customers are taking that....

I know one distributor who says these are "high quality" racing engines and because of that there is no warranty while the factory has more tolerance. But I can buy this stuff as a toy and run it on full speed up and down in my 200 meter long street so I am not racing it, then I do have warranty ?

With simple investigation it is easy to see if the engine has runned to lean, with to high compression, had a wrong/short run-in proces, had a bad airfilter etc. so it should be easy to see if an engine has warranty or not.

And in this topic an engine even did not see the track at all must have warranty at any time, because it was a fault of the factory.