Help with Trackstar Supar .21 Engine
 

Hi Folks, I got my hands on a brand new Trackstar Supar on road engine and want to get it ready for the weekend.
However, I tried to break it in used a medium turbo spark plug from again - trackstar and it doesn't seems to be hot enough to keep the engine running. I used heat gun to heat it up 200F and it will start for a minute than shut down. I even keep my ignitor on the whole time and it will still die. When engine die off, the temp is around 180F, a little lower then before.... After two spark plug and I am ready to quit it for the day.
Any other recommendation to break this in?

Glow Plugs not Spark Plugs. Another thing, You need a fully charged Igniter. Alkaline batteries a fresh batteries, NiMh fully charge or overnite. Medium Glow Plug is enough.

Right, Glow plug... because these don't spark:lol:
I did use a fresh alkaline batteries on the igniter but it doesn't seems to help.
Maybe the TrackStar glow plugs were just sh*t...:confused:
I'll try to get some OS tomorrow and try again.

Any other suggestions???????

What Igniter you using? A cheap double AA Battery? Get a Sub-C Igniter it last longer. I lived in SoCal 25yrs and medium plug is good enough. Those AA batteries your lucky to get 4 starts. Sub-C charge overnite.

I tried AA batteries igniter, D size igniter and I also fabricated a 2x AA batteries igniter.
Nothing work....

What fuel are you using?
You are sure there is no binding in the clutch?
You are sure the engine is not running too rich?

It is possible you got a bad glow plug, although I have had good experiences with Trackstar turbo glow plugs. Try another one just in case. If you tried all those different igniters, it is safe to assume that isn't the problem. The next thing could be your carb settings- maybe it is way too rich?

At 180deg probably running rich, Does it stall when you give it throttle? or just stall right away. Yes could be GP, but use the mid range plug. Check with igniter, a orange to bright yellow is good enough.

Where in SoCal you located? From LA to San Diego medium plug to start ok.

I am in LA area.
Seems like I must be running too rich.
However, I did open up quite a bit on idle needle for it to idle for that less than one minute run time.
I will try lean it out to see what happen.
Thanks!

What your throttle airgap? Should be 1mm. HSN start at 3.5 from close LSN Flush. Turn HSN till it doesn't stall. givig throttle
then turn down the idle.

Where do you run on-road now in LA? Only track there once a month at GLARCRC.

GLARCRC is 2nd and 4th weekend. Show up on this Saturday or Sunday and someone will help you

That's where I will be tomorrow!!!
I was gonna break in the engine for tomorrow but seems like I will need to do it onsite.

By the way, I can't find any place locally that sells a medium turbo glow plug. Anyone can sell me a few tomorrow???

Try Pacific Coast Hobbies on 1747 Pacific Coast Highway in Lomita. Near Artesia Train Station. Or Gizmo's in Burbank off of Buena Vista and Burbank Blvd.. on the web Tower Hobbies, New store in Rancho Cucamonga, delivery one day in CA, UPS/

I called PCH in Lomita and HP in Lawndale, both store don't have turbo plug in medium, just hot for off road.
Hope I will have better luck at the track today.

Where Area of LA are you?

I am in Torrance.

Thanks to Paul and Dave at GLARCRC today, I was able to get it started and got a little bit of run time. Unfortunately, rain stopped me from fully breaking in the engine.
Time to order up some spare glow plugs now... ( and a proper igniter )

By the way, I was using a hot turbo plug and the engine started right up!
Today's weather definitely called for a hot plug.
Engine temp never get over 220F after running at track
I did two tank at idle first, temp was around 150F
Did half throttle around the track a few times, let it cool in-between runs.
Did 3/4 throttle around the track a few times then came the rain.....

Good you went to hotter plug since it rained. heat ranges changes timing of engine, and depending on % of nitro. What fuel are you using? Good you get away with AA & D igniters. GLARCRC guys use the Sub-C Igniters, Mine Sub-C igniter uses a 1100mah battery, I use a 3800mah tenergy battery, it last longer & a hotter glow(bright yellow) of Glow Plug.

Usually you dont change the temp range of the plug for the temperature, unless its really hot. Just use the plug that runs good for your engine and stick with it, regardless of the weather. I suspect that the problem you were having had nothing to do with the type of plug, probably had to do with the tune of the engine.

Not realy true.

The ignition timing is depending many factors like head clearance, nitro content, plug number and outside temperature.

If one of the factors is changing and it goes off the ideal ignition timing you should compensate with another. Most of the times the nitro content is compensated with the headshims and the outside temperature is compensated with the plugnumber.
And yes changing one of these factors without a reason will cause a different operating tamperature due a shifted ignition timing.

If the temperature of the engine is too low and the engine does not run properly then the ignition timing is too late.

It was mid 60sF yesterday in LA...

I know about weather in LA, Oxnard and Camarillo. Know about running in Thailand, the 8 last years, running in Vegas. Know about engine react in ambient temps. Something you learn with the hobby.

Yes probably the turn. A lot of newer nitro guys, they expect the engine to run like it suppose to. Just have patience. Best place since in Torrance is PC Hobbies cuz its close, another is Hobby People on South St, Lakewood. Kamikaze Toy and Hobbys in Cerritos would of been a good place. Samuel and I competed at the Ranch Pit, Pomona in the 80's. I don't know if he's there or not, online says he's not there anymore.

Alright, just a little update on the TrackStar Supar engine if anyone cares for it.

After a few more runs and adjustment (not race tune yet) the engine is running very strong and got plenty of punch more so than my RTR force .28. As you can see I don't have much to compares to...
I end up buying a new sub-c glow plug igniter from Tower and it helps tremendously!!! If you are new to the hobby like me, this should be the first thing you buy. Your chance of getting the engine started will be much higher.
The engine sounds a little rough when cold but after warm up, it has that high rpm, high pitch sound I heard from others high-end engine. More like a F1 engine compares to a NASCAR engine.
Now time will tell how it will perform under stress and the longevity of it.