Originally Posted by
fyrstormer
Any engine takes any glowplug as long as it screws into the cylinder head. All that matters is whether the engine runs smoothly. I start with medium plugs and adjust from there. I have two engines that take hot plugs, one is tiny (.08 cubic inches) and the other runs in freezing-cold weather. An engine that spends most of its time above 50% load in warm weather will probably need a medium-cold or cold plug, though a medium plug may assist with break-in to keep the engine running while the fuel mixture is rich. I prefer O'Donnell plugs, because the coils glow brighter than other brands I've tried (to help with startup), but they don't burn out any faster.
Don't believe anyone who tells you that you absolutely must run a specific brand of glowplug, or that you can never change the brand or heat-range once you've broken-in the engine. Nitro glowplugs all use the same technology, just use whichever brand is convenient for you to get your hands on, and figure out which heat range works best for your application. When you change brand or heat-range you'll need to double-check the engine temperature every couple minutes and tweak the fuel mixture as necessary for the first couple runs, but there's absolutely no reason you *can't* change plugs any time you want.
Nope. Each manufacturer has a slightly different taper.
Novarossi is compatible with OS and vice versa. PICCO is PICCO. If you put a Novarossi or os plug in a PICCO engine you'll screw the head. I don't know the taper on an o'donnel plug however I wouldn't use these just because they glow brighter
The plug selection is CRITICAL to the performance of the engine. You MUST select a plug with the right body length and coil type/temperature to match the engine size as well as application and level of nitro in the fuel. For example you would use a long body hotter plug in an offroad .21 whereas you'd use a cooler shorter body plug in a .21 onroad engine (for the same amount of nitro). Less nitro - hotter plug. More nitro - cooler plug. Bigger engine - cooler plug.
With regards to the Runner Time oil package well this is a closely guarded secret as with most of the Top Brand fuels. They will tell you the total oil percentage and that it is a mix of caster and/or synthetic lubricants but almost certainly will not tell you how that oil is blended. Runner Time use a mix of caster and synthetic and the results speak for themselves. Meccafuel and Maxima are also extremely good fuels for the same reason. If an engine is squeaky clean after running then chances are the fuel is fully synthetic which isn't a good thing.