New Savage x 4.6 starting pin spring broke!

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RCFool525

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Hello, I bought a new HPI Savage x 4.6 a week ago and after 4 tanks of fuel I tried to start it and found that the turning the input for the nitro start would not turn the crank. I took it apart and found that the starting pin spring was broken. Anyone have this trouble before? Whats the cause?

I have to say getting this thing started the first time was a pain. It took forever and I finally had to hook my cordless drill to starting shaft to get it to turn faster and it finally started.


I have called HPI and couldn't get thru and I have emailed them and haven't received a reply yet. I realize that I probably shouldn't have taken the back plate off of the engine without the go ahead from hpi, but whats done is done. To be honest after buying a HPI crawler king, and now this savage and being disappointing with both of them, I am probably done with hpi.

I have always been a traxxas guy, but hpi seems to take crashes better, but that being said I have never had a traxxas fail me by the fourth tank of fuel. I am kinda wishing I would have bought a Tmaxx.....

I should add it has an F4.6 engine.
 
Starting a new engine is a pain in the rear because of the tight fit of the piston,an also
it has the rich fuel setting for break-in period.There for,its hard on everything,the
starter & piston rod.
I always start my new engines with the glo-plug loosened up,then after it starts,I pull
glo igniter,an tighten.
 
I did loosen the glow plug to get it to crank easier and I also preheated the engine with a hair dryer, I could see if I snapped the starting pin, but the spring broke on one end, I'm not sure how the spring had any undue stress on it. Anyway.... Its been 3 business days and no word from hpi so I am just going to replace the spring and see what happens. I will post results here,

I am also going to change to the clutch bell and spur to get a lower gear ratio while I have the engine out. I am not interested in going the 45 mph stock gearing will get you and the clutch was getting really hot while driving the truck while breaking it in because I think its geared too high, and the clutch slips a lot while breaking it in just putting around. I plan on running in gravel and grass with hills so the lower gear ratio is what I am after.


Thanks!
 
I did loosen the glow plug to get it to crank easier and I also preheated the engine with a hair dryer, I could see if I snapped the starting pin, but the spring broke on one end, I'm not sure how the spring had any undue stress on it. Anyway.... Its been 3 business days and no word from hpi so I am just going to replace the spring and see what happens. I will post results here,

I am also going to change to the clutch bell and spur to get a lower gear ratio while I have the engine out. I am not interested in going the 45 mph stock gearing will get you and the clutch was getting really hot while driving the truck while breaking it in because I think its geared too high, and the clutch slips a lot while breaking it in just putting around. I plan on running in gravel and grass with hills so the lower gear ratio is what I am after.


Thanks!
Sweet...I think once youve got past your break-in,your engine will become easier to start,an
becoming more easier on the starter.
An I also agree with the gear change,I'm not into hitting rough terrain with overkill speed either...
 
UPDATE

Hpi got back to me and told me to send the engine in, by then I had already replaced the pin and spring. I found no foreign material in the crankcase and I determined that I had retrieved the broken spring and nothing was left behind. The truck is running great now and I just about got it tuned where I want it. I decided not to send the engine in.

I put a 13T clutch bell on with a 52T spur and it was geared a bit too low (I went extreme, I know..), so I put the 47T spur back on with the 13T clutch bell and it seems close to where I want the gearing.

I will probably end up getting a 15T clutch bell at some point.

Thanks for the help!
 
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