Nitro Car Won't start :(

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cobrahc1

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So, I'm tired, dirty and frustrated. My nitro buggy is about 3 months old, and I've basically played every weekend since I got it. A few weeks ago, I realised it was easier to start when heated, so I began doing that every time. However, today, after pulling out the head to clean and reinstalling it, the buggy wouldn't start, even after I heated it for a long time. I noticed the pullstart was slightly stiff, but pulling out the glow-plug to release the fuel didn't help at all. It didn't even sound like it was firing. What's wrong??

PS: before you ask, I checked the glow plug and starter, and everything else seemed fine.

**Kyosho Inferno Neo 2.0
 
When you say "pull of the head" do you mean take out the glow plug?
Did you break in the engine too, as per the instruction manual? First I'd check whether fuel is getting into the carburetor, if so, re-check the glow plug- take it out and put it on the glow igniter, it should glow bright red towards the base and white hot towards the top. Then, check that the idle is set correctly (1-2mm gap) After that, try pulling the engine over again, it should start if all those things are set correctly.
 
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It sounds to me like the engine is wore out. When you had the dead off did you check to see if the piston was sloppy in the cylinder? If you got dirt in the engine or ran it lean that would prematurely wear the piston to ware.
 
It sounds to me like the engine is wore out. When you had the dead off did you check to see if the piston was sloppy in the cylinder? If you got dirt in the engine or ran it lean that would prematurely wear the piston to ware.
True, but in this case the engine is only 3 months old, and, unless dirt got in the engine, it would not be worn out. He also mentioned that it was still stiff to turn over, showing that there is still compression, meaning that the engine hasn't been worn out.
 
Actually, it should be well beyond red. It should be from bright orange to yellow. Red is often 2 dim to start most engines.
Even white hot towards the top I'd say.
 
thanks for the replies guys, I really appreciate it :)

to respond to some of you, yes the engine has been broken in properly, and has run fine for pretty much 3 months. by head, I mean the cooling head / heat sink.
i think one thing that may have caused this is my tendency to fill the lines with WD-40 after use as after-run oil. can anyone tell me if this causes difficulties for the engine to start?
 
Make sure you didn't lose the shim under the cooling head and also try pulling out the glow plug and put a few drops of fuel directly into the engine just to see if it even wants to fire up, let alone stay running for now. It sounds like the compression is good and that you're seeing fuel running through the line from the tank to the carb when you're priming her up so that's a very good sign. Putting WD40 through the fuel lines won't effect it too much unless your leaving it inside the fuel lines, just buy some extra fuel line and change it when you feel it's needed instead of "treating" the old ones. Also pull the pipe off and blow through it just to make sure it's clear (if the fuel line is priming it's probably clear). Check the glow plug like the guys were saying to do. If the fuel poured directly into the engine works to start her up and she dies out quickly it's more than likely your carb or fuel lines. Broken and/or worn clutch springs can cause issues like that too. If she fires up but dies out when you hit the gas then check the clutch springs and shoes then try swapping the carb from another engine if you have one. Just a few ideas I thought I'd throw out there. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress withfixing this issue.
 
thanks for the replies guys, I really appreciate it :)

to respond to some of you, yes the engine has been broken in properly, and has run fine for pretty much 3 months. by head, I mean the cooling head / heat sink.
i think one thing that may have caused this is my tendency to fill the lines with WD-40 after use as after-run oil. can anyone tell me if this causes difficulties for the engine to start?
How were you getting WD-40 in the fuel lines? I wouldn't use that as anything but a light oil as it dries as a gummy residue. AsKris407 said, make sure you haven't lost the shims and try putting some fuel directly into the glow plug hole. :)
 
I would usually just squirt some WD-40 directly into the fuel line into the carb (there's just a short fuel tube into the carb) :) Do the shims make a difference to starting the engine? I think I accidentally bent one, but it wasn't bent badly. Could this have been the cause for the engine not starting??

By the way, thanks to all of you for the help. I'm a noob so thank you for chiming in with your opinions!!
 
I would usually just squirt some WD-40 directly into the fuel line into the carb (there's just a short fuel tube into the carb) :) Do the shims make a difference to starting the engine? I think I accidentally bent one, but it wasn't bent badly. Could this have been the cause for the engine not starting??

By the way, thanks to all of you for the help. I'm a noob so thank you for chiming in with your opinions!!
The shims are under pressure when mounted, so that shouldn't be the issue. Did you re-install the cooling head properly? Also, why did you spray WD-40 in the fuel lines?
And also, the help is fine, it's what we're here for. :)
 
Are there any common mistakes that people make when reinstalling the cooling heads?? Does a twisted orientation affect this? I sprayed the WD-40 in as a way to flush out excess fuel in the lines after every run, since i heard that nitro gets gummy after being left in the lines too long. I flush out the engine, carb and fuel tank with WD-40 after every run.
 
Are there any common mistakes that people make when reinstalling the cooling heads?? Does a twisted orientation affect this? I sprayed the WD-40 in as a way to flush out excess fuel in the lines after every run, since i heard that nitro gets gummy after being left in the lines too long. I flush out the engine, carb and fuel tank with WD-40 after every run.
The actual part that keeps the compression is the head button, this is a separate part to the cooling head. The rotation of neither should make a difference, as long as all holes line up and you've tightened the screws sufficiently, and roughly equally. Flushing out the lines with wd-40 is a bad idea, wd-40 will gum up more and faster than fuel, most fuel in the lines will return to the tank anyway- I recommend running the car fully out of fuel before using again. I would run some fuel through the lines, clean the carb, test the glowplug and then try to start it. :)
 
How would you clean the carb? Somehow i have a feeling that the carb is causing the engine to not start properly.
 
sv-idle adjust.jpg

The brass part will come out, and with it is the needle valve. Unscrew the needle when the valve is out and flush some fuel through it then blow it out. Reset the needle to factory spec and try to start it.
 
If you want to do a more through job, I'd take the whole carb off and spray non residue cleaner through the nipple where the fuel line attaches to- this will clear the needles as well as clearing any other debris that could be in the way- although either way is fine. If you want to save yourself the hassle you can try priming the engine whilst the glow plug is out and seeing whether fresh fuel is entering the cylinder.
 
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