Pull Starter won't recoil

[Matt270]

Hey everyone,

I've just bought my first nitro rc car and for a week had no problems at all. broke the engine in and all seemed well but now I have a starter problem.

The car is a Thunder Tiger Tomahawk buggy with a pull starter. The problem I'm having is that the starter won't recoil at all while the glow-plug is installed. I am aware of flooding the engine and am sure this is not the problem as I have fully drained the engine. Without the glow-plug installed, the starter does recoil-albeit a little slowly but with it in, no chance.

I thought it may be a broken starter so went and bought a new one - installed it and am still having the same problem.

Could the engine be completely shot??? I hope not!!

Seems like there's just too much compression. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys.

 

[jon2]

I am not familiar with that engine but the concept is the same for nitro engines. They use a one-way bearing. Check to make sure that the one-way is not spun/shot and that is on the correct way.

 

[Scrogg]

Make sure the knot in the pullstart string on the spool is not rubbing the engine backplate. If it is, shove it in it's place and put a drop of glue on it. Lightly tighten the pullstart backplate bolts. they do not need to be cranked down. Use loctite of course.

 

[Matt270]

Thanks for the replies guys. I don't think it's the knot in the cord as it seemed to start all of a sudden with the old pull-starter. Seems more likely to be the bearing but I've no idea what I should be looking for!! Anyone know if there's a guide anywhere with pics?!! I'm glad none of you seem to think the engine's knackered - at least it should be fairly cheap to fix then!

 

[ThunderTiger]

Forgive my ignorance, but this sounds very strange; A starter that will recoil without the Glow Plug (GP) in, but wont recoil when the GP is in.

THE ONLY time I ever had the problem of a recoil starter not retracting was for only one of a handful of reasons

1) Broken or misaligned recoil Spring
2) unit tightened to hard onto backplate causing binding
3) Gummed up One way bearing (OWB)


from what you say the one way bearing is gummed up a bit and will not allow recoil. The only way to test that theory, is to take off the owb lay the unit on a flat surface and try pulling it and allow it, if it will to recoil. If thats all ok, tke off the owb noting which way on it goes, and drop it into a container with some nitro fuel. leave for 5 mins, then clean with a cloth, spray a little WD40 on the rollers and refit the whole lot back to the engine.

It should, and i state should, clear the problem up.

Hop it helps you.

 

[Matt270]

Thanks mate. You're quite right, the OWB was siezed. I took off the starter, cleaned up the OWB and refitted and I've had it started again now. The starter recoils fine ao looks like it's fixed the problem.

Thanks again for all your help. I know where to come next time something else goes wrong!!

 

[ThunderTiger]

No problem Matt270, no problem at all. Your thanks make it worth the effort. (Some people do not even bother thanking people).

Sadly, T/Tiger OWB's can and are a pain in the A$$ at times.

Most T/Tiger engines are of the same setup, so it all becomes easy. One thing to watch out for is that you dont run the engine and put it away without setting the piston to bottom dead centre otherwise you screw up the pinch of the cylinder.

 

[Morganmorris]

My string also will not recoil with or without the glow plug in, I can manually recoil it through the flywheel but every time i pull it it will not recoil.
Anybody know what I should do?
Many thanks

 

[GAJ]

Post #5 has the possible causes. Remove the pull start from the backplate, take it off slowly to make sure the spool stays inside the housing. Test it in your hands, lightly holding the spool in with you thumb. If it recoils it is fine, if it doesn't the spring is probably broken. If the pull start is ok, spin the hex shaft. Spinning one way will engage with the engine, spinning the other way should freewheel. If it does not, you will need to clean or replace the one way bearing.

 

[Meowzz]

Right so I have had this happen with my newly purchased pullstart. When tightened down it would not retract. Looking further into it, I put 3 2mm washers where the hex nut would sit to push the shaft firmly up against the backplate and making the string a little shorter. This helps to have a tighter coil thus allowing this to recoil when firmly screwed down. The washers won't be nessasary with this but shortening the string will, on new pullstarts the coil hasn't properly taken shape.
Hoped this helped with anyone else looking on this thread




My xtm xst & Hobao hyper 7 tq

 

[ninnon]

Try tapping the casing, sometimes it causes it to go back in, Remember not to pull the pullstart too far out.

 

[Rolex]

Original thread was 2010.
What is this, today? Antiques Roadshow?

 

[ninnon]

Original thread was 2010.
What is this, today? Antiques Roadshow?

You have Antiques Roadshow in the US?

 

[GAJ]

There is a US version of Antiques Roadshow. In Canada, we get both the US and UK versions periodically.

 

[Rolex]

You have Antiques Roadshow in the US?

It's been running here for well over 20 years. They go to different cities around the country. About 6 months ago I had a painting appraised by their reps.
It wasn't their TV show but just a preliminary for it. They had a video setup in case something really interesting showed up. There were about 20-25 appraisers with different areas of knowledge such as jewelry, dolls, art, knicknacks, etc. It cost $15 dollars per item and often they would have multiple people check out the item while searching their data bases.
I had a 4' x 3' mantel oil painting and it was appraised for $900.

 

[GAJ]

I must admit, I enjoy the UK one most probably as it is my heritage ( I was born in Greenwich).
Does Pheona Bruce still host? I thought she did a good job.

We use to get Bargain Hunt with David Dickinson, and more recently, Salvage something or other with the guy from Wales.

Good job on your painting, congratulations.

 

[cbaker65]

Ah ,yes ,the antique road show ,me & the wife use to watch that!..

 

[Rolex]

Here's a picture of the picture on the wall. I'm off the wall.

 

[ninnon]

I must admit, I enjoy the UK one most probably as it is my heritage ( I was born in Greenwich).
Does Pheona Bruce still host? I thought she did a good job.

We use to get Bargain Hunt with David Dickinson, and more recently, Salvage something or other with the guy from Wales.

Good job on your painting, congratulations.

Yes, she still does. We have Dickinsons real deal now, and Tim Wonacott hosts bargain hunt, however he hasn't appeared in the last few for some reason. Where did you move to, from the UK?

 

[Certified Mike]

@Rolex. Would be WAY cooler if the plane was actually flying!