Guys,

My friend has today taken deliver of his shiney new Revo 3.3 from model sport however, the engine is really tight when it gets to TDC and it takes a lot of force to turn it over. Before knowing this he tried to start it and nothing happened, now it appears the EZ start motor is FUBAR!

Is it normal for a new engine to be so tight?

We have check all the continuity on the wiring and checked power is being supplied to the motor.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as it is like someone came in on christmas day and pissed on the tree!

Cheers, Chris

All engines are super-tight when you first run them. Sounds like its locked the piston in place before amy fuel could get to it to lubricate it. Take out the glo-plug and drip a few drops of oil (not fuel) in th top. Then try and work the flywheel back and forth by hand. It should then free up the piston. Then re-fit your glo-plug but when its tight, unscrew it slightly, before you try and start it. When you then turn the engine over, put your finger over the exhaust to draw some fuel up, (you should be able to watch it move up the fuel line). Then try starting it with the glo-plug loose and it should fire. (Don't forget to follow the run-in procedure. Fail to do this and your engine won't last long). When the engine is running, you can then fully tighten the glo-plug.

It may also help if you heat up the engine with a hair-dryer (don't laugh, it does work) this will help it start more easily!!


Hope that helps!! :thumbs_up:

+1 :thumbs_up:

+2 look like just about everything was covered :thumbs_up:

+3 :you're_the_man:

Cheers guys will give it a go in the morning, just finished watching Raiders of the lost arc and now we can't be arsed. Will let you know how we get on.

Ok so, the EZ start motor still wouldn't turn over today. So we took the motor and the gearbox off the back of the engine and still nothing so we stripped it down. The motor works and we assembled the gearbox one gear at a time and tried it and lo and behold it all worked... strange been as though all we did was take it apart. So the rain came and we left it.

Just went back outside to try it and the engine turns over to the point at which it jams, then the battery pack, clever little bugger, cuts the power to save the starter motor. We heated up the engine and undid the glow plug a little before we tried.

The flywheel will turn until the piston gets to the top, it feels like when the con rod goes under the piston, the flywheel clicks into place and its really hard to turn. if you force it round the piston starts to come back down and its nice and loose, until it gets back to the top?

We are thinking its going back in the box and on its merry way back to modelsport if no one has any more ideas. The EZ start motor wont turn over again now by the way and I aint getting that off again as the suspension arm is in the way and that was a right game to get off. Someone should tell traxxas they shouldn't make spanners out of aluminium!

If a brand new engine didn't feel that tight at the top, then something is seriously wrong. Have you managed to get any oil into the piston?

All engines are very tough to turn over by hand at the top. Top grade engines are nearly impossible.

Loosen the plug, add some oil, heat the head and get the piston moving before you add power from your glow-starter. Be sure that the fuel has run through. If you've loosened the plug and the fuel starts to pump out then you've flooded it. Remove the plug completely and spin the engine till all of the excess fuel clears out of the head.

When you try and start it, keep the plug slightly loose, make sure your glow-starter is fully charged and leave it on for 30 secs to add some heat to the chamber.

Starting a nitro engine takes a certain 'knack'. Its just something you gotta learn to 'feel'. Difficult to explain it but if you still don't have any luck, take it to your local hobby shop and get them to start it. Once you see someone else do it, you see what I mean!! :thumbs_up:

Any ideas why the ez start keeps konking out though?

Its a safety mechanism to stop it breaking when you flood the engine! :thumbs_up:

I am sure its not flooded becuase it wont turn over and the glow plug isn't in.

We put a couple of drops of after run oil on the piston still no go :s

Where are you ???

Maybe someone on here could meet you and offer some Help...


:thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up:

Thanks for the offer dude, but we are about to go see the new Indiana Jones movie :)

Will probably take it to the local model shop tomorrow if its open.

Strange how the ez start completly dies but when we took it off it was fine...

Witout sounding Condescending in anyway....

I didn't really meen Last Night anyway. I meant at some point, maybe Today. You never know, you might be 10 Minutes up the road from someone on here and they could meet you and get it Sorted.

It's Not Strange how it Dies and then Works.... If you Read the Manual... You'll see that's what it's Designed to do. It has an Inbuilt Overload Protection. As stated by Luke already.

Your best bet is to take out the Glow Plug, turn it Upside Down, and let any Fuel come out.

Then put your Glow Plug Back In, but as it touches it's seat, Back it Off a Half Turn.

Connect the Blue Lead back up to the Glow Plug.

Then get a Hairdryer and Heat it up for around 3 Minutes, this should get it nice and Warm. I you've got a Temp Gun... Around 160'F.

This is where you've got 2 Choices....

Either get a Screwdriver and Turn the Engine over to Bottom Dead Centre. Or..

Whack the EZ-Start on and Go for it. Get the Engine Turning over, then put your Thumb over the exhaust. this will get the fuel into the Engine, take your Thumb Off the Exhuast and shortly after it Should Start or maybe just Try to Start. You just gotta keep on going till it does.

Then Follow Traxxas Instructions the rest of the way...

Hope this Helps again....


:thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up:

I understand that it cuts out it says on that DVD what was happening was it was cutting out like i said and then not working again... ever. Even when we move the piston to where it was loose the motor would'nt start up again.

Anyway, this morning my mate just stuck the battery pack on and pressed the button and the engine started turning over. Its just been standing all night?! Then it stopped again. We put the glo plug back in and still nothing, it resulted in a very technical love tap on the ez start motor and it burst into life.

Game set and match!

Sometimes the Negative (i think it is) Connector gets Damaged. It's a bit of a Shit Design... And therefore doesn't connect Properly.


:thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up:

This is all part of the 'feel' that I spoke about. Just stuff you gotta learn :P

Its a pain in the ass, but its how everyone gets on. I remember my first Nitro, took me ages to get it fired up, but when it did fire I learned the 'feel' and just aimed for that every time. :clap:

Then as you 'play' more often, you learn to 'read' your engine. This is all about how well it accellarate's, how much smoke its exhaust is producing and how hot its running. Its all part of the fun and the pay-off comes when you get it running at its absolute best and the engines truly 'sings' whilst at full throttle. :clap:

The condition of your glow-plugs will tell you a lot too. Just remember, your engine should always smoke (even at full throttle) and always use a temp gun to check how hot its running. 220F is about right. this will ensure you don't lean it out to much!! :thumbs_up:

Thanks for all the help guys

Just one of the many reasons why this forum is the best one around for RCing!!! :thumbs_up: