Nitroholic

One question....has the buggy ever run well? Is this something that it has started doing, or is this a new purchase that has not co-operated when you tried to make it go? Didn't ought to be fuel around the base of the engine, but if you have a fuel leak there are limited numbers of places it is coming from. Check and see if it is actually leaking or just running rich and throwing it out hte exhaust to drip back into the car. You may just need to tune the car properly...but a bit more info about hte problem would help!

Does sound like it was a fuel supply issue. Swapping over hte fuel banjo probably was the cure. It sounds as though you had more fuel outside the engine than in! The exhaust would have been pressurising the tank, and blowing fuel out over the motor. Main thing is, you are up and running!

Also, is the smoke on flat out running, or under acceleration? The pickup may be smoky and poor, but flat out running clean. It sounds as though it it is not the high speed running that is off here, but the pickup.

If hte shoes are not releasing then that can do it. Nitro engines spin fast and have relatively little flywheel mass, so it doesn't take much to stall them compared to a larger engine. If the shoes are grabbing you will get the car moving at idle, and tending to stall. Of course...poor idle can be down to a bad tune as well...it just won't go away with setting up. With your Condor though, when you took it to the Hobby shop to get a tune they should have noticed the problem as well if it was there then. If they could not set an idle speed without the wheels spinning it should have given them a clue. Unclip the pipe spring, undo 4 screws and the engine is out..one more and the clutch bell is off, and then they would know. It's a tricky thing to diagnose remotely, and many things can have the same primary symptoms with very different causes. Start with the obvious and work through them. Forums like this are a great place to pick up suggestions too. If you ask a question here it gets read by 20+ people who have all had similar things and all offer suggestions. Work through them. Lots of people here have owned Hypers and the number of people who can answer questions will be far greater. You want a simpler buggy made to a higher quality and not spend a fortune on it.

Once hte motor is broken in it should ease up. Engines can be tight to start with, and the heating with teh hair-dryer warms up and expands things to loosen them off. Once run in, this shouldn't be a problem.

Wheels not stopping on idle is due to an overly fast idle causing the clutch to engage. The result of a bad tune Rough running everywhere else also down to a bad tune Stalling at idle was also down to a bad tune. Melted clutch shoes...er....I remember the video you showed where you were holding down the car and revving the motor. That'll do it. Basically, the clutch shoes are pushed outwards by centrifugal force until they rub against the inner face of the clutch bell. Rev hard enough and the friction generated gives you drive. When you prevent the car from moving ...say...by leaning on it until the chassis hits the deck.... the clutch shoes generate more and more friction as you rev generating more heat until the shoes melt or the motor stalls or both. In normal operation your car would be running and the shoes would be gripping the clutch bell not slipping and generating heat. Once you back of the gas, the springs pull the shoes away from the bell removing drive. Another way to overheat the clutch is to have a badly setup brake rod. As originally supplied my ST1 brake arm would be moved by the throttle arm when it reached full on. This would cause the brake to apply at full throttle...and that would cause a bit of unwanted stress in the clutch. In short...the motor was running badly and refused to take a decent tune, the buggy it was in was shoddy and unforgiving, and you were making a few rookie mistakes on top. A decent buggy would have run better in the first place, been more forgiving of rookie mistakes, and then you would have been a happy RC'er far quicker! Don't let one piece of junk put you off ...just buy something a bit more durable and go have fun. I'm busy teaching my eldest boy to drive RC with my old XT2 buggy. It spent half the afternoon upside down but still came back in one piece...well...apart from the antenna tube..that was in 2 pieces... I've set it up over-rich to start with to kill top end speed, leaning it off in steps as he got used to braking before turning hard. It still fires up easily, responds OK, and now it is getting more towards a correct overall tune it's really flying again and he loves it. It was utterly filthy by the time we were done .... as was he....and my ST1...which blows his into the weeds on top end and acceleration. Nitro buggies are brilliant fun when they are reliable. In fact..the only mishap was when the tube came off the fuel tank losing pressure and killing the motor on the Xt...and then...er...I ran over it with the ST1. At this point the antenna tube broke. Believe me, get yourself a proper buggy not a cut price budget job, and you will be glad you did.

Just curious really. I was out excercising the ST1 and teaching my eldest boy to drive the XT2 when I ended up watching the ST roll gently to a halt with the wheels unresponsive. 'bother' I thought, or something along those lines. Glad I have a failsafe built in that works...but surprised that the distance was not as far away as I would have hoped. A quick walk towards the buggy, and she picked up and carried on as she should. Never seen any range figures quoted. Also, how much does battery strength affect range? Power meter was showing around 11.2V but had dropped 2 11.0 by the time we ran out of fuel!

That's EXACTLY the sort of thing I am getting for mine. There will be handle on the end opposite the wheels so you can 'drag' it on the wheels, a strap to shoulder it and handles to carry it...plus a pocket or 2 fortoolls, odds and ends, etc. and all for a fraction of the cost of a 'branded' bag. Reckon that detachable shoulder strap might work for a car strap too.

Warming the paint ensures you get a smooth even misting. If the paint is too cold, you also get 'blooming' as the paint picks up moisture from teh atmosphere. You end up with a poor finish. You also want to make sure you spray in a warm environment for the same reason. If you are in a shed, get a heater out there and warm it up before you spray. If you are indoors..make sure you protect against overspray and have good ventilation. Otherwise it will be the last time you get to do that...... If you build up too thick a layer of paint too quickly it will run and 'sag' as the paint is very thin to allow it to spray well. Let each coat dry a few minutes before adding the next. Take it slow and carefully, and good results are not hard to get with spray cans. I've done a lot of airbrushing in the past, as well as spraying cars/bikes and just about everything except an RC car.... but the basic principles are all the same. Hope it goes well!

There is one VERY important thing I learnt about bearings on motorcycles, which is just as valid for RC stuff: consider...do HPI actually MAKE bearings. No..of course they don't. They buy them in, package tham and sell them on. They will be looking for a particular size and quality, but are not the people who make them. There is no reason why you can't find cheaper elsewhere by simply avoiding brand names. Make sure ALL the dimensions are the same, and make sure you get properly shielded ones. Open bearings will die in double quick time. You might also want to look at the old bearings and see if you can spot a makers name and part number on them, then search for that. You take a risk if the quality is poor, but you will avoid paying the extra to support the car maker buying in bearings, holding stock, printing and packaging and then turning a profit on spares.

I'm looking to do the same for mine. There are plenty of good-size bags out there, and you can get kitbags with wheels and a carry handle on the end. that's what I am looking for. Once I have thet I can hot-glue in some blocks of foam to locate the buggy and stop it falling about inside the bag or vinyl cover some thick carboard to make dividers. Not going to spend

The stock aerial is pretty short and barely pokes a few inches out the top of the Truggy. It's hardly worth cutting at all.

Presumably there is no need to mesh the pullstart cover if you fit an Outerwear pull-start cover though.

Once the beast is ordered, I can see myself spending a bit more money at MMr Largescale... I can get my air filter and outerwear covers there too.

Is this the one ? http://www.mmrlargescale.co.uk/shop/product/enc_clutch_drum_carrier_silver/

This is the clutch cover I am planning to get: http://www.mmrlargescale.co.uk/shop/product/ramtech_enclosed_carrier/ Front chassis plate : http://www.mmrlargescale.co.uk/shop/product/tr_hd_front_chassis_brace/ can anyone else fill in the gaps?

Don't suppose it ran all that well though Also...consider the amount of gunge that will be spattering all over the back of your car with no exhaust on. It won't blow out the side....it will just end up all over the place!

Yes you could. But.... The beadlocks are only £10, and the clutch plastic mounting is known to warp if it gets too hot resulting in the spur gear going out of synch and stripping. An alloy one solves the problem and it's easier to add it in when you build rather than take it all apart again to fit. Mesh mod is a must, as is a cover for the pullstart housing to keep the rocks and dust out. Improved filtration will mean your precious new motor lasts as long as possible too. You could buy all this stuff later on...but the mechanic in me says 'do it once and do it right'.

WD40 doesn't affect rubber, but some corrosion inhibitors have been known to. The rubber hardens. You basically want somewhere secure and safe with relatively constant conditions. My cars life in my shed ( brick not wooden ) in a nice steel lockable cupboard. I have made stands for the cars so they do not sit on the wheels with the springs compressed. When I say 'stands' they are actually sections of 4" drainpiping! Disconnect the batteries until you are ready to use them again. Also....always give them a good clean before you put them away. Then they are ready when you want them.

I'm seriously considering doing the same and getting a nice SS kit. As far as necessary upgrades go, I was looking at the following as a starter: Alloy clutch holder Mesh mod Outerwear cover for the filter and pullstart Silverback beadlocks Improved air filter Everything else I think I can live with 'till it breaks. I'm thinking mainly of parts that it would be easier to either fit as I build the kit, or things I want in place before I even start running in the motor.

Truggy all the way for me I have more fun mucking about with it, it handles the rough and smooth well, soaks up the bumps and generally handles pretty well. Of course, it will never be as nimble as a buggy, but for general fun it's my first choice!

Yup...I did just that. I looked at the parts I considered suspect, and priced up what they would cost to replace. I started with the engine and carb. The genuine item has a better carb, and the motor will be more robust and reliable. Cost to replace around

Hiks makes several good points ( as he did in my thread on a similar subject) and I think the bottom line is expectations. If you are only ever going to trundle gently round a grassy field, and never really push the buggy to it's limits, then you are unlikely to experience many faults with either. Likewise, careful maintenance and periodic refilling of the dif would probably make both last a lot longer as well. It's a question of what you want the buggy to do. Similarly, if you plan to drive over or through everything that gets in your way, no matter how tough or impossible, jump everything that offers a chance to get air, and generally ignore the throttle positions been idle and wide open, then you will probably break bits in both the genuine AND clones with equal regularity. Run any vehicle at it's limits and the repair bills will be piling up! Like most people, though, I probably fall somewhere in between the 2. Direct and unbiased comprisons from someone who has owned both are invaluable when it comes to making an informed decision. People who have clone and enjoy it will say 'buy a clone', while people who have only ever considerd the real thing will say 'buy real, the others a junk'. Again, the truth falls somewhere between the 2. I'm seriously considering throwing down a huge wad of cash on an SS, knowing right off that I will need to spend around another

My Thunder Tiger ST1 came with a .28, and the performance boost over the smaller engines is great fun. It just means you are stopping to refuel a bit more often... If you are looking for speed, acceleration and general fun, I would say go for the .28. There are downsides to it...but I wouldn't want to fit a smaller engine in the ST1

I'm a bit of a fusspot when it comes to cleaning:blush: Dust, leaves and dry stuff gets brushed out with a selection of old paintbrushes kept for the purpose. Mud gets more of a washing once the Rx is off and the engine/carb covered up. I also take off the wheels. Washing just means the brushes are used with washing up liquid and water. If it's really dirty, more bits get taken off. I would never resort to hosing without removing servo's, RX, engine carb and fuel tank/pipes. Once the main cleaning is done, a fine misting of WD40 and a wipedown with a clean rag to remove the excess. Clean all bolts and holes before re-assembly to make sure there is no muck on the threads, and then put it all back together. Bodyshells are hosed down to remove mud ( take it off first though... ) or WD40 used to remove oily exhaust residue and dust. I managed to find, a few years back, WD40 in a big 5Litre can ( non aerosol) with a little garden hand sprayer thing. It's a brilliant way to apply the stuff, and it lubricates, cleans and protects against rust like nothing else I know.