Arrow Shark Octane45 2012 Sport Version User manual

55”Octane45InstructionManual
2012SportVersion
Itisvitallyimportantthatyou readthismanual thoroughlytoobtain thecorrect
setupandthesafest,mostrewarding operation ofyourArrowSharkRCBoat.
Pleasestudythemanualcarefullybeforeattemptingtoworkonoroperateyour
boat.
Safety Precautions
* This is a high performance radio controlled boat  it is not a toy. Adult supervision is
requiredforchildrenwhoshouldbewarnedaboutthedangersofplayingwithgasengines,
fastspinningpropellersandofbeingincloseproximitytowater.
*Thisboatiscontrolledbyradiosignalswhicharesusceptibletopossibleinterferencefrom
other transmitters, paging systems and other sources of electrical noise. Before turning on
yourradiotransmitterandreceiver,makesurethatnooneelseintheareaisoperatingaradio
onthesamefrequency(channel).
*Afterturningonyourradio,watchitcarefullytoensurethatitisoperatingcorrectlyandnot
beingaffectedbyinterference.Carryoutarangecheckasadvisedbytheradiomanufacturer
to ensure you will be able to maintain control of your boat at your planned maximum
operatingdistance.
*Alwaysfita"FailSafe"devicesothatyourengineisstoppedshouldtheradioencounter
interference, gooutof range or have its battery goflat. Some radioshave inbuilt Fail Safe
systems,butothersdonot.Theycanbepurchasedseparatelyatanygoodhobbyshop.
*Whentheengineisrunning,thepropellercanspinathighspeed.Nevertouchthepropeller
anytime the engine is running. Be very careful that any item such as loose clothing,
shirtsleeves, ties, scarves, long hair or anything else does not get anywhere close to the
propeller, even when it is stationery. If the clutch engages, the propeller can start to spin
withoutwarningandlooseclothingetccanbecomeentangledandcauseinjury.

*Thespeedandmassofthisboatcaninflictpropertydamageandseverepersonalinjuryifa
collisionoccurs.Neverrunthisboatinthepresenceofswimmersorwherethepossibilityof
collisionwithpeopleorpropertyexists.
*Modelenginesgenerateconsiderableheat.Donottouchanypartofyourengineuntilithas
cooled.Touchingthecylinderheadoranypartoftheexhaustsystemmayresultinaserious
burn.
*Gasolineispoisonous.Donotallowittocomeintocontactwiththeeyesormouth.Always
storefuelinaclearlymarkedcontainerandoutofthereachofchildren.
*Gasolineisextremelyvolatile.Neverallownakedflameoranypossiblesourceofignition
nearyourboat.Beverycarefulwhenrefuellingyourboat.
*Thisboatissetuptoracingstandards.Ifyouarestartingfromscratchatdrivingafastboat,
get a more experienced driver to take your boatout for thefirst few times. When you are
initially going faster, do so on clear waters away from other boats and with your more
experienced driver close by to giveadvice and support. If you don't know an experienced
driver, findan RCBoat Club in your areaandjoinup. Mostclubswelcome newmembers
and nearlyalways haveexperienced driverswho will help you. It's more funrunning your
boatswithotherstoo.
Step1:AccessoriesCheck

#1:ArrowShark Aluminum BoatStand
#2:AS6717/3ModProp
#3:RudderBlade
#4:FlexibleShaft&DriveDog
#5:TurnFins
#6:Antenna&Mount
#7:PropNut
ToolsRequired
Youwillneedthefollowingtoolsanditemstocompletetheinstallation:
#1:PhillipsScrewdriver
#2:Scissors
#3:WireCutter
#4:HexWrench(1.5mm,2mm,4mm)
#5:Spanner(7mm,8mm,16mmx2)
#6:SparkPlugSpanner
#7:Loctite
#8:ShaftGrease
#9:LubricatingOil
#10:Zip Ties
Step 2: ArrowShark Aluminum DisplayStand Assembly
PackageContents
Parts Quantity
460mm Aluminum Tube 3
170mm Aluminum Tube 2
7mm Aluminum Tube 12
TeeJoin 6
90DegreeJoin 8
BottomProtectionFoam 2
Note:Usingepoxyglueorsimilartoconnectalljoinsandtubestogetheras
showninthepicturebelow.

FinishPicture
Step 3:RudderAssembly
*Takeouttherudderbladefromtheaccessorybagalongwithitsinstallationbolts;installit
totherudderarmaspictureshownabove,then,Connectthewatercoolingtubethatprojects
throughthetransom tothenippleonthetopoftherudderblade.

Step 4:TurnFinInstallation AndPerformanceTip
* There isapair of turn fins supplied in theaccessory bagalongwith mounting boltsand
nuts. The fins are a matched pair (left and right) and should be fitted to the boat with the
bevelledleadingedgeontheoutside(asinthephotoabove).
Note:Becarefulwhenfittingtheturnfinsastheyaresharpandcancausecutsorscratches.
Oncefitted,it'swisetowrapashortlengthofmaskingtape(orsimilar)aroundeachfinto
protectthesharpedge andtopreventthemscratchingyouorothers.Removethetapeonly
whenyouareabouttoruntheboat.
* On either side of the transom are preinstalled brackets. Slip one of the supplied bolts
throughaturnfinandthroughabracket.Startthenutontotheboltthenusea7mmspanner
toholdthenutanda4mmhexwrenchtoscrewinthebolt.Beforefinallytighteningthebolt,
positiontheturnfinasshownintheaboverightphoto.
*Repeatthisprocedurefortheotherturnfin.
PerformanceTips For Turn Fins
Turnfinshelpyourboatrunquicklyandsmoothlythroughaturn.Withbothhydrosanddeep
veehulls,theturnfingivesextragripinthewaterastheboatchangesdirection.Withdeep
veehulls,turnfinsarefittedsotheyprojectverticallydownwardasthehullbanksinaturn.
Thishelpsovercometheeffectoftherudderwhichisnolongerfullyverticalinaturn
causingtheboattoliftalittleatthebackandtodropatthefront.
Turnfinsadddragthough,andyoucanreducethattosomeextentbyanglingtheturnfin
furtherbacksothatlessofitextendsbelowthewaterline.Doingthisthoughobviously
reducestheeffectivenessofthefin.Anglingthefinisabalancebetweenturningabilityand
straightlinespeeddoitcarefullyandmakesmallchangesatatimetogetthebestsetupfor
yourboat.Youmayhavetochangetheturnfinsettingbetweencalmand
choppywaterconditions.

Step 5:FlexibleShaftInstallation
* The flexibleshaft that comeswiththepackage has been precutto theright length to fit
yourboat.Pleasegreasetheshaftwithlightweightmarinegreasebeforeyouinsertitintothe
Stingerdriveunitthathasbeenpreinstalledonthebackoftheboat.
*SlidethetopendoftheflexshaftthroughtheStingerdriveunitonthetransomoftheboat
andeaseitupthroughthestuffingtubeuntilitemergesjustbehindtheclutchonyourengine.
*Astheendoftheshaftcomesintoview,usearagtowipeoffanygreasesothattheshaftis
cleanasyouslipitintothedrivecolletontheclutch.
*Ensuretheendoftheshaftissecurelyinsidethecollet,thencheckthepropellerendofthe
shaftforcorrectclearancefromtheStingerasexplainedinthefollowingimportanttip.
*Withthecorrectclearanceset betweentheStingerand thethrust washer, usetwo 16mm
spannerstotightenthecolletandsosecurethetopendoftheflexshaft.Whenrunningyour
boat, frequently check that the collet is tight to avoid your flex shaft becoming loose and
possiblybeinglostinthewater.
Very Important TipForShaftInstallation
*WheninsertingtheflexibleshaftthroughtheStingerandupintothecollet,makesureyou
leave a 23mm gap between the back of Stinger and the face of thethrust washer on your
propshaft.Thisiscriticalfortheproperworkingandlonglifeofyourflexshaft.Whenthe
crankshaftacceleratesfromlowtohighspeed,itwillcausethecrankshafttostretchoutand
drawbackabit,takingtheflexshaftwithit.Ifthereisnofreespaceleftonthepropshaft,
whentheclutchbelldrawsbackitwillcreateastrainontheflexshaftthatcouldcauseitto
fail inaveryshorttime.
Step 6:PropInstallation And StingerAdjustment Tip

*The2012Sportversion Octane45comeswithAS6717/3Modprop, takeoutthepropand
propnutfromaccessorybagforthenextinstallation.
*Wesuggestcustomertousea6mmthreadboltnuttotightenthepropintotheflexibleshaft
beforetightenthepropnutforbettersecureofthepropduringperformance.
Note: the6mmboltnutisnotcomewith package; youwillneedtobuyitfromyourlocal
hardwarestore.
PerformanceTip
AdjustingtheanglesofyourStingerdriveandTrimTabsispartofthefunofdrivingyour
boat,andyoucanfinetuneitforbestperformanceinvaryingconditions.Theobjectiveisto
haveyourboatrunningwiththeleastamountofhulltouchingthewaterbutstillretaining
stability.
Thelessofyourhullthattouchesthewater,thelessdragandthehigherspeed.Butwithtoo
littlehullinthewater,theboatwillbecomelessstableandcouldoverturn.Ifthereistoo
muchhullinthewatersothebow(iethefront)isrunninglow,theboatissaidtoberunning
"wet".Iftheboatistoolightonthewaterwithonlyasmalllengthatthebackinthewater,it
issaidtoberunning"loose".
BeforeadjustingyourStingerorTrimTabs,youneedtocheckthatyourboatiscorrectly
balanced.Formonohulls,thatisusuallybetweenabout25%and30%ofthelengthofthe
boatfromthetransom.Soifyouhavea47inchboat,itshouldbalancebetween11.75and
14.1inchesfromtheback.Toobowheavyandyourboatwillrun"wet"andcouldbetwitchy
anddifficulttosteer.Toosternheavyandtheboatcouldbeunstableorrunwiththebow
risingandfallingwhichiscalled"porpoising".

Yourboathasbeencorrectlybalancedbythefactory,butifyouchangethelayoutofanyof
thecomponentsyoucouldaffectthebalance.Repositioncomponentsoraddweightto
regainthecorrectbalancepoint.
Ifyourboatiscorrectlybalancedandstillruns"wet"orwithmostofitshulllengthinthe
water,orifitsitstoolowattheback,youcantunethehulltoruncorrectlybyadjustingyour
propangle(ietheStingerdriveunit)or Trim Tabs.
Thesetwotechniquesareinterrelatedandyouneedtotryonethingatatimetoseetheeffect
ithas.Makesmallchangesonly justadegreeortwo thentryagaintofindtheresult.
Anglingthepropupwillliftthefrontofyourboatgenerallyresultinginlesshullinthe
waterandfasterspeed.Anglingtheproptoohighthoughwillcauseinstabilityandtheprop
may"ventilate"orspinwithoutgrippingbecauseit'stooclosetothesurface.
Anglingthepropdownwillliftthebackoftheboatandkeepmorehull inthewater
generallygivingmorestablerunningbutwithlessspeed.
Tryingdifferentpropangleswillfindtheonethatworksbestforyourboatin differentwater
conditions. Tostartwith,runastraightedgealongthebottomoftheboatprojectingoutthe
back,andsettheStingerdriveunitsothepropshaftisparallelwiththestraightedge.
Step 7:TrimTabAdjusting Tips
YourboatcomeswithasetofTrimTabspreinstalledonthetransom.Changingtheangleof
the trimtabshasasimilareffectaspropangle.Thebestapproachthoughistosetyourprop
anglefirst,thenadjustyourtabsmainlytosuitvaryingwaterconditions.
Ifthewateriscalm,youcananglethetabsupalittlesotheyareclearofthewaterandnot
causinganydragsogivingthefastestspeed.Inchoppywaterthough,youarelikelytowant
yourboattorunwithabitmorehullinthewater.Thisgivesmorestabilityandoftenafaster
overallspeedastheboatisrunningmoresteadilyandnot"bouncing"acrossthechop. By
anglingthetabsdown,youforcethefrontoftheboattoridelowerandsokeepmoreofthe
hullinthewaterforgreaterstability butsomelossofspeed.
ArrowSharktrimtabshaveasplitplate,anditsbesttoadjustoneplateononetab, thena
plateontheothertabsoyoucanseethatyou'rechangingbothtabsbythesameamount.
Thenadjusttheothertwoplatestorealignwiththefirstonesyoumoved.Youcanadjustjust
oneoftheplatesonatabforminorchangestotherideattitude.
Thepowerandhighrevsofyourenginemaycausetheboattorunwithaslightlist(ie
leaning)tooneside.Slightlyloweringonetab(orjustonetabplate)onthatsidewillhelpthe
boatrunlevel.

Step 8:ServoInstallation
PleasenotethatwedonotincluderadiosystemsinourRTRboatsasmostmodelersalready
havetheirownpreferredRCsystem. Thisapproachalsosavestheextracost thattheradio
wouldincur.However,wedorecommendcustomertoequipwellqualityof 2.4GHz typeRC
system withourRTRboatstoavoidtheboatoutofcontrolduringlostsignal,andsetthefail
safefunctionwithyourRCsystem.
Youwill needtoprovidethe followingitemstocompletethisinstallation.
#1:GoodQuality 2.4GHztransmitter(suchasFutaba,Sanwaetc)
#2:15kgMetalGearHiTorqueServox2(oneforthrottleandoneforsteering)
#3:2.4GHzReceivers
#4:ReceiverSwitch
#5:6VoltReceiverBattery (Rechargeable)
#6:Antenna&Mount(Comewithpackage)
Note:For2012versionRTRboats,wedon’t install theantennatotheboatsasweused
todobefore,so,customerscansettheantennapositionatany locationpreferred.
Note:Notshownintheabovephotobutstronglyrecommendedisa"FailSafe"unitthatwill
closethethrottleandstoptheengineinthecaseofaradiofailure.Someradiocontrol
systemshaveabuiltinfailsafe,butothersdonot.Askanexperienceddriverforadviceif
youarenotsureonthispoint.
Note:Beforeproceedingtoinstall theservosintotheboat,connectthemtoyourreceiver
alongwithabatteryandswitch.Turnonyourradioandcheckforcorrectoperationofyour
servos.Havetheservoscenteredandturnoffyourreceiverbeforeyouturnoffyour
transmitter.Thiswillleavetheservosatthecorrectpositionforconnectingtheservoarms
andpushrodsinyourboat.
Note:Whenoperatingyourradio,alwaysturnonyourtransmitterbeforeyouturnonthe
receiver,andalwaysturnoffthereceiverbeforeturningoffthetransmitter.Ifthereceiveris
onwhenthetransmitterisnot,itcanoperatewithunpredictableresults

InstallationDiagrams
*UnscrewtheCNCservoboxnutandtakeouttheclearcoverfromtheservobox.
*Installboththrottleandrudderservosintotheservotrayasshown.Positiontheservo
spindlesforthecontrolarmstowardthemiddleofthebox.
*Install theservoarmsontotheservoadaptors.
*Installtheswitch,withthewaterproofcoversupplied,intotheprovidedcutoutinthe
servoboxcover. Alsoinstall theantennamountatyourpreferredlocation.
*Placethereceiverandbatteryintheservobox andtightenthemwithzipties,Connectthe
servosandreceiverbattery/switch wirestothecorrectpositionsinthereceiver.
*Adjustyourthrottlelinkageandrudderlinkagecorrectlyfortheoperation,then,securethe
armstotheservoswiththescrewsthatcamewiththeservos.

Trimming YourThrottleFunction
* Adjustthepushrodsothatthecarburetorisfullyopenatfullthrottleandatareliableidle
whenthethrottleisatneutral.Youcanadjustyourthrottlelinkagewiththepushrod
connector or,ifnecessary,cutthepushrodshorter.Youmayneedtoadjustthislinkagewhen
youfirststartyourengine.
Note: Itmaytakesometrialanderrorwithboththepushrodandyourradiotrimand"EPA"
(EndPointAdjustment)functions,butyouneedtoendupwiththethrottlelinkagesetsothat:
1.Theengineidlesreliably,butnottoofast,whenthetransmittertriggerisatitsneutral
position.
2.Whenyoupullthetriggerfullyopenforhighspeed,theservomovementshouldfullyopen
thecarburetor barrel hole.
3.Whenyoupushthetriggerfullyclosed,theenginemuststop.
Note:Foryourfirstrunswerecommendthatyousetthethrottlebarrel toopen nomorethan
about3/4 ofthewayratherthanfullyopen evenwhenyourtransmittertriggerisatitsfull
speedposition.ThiswillhelpyoucorrectlyruninyourhighperformanceXP254Mengine.
Afterhavingsetupthethrottlelinkageasdescribedabove,usethe"EPA"functioninyour
transmitter torestrictthethrottlefromopeningmorethan3/4ofitsfullmovement.Afterthe
enginehasbeenfully runin,youcanresetthe"EPA"forthe throttlebutterfly tofullyopen
fortopspeed.
TrimmingYourSteeringFunction
Similarly,youneedtoadjustyoursteeringlinkageviathepushrodconnector toobtain the
correctrudder operation.Firstmakesureyoursteeringservoisinitsneutralposition,then
adjustthelength ofthepushrodsothattherudderiscentered.Ifnecessary,cutthepushrod
shorter.
Note:Werecommendusingthe"EPA"functiononyourradiotosettheruddersothatitturns
about2025degreeseitherway forbothleftandrightturning. Thiswillgivereliableand
stableturnsathigh speed.
* ThreadthereceiverantennawirethroughtheantennamountandClosetheboxcoverand
secureitwiththenutsremovedearlier.Installationcompleted!
Note:Ifyouusebiggersizeofbatterypackorreceiverwhichmightnotfitproperlyupon the
servotray,youcanmodifytheservotrayaspictureshownabovetofityourequipmentin
properly.

Step 9:BeforeOperating YourBoat
Fill TheGasTank
Thecapacity ofthisgastankis900cc.Opentheblackcap
andcarefullyfillthetankwithyourgasoilmixture.Wipe
awayanyexcessgasthatmayhavespilledintotheboat.
Werecommendusing87or90octaneregularpumpgas.
Mixthatwith 100%synthetichighqualitytwostrokeoilat
aratioof25:1(4%ofoil). Agoodqualityoutboardengine
oil isadvisableasitcontainsanticorrosionadditives.
FillTheShaftLubrication OilCup
Your boatisfittedwithalubrication oilcupon the Tbar
thatsupportsthetopendoftheflexshaft.Itprovides
fulltimelubricationfortheshaftwhichisespecially
beneficialduringlonghighspeedruns.Fillthecupwitha
goodqualitylubricatingoil youcanusethesameoilthat
youusetomixthegas.
ConnectionCheck
Beforeyoustarttheengine,pleasecheckallconnections
andensuretheyarefullytightenedandsecured.Ifanyof
them areloose,itmightcausetheboattooperate
incorrectly.Inparticular,checktheenginemountbolts, the
rudderbladebolts, throttleandsteeringpushrod
connectors, thepropnut,exhaustboltsandtheclutch
systembolts.Beforerunningandbetweenruns,frequently
checkthattheflexshaftcolletistight otherwisetheshaft
couldflyoutofthecolletathigh enginerpm andcause
damage.
WaterCoolingLineCheck
Lackofcoolingwatercanquickly causetheengineto
overheatandbedamaged.Alwayswatchforleaksinthe
coolingsystem.Becomefamiliarwiththecoolingsystem
asshowninthefollowingdiagramandconfirm thatallthe
waterlinesarecorrectlyconnectedbeforestartingyour
engine.

Step 10:Starting the Engine
1:Startingtheengine
Before starting your engine, make sure that it is securely mounted in your boat with
appropriate fuel and exhaust systems. Read through all the following instructions before
starting.Ifyourradioisinstalledandyourthrottleservolinkedtotheengine,ensurethatthe
carburetor controls operate as explained in the “Carb Settings” section. If the engine is
connectedtoyourflexshaftdriveandpropeller,checkthattheyareproperlyalignedandthat
duecareistakentokeepeverythingwellclearoftheprop.Rememberthatthepropisvery
sharp,andalsothattheengineandexhaustwillgetquitehotwhenrunning.Donotrunthe
engineformorethanaminutewithoutasupplyofcoolingwater,andneverruntheengineat
morethanlowrevswiththeboatoutofthewater.
The 2012 sport version of Octane45 comes with an M39 ProMod barrel type racing
carburetorwhichdoesnothaveaprimerbulb,chokeorreturngaslinelikethemorecommon
WT644orWT711carbiesthatareusuallyfittedtostockZenoahorCYengines.TheM39
carb gives ultimate performance but does require a different starting procedure. Having
preparedyourengineandboatintheusualway(withfullregardtoallsafetyaspects),and
havingfilledyourfueltank,followthesestepsforeasystarting:
l Manuallychoketheenginebyblockingthecarbintakeventuri withyourthumborfinger
andslowlypullthestarterropeafewtimes.TheM39venturiismuchlargerthanother
carbies, so you may need to wear a glove for your thumb or finger to fully seal the
venturiforeffectivechokingoftheengine.
l Checkthatfuelisbeingsuckedalongthegaslineuptothecarb;continueslowlypulling
the starterrope until thegas line isclear orbubblesand you can feel fuelwetting your
thumborfinger.
l Removeyourthumborfingerfromthecarbandopenthethrottleabitlessthanhalfway.
l Slowlypullthestarterropeonemoretimetochecktheengineisnotflooded(seebelow).
l Smartlypullthestarterropeintheusualwayuntiltheenginestarts.
l BringthethrottlebacktoasteadyidleDONOTallowtheenginetooverrevasthiscan
causedamage.
Iftoomuchfuelissuckedintotheengineasyouchokeit,theenginewillbefloodedandwill
notstart.Itmaybehardertopulloveronthestarterastheexcessfuelincreasescompression.
Ifthishappens:

1. Removethesparkplugandcarefullywipedrytheelectrodeswithacleanragbefore
settingtheplugsafelyaside.
2. Holdthecleanrag justabovetheplugholeandpullthestarterropesmartlyafew
timestocleartheexcessfuel.
3. Reinstallthesparkplugandopenthethrottleabiglessthanhalfway.
4. Slowlypullthestarterrope tocheckthatcompressionisbacktonormal.
5. Smartlypullthestarterrope intheusualwayuntiltheenginestarts.
6. Bringthethrottlebacktoasteadyidle.
For“hotrestarts”youmaynotneedtochoketheengine.Checkthatthefuel lineisfullof
gaswithout any bubblesandsmartlypullthestarterrope.Iftheenginedoesn’tstartaftera
fewpulls,thenmanuallychoketheengineasaboveandslowlypullthestarterropeuntilyou
canfeelfuelwettingyourthumborfingerbeforeremovingitfromthecarbventuri.Slowly
pull the starter one more time to check the engine is clear, and then pull smartly until the
enginestarts.
2:Breakingin theengine
Toensurelonglifeandgoodperformancefromyourengine,youMUSTbreakitinproperly.
To obtain the optimum fuel for your engine, mix 87 or 90 Octane regular pump gas with
100% Synthetic Quality oil at a ratio of 16:1 (6% oil). Another choice for oil is quality
marine outboard engine oil. Operate your engine at about 1/2 to 3/4 maximum throttle
opening during the breakin process. DO NOT run at full throttle while breaking in your
engine. Patience is very important here;the boat will run more slowly during thebreakin
processandtheengine’soutputpowerwillincreasegraduallyoverthefirst34tanksoffuel.
Oncetheengineisbrokenin,thepowerwillincreasesubstantially.
3:CarbSettings
TheXP254McomeswithaM39ProModbarreltyperacingcarburetorasmentionedabove,
and the carb has been preset at the factory. However, it may require adjustment to
compensatefordifferentambientconditionssuchasvaryingtemperature,humidity,altitude,
etc.Thecarbhasthreeadjustments thelowandhighspeedneedlesandtheidlescrew.

#1: The LowSpeed Needle: The low speedneedleoftheM39carburetorishidden in the
center of the carburetor barrel. You need to use a small precision flat blade screwdriver to
adjustit.WhenadjustingtheLowSpeedNeedle,apply Loctite#222ontheneedlethreadin
ordertoholdtheneedleinpositionduringoperation.TheLowSpeedNeedleissetat661/2
turnsoutfrom fullyclosed(orfullyscrewedin).
Note:whentheM39carbisinstalledrotatedinyourboat,itisnoteasilytoadjustthelow
speed needle when you plan to make small adjustment to the low speed needle, you will
eitherneedtotakeoutyourenginefromyourboatoruninstallthecarbfromtheenginetodo
the little adjustable, however, once you set the low speed needle correctly, you will never
needtoadjustitagain,fromourtimelesstestingonourPromodM39carb,thelowspeed
needlesetto661/2turnoutwillworkwellonbothstockormodmotor.Andthecarbwas
Presetat6 turnoutfromourfactory.
#2: HighSpeed Needle: The HighSpeed Needle is set approximately 2 plus 1/2 turns out
fromfullyclosed.
#3:IdleScrew:SetthisatthelowestRPMwheretheengineidlesreliablewithoutstopping.
Screwingtheidlescrewinwillmakeyourenginerevfaster.
Note:Pleasetakeouttheidlescrewfromthecarbafteryoucompleteyourradiosetting.
4:Carburetor AdjustmentTips
When adjustingtheneedlesfromtheirstandardsettings,movethemonly1/8ofaturnatime.
Checktheresultsthenadjustfurtherasneeded.Neverattempttotunethehighspeedneedle
byrunningtheengineatfullthrottleoutofthewater!Thisisverydangerousanddamages
the engine. The following tips may assist in setting your carb for optimum engine
performance.
A:LowSpeedNeedle
Iftheengineiseasytostart,andidlesalittlerough(rich),andrespondswellwhenyouopen
the throttle with a brief show of smoke throughthe exhaust, then the low speed needle is
closetobeingcorrect.Iftheenginetendstohesitateorbogdownwhenyouopenthethrottle
quickly(especially whentheengine is cold), or ifthe idle speed is too highevenwith the
throttlebarrelnearlyclosed,thelowspeedneedleisprobablytoleanandyouneedtoscrew
itout(1/8ofaturnatatime).Iftheenginefloodseasilyandishardtostart,thelowspeed
needleisprobablysettorichandyouneedtoscrewitinslightly.
B:HighSpeedNeedle
When this needle is correctly set, the engine will run cleanly, accelerate well from half
throttle without hesitation, and will not lose RPMs during turns. It is tempting to lean the
highspeedneedletooptimizethemixtureforpeakpowerandonwaterRPM,butgoingtoo
leancanberiskyastheenginewillsufferfromoverheatingandreducedlubrication.Thiscan
leadtodamageorshorterlifeforyourengine.IftheenginestopsorlosesRPMswhenyour
boatisrunningonthewater,thehighspeedneedleisprobablysettooleanandyouneedto
screwitoutslightly.Iftheengineisnotrunningcleanlyandseemstohesitateornotreach
peakRPMs,thenthehighspeedneedleisprobablysettoorichandyouneedtoscrewit in
slightly.Runningwithaslightlyrichmixturemaycauseasmalldropintopspeed,butitwill
allowyourenginetoruncoolerandwithgoodlubricationforreliabilityandlonglife.

Step 11: LaunchingAndRunningYourBoat
*Beforethefirstruneachday:
a)Carefullycheckovertheboatasexplainedinpreviousstepstoensurenothingislooseandthatallthe
coolinglinesarecorrectlyattached.
b)Ifthereareotherradiocontrolmodelsinthevicinity,checkwiththeoperatorsthatyourradioisnot
onthesamefrequency.Ifitis,makearrangementstorunyourmodelsatdifferenttimes.Thisstepdoes
notapplyifyourradioisonthe2.4GHzbandasthisautomaticallyselectsanavailablefrequency.
c)Turnonyourradioandcheckthatit isoperatingcorrectly;carryoutarangecheckasexplained in
yourradioinstructionmanual.
d)CheckthatyourFailSafeisworkingcorrectly.
e)Lookaroundandensurethattheareawhereyouwillbeoperatingtheboatisclearandthereareno
people,otherboats(modelsorfullsize)ordebrisinthewater.
f)Studytheareawhereyouplantoputtheboatinthewaterandcheckthattherearenoobstructionsor
weed,andthatthewaterisdeepenough.
g)If otherRC boatsare running, especially ifit is an RCBoatClub area,find outany rulesabout in
whichdirectiontheboatsrun.Inmostcases,boatsruninaclockwisecircuit(ieturningtotheright).Do
notrunyourboatinadifferentdirectiontotheothers,andkeeptoanydefinedcircuit.
h)Ifotherpeopleareclosebywhereyouarestartingyourengine,makesuretheykeepclearoftheboat
especiallykeepthemwellawayfromtheprop.
i)ReviewallthesafetyproceduresmentionedatthestartofthisManual.
j)Makesureyouhavesomemethodofretrievingyourboatshoulditstoponthewaterforanyreason.
Never swimout to retrieve a boat. Somepeople have asmall inflatabledinghytheyuse as a "rescue
boat".Ifyourlakeorpondisnottoobig,youcanuseatennisballonalonglengthoflightline.Throw
theballoverthestalledboatandgentlypullonthelinetobringbacktheboat.Ifindoubtaboutrescue
methods,checkwithyourlocalRCBoatClub.
*Fillthegastankandstarttheengineasexplainedearlier.Waitafewsecondstoensuretheengineis
runningcorrectly.Momentarilyadvancethethrottleandcheckthattheclutchengagestospintheprop.
*Fittheenginehatchtotheboat,ensuringthelatchesaresecure.
*Whilstyoucanlaunchtheboatyourself,itisbesttohaveafriendtaketheboattothewaterwhileyou
hold the transmitter. If you do launch yourself, practice first without the engine running so you can
safelyputtheboatinthewater.Itmaybebesttofirstputthetransmitterinasafespotnearthewater's
edgebeforeputtingtheboatinthewater,ratherthanriskdroppingitwhilecarryingbothitandtheboat.
*Whencarryingtheboat,alwayswatchthatnothingisclosetothepropandthatyoukeepclearofother
people.
*Gentlyplacetheboatinthewaterwiththefrontpointingoutintoacleararea.
* If other RC boats are running, make sure they are well clear before slowly pulling the transmitter
triggerandacceleratingyourboatawayfromtheshore.
*Allowtheboattoriseonplanebutkeeptoaroundhalfthrottleandcheckthesteeringbyoperatingthe
rudder.
*Assoonasyoucan,whilstallowingforanyotherboatsorcircuitkeepingrequirements,bringyour
boatbackpastwhereyouarestandingandcheckthatwaterisflowingthroughbothoutlets.Getintothe
habitofcheckingforwaterfloweverytimetheboatgoespast.Weedordebrisinthewatercanblock
pickupsatanytimeandquicklycauseoverheatinganddamagetoyourengine.
* Enjoy running your boat, gradually increasing speeds (but remembering to properly breakin the
engine)andbecomingfamiliarwithhowyourboatturnsandhandlesindifferentwaterconditions.
*Whenyouareready,preparetobringyourboatbacktotheshore.Dothisbeforeyourenginerunsout
of fuel.Thegastankshouldgiveyouabout20minutesrunningtime.
*Checkthatotherboatsareclearbeforeyouleavetherunningcircuit,thensteerintotowardthebank
andbringtheenginebacktowardanidle.Iftheclutchdisengages,justopenthethrottleabitagainuntil
theboatmovestowardyoubutkeepatalowspeedsothatyoucaneasetheboatsafelynearthebank

beforeallowingittodrifttoastopbeforeithitstheshore.
*Stoptheenginebypushingthetrigger.
*Haveyourfriendpickuptheboatandbringitbacktothestand.Ifyoudothisyourself,firstputyour
transmitterdowninasafeplace.Rememberthattheengineandexhaustwillbehot,sobecarefulnotto
touchthemastheboatispickedup.
*Placetheboatbackonitsstand,removetheenginehatchandturnofftheradio.
*Allowtheengineandexhausttocoolbeforegettingclosetothem.
*Checktheinteriorofyourboattoseeifanywaterhascomeonboard;ifso,carefullyclearitaway.If
thereisa lotofwateronboard,findoutwhereitiscomingfromandcorrecttheproblem.Somewater
willusuallygetonboard,especiallywhenrunninginchoppyconditions.
*Generallycheckovertheboattoseethatnothinghascomeloose.
Step12: ProcedureShouldYourBoat FlipOver
* Sooner or later, all high speed RC boats will flip over. You should drive to suit the conditions to
minimisethechancesofthishappening,butit'salmostinevitablethatcircumstancesonedaywillresult
intheboatturningoverdespiteyourbesteffortstoavoidit.
*Retrievetheboatwithyourrescuemethod(inflatabledinghy,tennisballonalineorothermethod).
Note: Beawarethataflippedboat couldbefull of waterand consequently bevery heavy. Becareful
whenliftingitoutofthewater,andallowallthewatertodrainoutassoonaspossible.
*Holdtheboatverticallywiththebowupsothatanywaterdrainsoutoftheexhaustpipe.Thenputthe
boatbackonitsstand.
*Removetheenginehatchandgentlytrytopullthestartercord.It'squitelikelythatwaterwill have
enteredtheengineanditwillnotpullover.Donotforceit.Doingsocouldcausedamage.Iftheengine
doespullovereasily,seeifitwillrestart.Ifitdoes,allowittorunfor30secondsorso,thenresume
runningyourboatnormally.
*Iftheengineishardtopulloverorwillnotstart,removethesparkpluganddrytheelectrode.
*Withthesparkplugstillout,holdyourboatupsidedownandpullthestartercord10orsotimes.This
willexpelmostofthewaterfrom insidetheengine.(Note:Youmayneedafriendtohelpwiththis
althoughyoucandoitbyyourselfwithpractice.)
*Puttheboatbackonitsstand,reinstallthesparkplug,andgentlypullthestarterrope.
*Iftheengineisstillhardtopullover,orwillnotstart,repeattheabove3steps.
*Oncetheenginestarts,allowittoidlefor30secondsorsotocheckitisokay,thenstopit.
*Checkyourservoboxtoensurethatwaterdidnotgetinside,Ifitdid,stoprunningtheboatfortheday.
Cleanup the boat as usual(see the next Step) and take it home.Removeall theelectronics from the
servoboxandcheckthemforcorrectoperation.Ifthereisanyproblem,haveitfixedbyanexpert.
* If the servo box isdry, restarttheengine and relaunch the boat. Run it for 3to 5minutesat half
throttletoclearanyremainingwateroutofthebearings,thenresumenormalrunning.
Step13: AfterRunningYourBoat
* Attheend oftheday'srunning, wash all over theboat with freshwater. Washthehardware onthe
backoftheboat.Dryeverything,andthensprayallthehardwaregenerouslywithWD40orasimilar
waterdisplacingandlubricatingproduct.
*Ifyouhavebeenrunninginsaltwater,youmustflushthecoolingsystemwithfreshwater.youcan
adaptagardenhosetoprovideasupplyoffreshwaterwhileyouidletheenginefor3to5minutes.
*Holdtheboatverticallywiththebowupandallowanywaterorexcessoiltodrainoutoftheexhaust
system.
*Removetheflexshaftfromtheboat,dryitoffandspraywithWD40orsimilar.Keeptheshaftoutof
the boat until you next run it  this allows the inside of the stuffing tube to dry out. Remember to
regreasetheshaftwhenpreparingtonextruntheboat.
*Sprayall overand aroundtheengineandtheexhaust system withWD40 or asimilar product,then

carefullywipeeverythingdown insideandoutsidetheboatwithacleanragortowel.
*Removethecoverfromtheservoboxandcheckthattheinsideisdry.Leavethecoveroffuntilyou
nextruntheboattoavoidcondensationformingandpossiblydamagingtheelectronics.
* Every couple of months, it is worth removing the engine and clutch from the boat and thoroughly
cleaningtheinteriorofyourhullaswellasunderneaththeengine.
* The hull ofyour boat is finished with thehighest qualityautomobile paints andthe most advanced
paintingtechnologyavailable.Inordertokeeptheclearcoatshininganddurable,youshouldapplyan
automotivewaxpolisheverytimeafteryouusetheboat.Thiswillalsoprotectagainstdamagecaused
byfuelorotherharmfulchemicals.
EnjoyYourArrowSharkRCBoat!