When the first tank is almost gone, bring the car in and shut off the
engine. Allow the engine to cool for 8 to 10 minutes before starting the
engine up again. Add more fuel. Start it back up and run the second tank
of fuel. Again allow the engine to cool before starting it up again.
The key to breaking in your engine is patience. During the break in
period , your engine may appear to malfunction with problems such as
stalling, inconsistent performance, and fouling out glow plugs. Don’t give
up. These are just a few things you may go through during the break in
period. Just keep it running, apply the throttle on and off as smoothly as
you can. Sudden bursts or quick releases of the throttle can stall your
engine. Soon after break in your patience will pay off with a well running
engine. The performance level of the
engine will be limited by the “rich’ fuel mixture which you will use all
during the break-in process. Once the engine is fully broken-in the mixture
can be “leaned out,” and speed and acceleration will increase. Because of
the rich fuel mixture and the wearing of the new parts, deposits will form
on the glow plug causing it to fail. Expect to replace the glow plug during
the break in period, and definitely when the engine is fully broken in and
the fuel mixture is leaned out.
Setting Engine for Normal
Tuning High Speed
As you approach the first 6-8 tanks running you can start to
GRADUALLY adjust you engine for normal performance. PLEASE NOTE any
adjustments need to be very small at 1/8th turn increments. You can then
begin adjusting the fuel mixture to maximize performance for your driving
needs. To lean turn the main fuel control needle in a clockwise direction.
This will allow the car to pull away faster and more cleanly, without
hesitation and increase the top speed. There should however still be a
noticeable smoke trail.
If the main needle is screwed in too far thus allowing the engine to
run too lean, it will seem to run strong at first, but will bog, hesitate,
or stall when running at high speed. The engine will also rapidly
overheat when the setting is too lean. This is because fuel includes
lubrication, and that lubrication is inadequate when the setting is too lean.
CHECK THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE OFTEN AS YOU LEAN THE MIXTURE. DO
NOT LET THE ENGINE OVERHEAT. You should always see smoke coming
from the exhaust.
At the optimum setting, the engine will clean out; have a strong-
sounding, high-pitched whine at full speed; and there will be a thin trail of
whitish smoke coming from the exhaust. It is always better to set the
engine a little rich rather than too lean.
If the engine stalls on acceleration, begins to bog or slow down at full
throttle, or if there is a reduction in exhaust smoke, then the engine is
running too lean. Immediately turn the high speed mixture screw
counterclockwise 1/4 of a turn and operate the car at medium speeds for
1 to 2 minutes to allow the engine to cool.
Tuning Low Speed
The low-speed mixture affects how the engine will perform in the low
to mid range rpms. Turning the low-speed needle clockwise will lean the
mixture. As with the high-speed
mixture, leaning the low-speed
mixture increases performance.
Again, if the mixture here is set too
lean, the engine may be starved for
lubrication in the lowand mid-rpm
ranges, thus causing overheating
and excessive engine wear.
Perform the following test to
determine if the low speed mixture
is set correctly. With the engine
warm and running, allow it to idle
for approximately 15 seconds. Now
quickly apply throttle and note the performance. If the engine bogs,
accelerates erratically, and a large puff of blue smokes emitted, then the
low speed mixture is too rich. Turn
the low-speed screw clockwise 1/8
of a turn. If the engine speeds up
for a moment then bogs, hesitates,
or stalls, then the low speed
mixture is too lean. Turn the screw
counterclockwise 1/8 of a turn.
Adjust the mixture screws in 1/8 of
a turn increments, wait 15
seconds, and retest after each
change. Adjust for the best
acceleration without the car
stalling.
Care and Maintenance
When you are finished racing for the day, drain the fuel tank.
Afterwards, energize the glow plug with your glow plug starter and try to
restart the engine in order to burn off any fuel that may remain inside the
engine. Repeat this procedure until the engine fails to fire. Try to eject
residue while the engine is still warm. Finally, inject some corrosion
inhibiting oil, and rotate the engine to distribute the oil to all the working
parts. Do not, however, inject the oil into the carburetor, for it may cause
the O-rings inside to deteriorate. When cleaning the exterior of the engine,
use WD-40. Do not use gasoline or any solvents that might damage the
silicone fuel tubing.
Cleaning the air filter. When the air filter starts to get dirty, do the
following steps:
Step 1. Clean the foam with fuel. Do this by pouring a little fuel in a small
can and kneading the filter in the fuel. When it looks cleaner, then
dispose of the fuel.
Step 2. Dry the filter. Squeeze out the fuel with a paper towel until it’s dry.
Step 3. Apply Associated’s #7710 Foam Pre-Filter Treatment to help keep
the dirt out. Dab the treatment all around the filter, put the filter in
a plastic sandwich bag, and knead it until the filter is saturated,
but not soaked.
Troubleshooting
Glow Plug Problems
The glow plug in your engine is an inexpensive consumable item
which must be replaced periodically to maintain peak performance and
starting ease. Most often, any starting problems or erratic performance
can be traced back to the glow plug. The glow plug should also be
checked if the engine’s acceleration and top speed performance suddenly
becomes flat. The only sure way to test for a faulty glow plug is simply
install a new one to see if the problem goes away. Remove the plug from
the cylinder head with a 5/16” nut driver. Make sure there is no dirt or
debris on top of the head which could fall into the engine. Do not loose the
copper gasket which seals the glow plug. Touch the glow plug to the
contacts of the glow plug starter. All of the coils should glow white.
Sometimes the first few coils will not glow while the rest are bright, most
likely indicating a bad plug. If the glow is dim orange, then the glow
starter battery should be replaced or recharged.
At the high rpm that the engines operate only a top quality plug will
cut the mustard. Therefore we recommend the use of either McCoy MC9
or RB #6 plugs.
Fuel Mixture
The fuel mixture is the largest variable you have to control while
operating your engine.
Fuel brand, ambient temperature, and humidity all effect how your
mixture should be set. If the engine runs great one day but runs rich or
lean the next day, it is probably the result of a change in the air quality
and temperature. This should be expected and adjusted for.
Although there are many fuels on the market, very few are designed
to perform and protect your engine at the likes of 35,000rpm that some of
our engines can attain. It is with this fact in mind, and our own in house
testing that we
ONLY RECOMMEND
the following fuels:
Byron RACE Gen2, Byron RACE Gen2
RTR and Model Technics Dynaglow.
Keep between 10 and 20% nitromethene
content for running and first use. The single
most popular reason for engine failure or
unreliability is poor or wrong fuel. These
fuels have been tested with our engines
and we are confident of their
performance.
OTHER FUELS MAY WORK
WITH OTHER ENGINES BUT
THE FUELS LISTED WORK
BEST WITH THESE ENGINES.
FAILURE TO KEEP TO THESE
FUELS MAY RESULT IN
DAMAGE OR REDUCED
PERFORMANCE AND VOID
ANY WARRANTY CLAIMS.
HIGH SPEED
ADJUSTMENT
IDLE
ADJUSTMENT
LOW SPEED
ADJUSTMENT
