Tower hobbies ST-15 engine problems

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jdeadman@gmail.com - 21 Jul 2006 20:08 GMT

Hello Please help.

I bought a Tower hobbies ST-15, Nice little truck but when it get's
hot there are air bubbles forming in the fuel line. I know it's when
it get's hot because when I try to force fuel into the carb, once it
hits the carb it pushes very hard back from the carb kina like it
boils. the engine isn't that hot but I can't seem to keep it from
boggin down due to bubbles. I've tried a very rich setting but it
starts bogging down with too much fuel

why is this happening for one if I put a fan on the carb/cooling head
will that help? will less % nitro run cooler? please help I'm
getting flustered and no cash to buy a new motor.

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Doc - 22 Jul 2006 02:02 GMT

> Hello Please help.
>
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> will that help? will less % nitro run cooler? please help I'm
> getting flustered and no cash to buy a new motor.

Somewhere between too rich and too hot is where you want to be. Use small
adjustments on the HSN (like 1/8 turn at a time) until you get it right.
What kind of terrain are you driving on? Medium-to-Tall grass will overheat
a .15 in no time.

Doc

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crabbdean - 27 Jul 2006 08:10 GMT

Being new to this ... I can imagine bubbles in the fuel line aren't
desirable. I noticed this on mine the other day. Not bieng a racing
guy, although I may work up to that, are bubbles necessarily bad for a
beginner like me? Does it damage the engine? Is it just a matter of
tuning to get rid of them?

Ta
Dean

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Doc - 27 Jul 2006 23:34 GMT

> Being new to this ... I can imagine bubbles in the fuel line aren't
> desirable. I noticed this on mine the other day. Not bieng a racing
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Ta
> Dean

Dean,

Yes, bubbles are bad. What's important is WHY the bubbles are there. There
are two reasons:

1) Hole in fuel line
2) Engine is overheating, fuel is boiling/evaporating inside the carb and
blowing fuel and bubbles out of the cab, thru the fuel line back towards the
fuel tank.

A few little bubbles here and there are normal, a constant stream of bubbles
or several large bubbles indicates one of the two above scenarios and needs
to be immediately rectified.

An on-board temp gauge such as MIP's is highly recommended for nitro newbs
in my book! I'm an experienced tuner and I still use em'. Some will balk
at this idea and to them I say: would you drive your 1:1 vehicle w/o a temp
gauge or idiot light of some sort?

Doc

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crabbdean - 28 Jul 2006 04:06 GMT

Ta Doc, that helps. I'll keep my eye on it. I bought a Venom temp
guage. Definitely worth the money. It also monitors for loss of
battery power in the car and loss of transmission signal. In either
case it brakes the car. It saves you from those run-away smashes. The
temp guage can also throttle control your car if the temp gets too
high, based on whatever % you set. Not sure if MIP (then one you
talked about) does that but its pretty cool. I've convinced my brother
to get one too because he's spend hundreds of $$$ on run-away smashes.

Anyway, thanks again.

Dean

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DanTXD - 28 Jul 2006 08:31 GMT

> An on-board temp gauge such as MIP's is highly recommended for nitro newbs
> in my book! I'm an experienced tuner and I still use em'. Some will balk
> at this idea and to them I say: would you drive your 1:1 vehicle w/o a
> temp gauge or idiot light of some sort?

On board temp gauge - pfff ;-)

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Dan

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Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Land Models / July 2006

Tower hobbies ST-15 engine problems