More cantankerous nitro hassles!

With all the fun I've had as of late bringing two long-neglected nitro models back to roaring and thunderous life, I decided to roll up my sleeves and attack yet another nitro project that got kicked to the corner a long time ago...and it isn't even mine.

In today's spotlight, one out-of-production Team Associated RC10GT RTR, complete with blister-inducing pull start.

Now, before I continue, if you ever wish to see the most amateurish video production ever produced for enclosure with a world-class product, get hold of the videocassette of Cliff Lett and Gene Husting explaining how to tune the engine. The jump cuts alone are worth the price of admission. I endured it last night before attempting to play with the truck today.

My wife and I gave this to our son about three Christmases ago as a way of making up for the fiasco he'd endured trying to get his Savage 25 running properly (see an earlier post to learn of its fate). He's since moved out but has expressed no real desire for me to send the RC10 his way. In fact, he'd like me to keep it here since he has no room in his new place.

Wonderful. Another orphan.

The issue with this little monster is typical: It starts, it runs, it stalls and becomes impossible to restart even though it doesn't appear to be overheating. As a result, this truck has logged very little runtime.

So, off came the fuel tank with its old, stale fuel sloshing at the bottom and out came the nitro car spray cleaner. Truck is now looking good as new with minimum application of elbow grease thanks to that low runtime, so in went fresh receiver batteries (the transmitter batteries actually worked), in went some fuel and outside I went.

In the desert. In July. In the monsoon season. With flies buzzing in my face and sweat stinging my eyes.

What I don't endure for my hobbies.

It ran pretty much the way I expected it to; when it did die and the restarting fun began, I brought myself to the verge of heat exhaustion.

After I did get it to restart, things got weird.

The idle speed began increasing on its own, so much so that the brake was ineffective. Throttle response was nearly instantaneous and boy, did it scream right up to the point where I was finally able to cut the engine.

"Post mortem" examination revealed that the flywheel had become loose. By that I mean I examined the model and engine before "dissecting" the model. To Associated/Thunder Tiger's credit, there wasn't any damage.

One thing I did learn from the videocassette was the ability to use an airplane starter motor with the proper wheel to bump-start the engine at the flywheel in lieu of a starter box.

Just so happens that I have a spare starter which I will gladly give my son. I also have the perfect excuse to replace the flywheel with the slightly larger kit version. Since the engine is currently off of the chassis, I used the opportunity to set the low speed, high speed and idle exactly the way the factory said they should be. Can't hurt; can only help.

The upshot of all this is simple. My son gets a running, easy-to-start model once its dialed in, his fiancee's children get to see a real R/C truck in action and yours truly gets that truck out of the house.

There's a method to my madness, eh?