Possible clutch shoe problem?
 

Just spent $40 more today on the Savage. everything ran good, fired second pull, all screws had lock-tite, temps were good, i had new glow plugs. then i as i was running the fuel out of the third tank, I noticed the engine started seeming like it was bogging down. It didn't seem like it had enough power to get going. just sort of lots of smoke, but really slow acceleration... then i could swear when I checked it out i saw smoke coming from the clutch area. could it be the clutch? A fried motor? :surprised: doubting it was the slipper clutch. and I have never adjusted the 2 speed... I don't think it would be the two speed because it wasn't pulling wheelies like it usually does. If this is related to the shoes, is this as simple as replacing them? I have done so much for this truck and I'm really getting tired of taking it apart. :diablo:

could be shoes, could be bearings, could be drivetrain binding. try spinning everything, nothing should bind

Good effin' luck with this hobby. :lol:

Check the shoes and springs. It sounds like a spring broke loose and let a shoe melt.

Did you temp the clutch? High temps anywhere is usually a sign of trouble and a very useful indicator.

Now i am thinking it was the spark plug. i was probably running too rich. took the clutch apart last night. all springs are good, and the shoes bounce back to the center right away. Spark plugs are going like crazy on me, and they aren't cheap. I will run it again today but make sure to check the temps and replace the $5 glow plug... and it's not that I hate taking the truck apart, it's just that I have spent hours working on it just to get it to this point, and all i want to do at this point is run it.

Enjoy playing with nitro. After you get the hang of it you have usually gone over to brushless anyway, and just end up tuning your friends nitro crap. Seems like when you tune someone elses stuff it always turn out better than if you tune your own...

Now that i think about it, ever since i got a new glow plug, i have been losing them rather quickly. maybe it's because the new glow plugs made my engine run different and i lost my tune!!! that would explain why i lost one glow plug the first run, and why i might of lost one last night! And i do want to do a brushless conversion, but in the mean time, this truck has $200 into it, and i don't want to quit now.

If the glow plug has gone bad, the engine usually wouldn't light at all. What %nitro are you running and what temp of plug? (ie cold, hot etc) Did you happen to take temps of the plug? If you look at the plug is it still silvery looking on the coil, or does it look more white? Is there a lot of black in the motor?

If you really think there was smoke coming out of the clutch area, its possible the F bearing is going out and is losing its seal, robbing you of compression and power.

Nitro engines are a freaking pain. So much little crap to break.

What are you talking about? Nothing will ever match the realism of a nitro motor, and the smell too. I can't believe anyone would want to convert away from nitro. Just spending hours getting one tuned is satisfaction for me. I can't wait until I can afford a really good 500 dollar nitro engine!

...and hope it doesn't die before the measly 10 gal mark lol.

I spilled a tiny bit of nitro in my car in Feb and it still smells in there.
IDK, truggies and small cars is def better BL. I do enjoy my Savage on Nitro tho. Its still faster on the nitro than the car can really handle as it is got those huge terrapins on it. It is sorta fun making alot of racket in a totally juvenile sort of way, but god, something is always going on with it. Leaking this or that, stupid tuning, clutches (I hate clutches, they break more than no other) glow plugs.... and I take care of it and no beat it or anything. I'd hate to see one that's been abused.

Oh well, buys me time until I figure out exactly how I'm going to convert it.

I prefer to sell them off new, morons will pay 100-150 for a rtr nitro motor...

Thought about it, but was a $150 rtr to begin with, and it has 2.5gals. I'm sure I can still get like $75-100 for the motor even w/ 3-4gals. :) The other upside is I get to take my time planning it out on what I want to do. Really want to fit a slipperential and some 165mm long batts inside the chassis.

20%, and a med glow plug. Did not take plug temps... The coil is still silver, but the outside is about the color of the oil that comes out of the exhast. Black in the motor, I am not sure. Not that I can really see.

I am trying to do a conversion, I really am... But it will take time, and in the mean time, I want to enjoy my nitro investment. It's still an R/C! :intello:

glow plugs wont cause it to be "boggy". Glow plugs can't fail and effect your tune. In order to properly tune a nitro a temp. gauge is hugely helpful. If you temp check for us we can help you better.

(I can tune a nitro w/o a temp gun, but I'm likea god or something)

I will temp when I get home. Right now i am still listening to my CCP teacher talking about who knows what...