Help a 1st timer get started on gas RCs

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terente0081

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Hello all, this is my first post here, so please treat me as noob.
I just placed my order for a FG Baja Buggy 4WD Competition, equipped with Mecatech Twin piston hydraulic brakes and mf-Raceline Evo G260CS engine and some other extras, mainly protections for the air filter, pull start, kill switch and shocks.
It should arrive in about 2 weeks; I live in Romania, ordered from www.rc-car-online-shop.de .
I suppose the car will come with the standard FG clutch. Normally, I go directly for an aftermarket clutch, but not knowing what's better for this car, I decided to stick with the stock one for now. Is a better clutch needed for this model?
Now, the big questions:
1. How should I go about break-in. What's the procedure for gas engines?
2. Do I have to check the temperature as often as with Nitro? And retune all the time? Or gas engines are more stable? Do I have to keep the engine at a certain temperature for good operation?
3. Do gas engines work OK in the winter when humidity is very high and air temperature very low? What precautions should I take?

Thanks
 
terente0081 said:
Hello all, this is my first post here, so please treat me as noob.
I just placed my order for a FG Baja Buggy 4WD Competition, equipped with Mecatech Twin piston hydraulic brakes and mf-Raceline Evo G260CS engine and some other extras, mainly protections for the air filter, pull start, kill switch and shocks.
It should arrive in about 2 weeks; I live in Romania, ordered from www.rc-car-online-shop.de .
I suppose the car will come with the standard FG clutch. Normally, I go directly for an aftermarket clutch, but not knowing what's better for this car, I decided to stick with the stock one for now. Is a better clutch needed for this model?
I would keep with the stock clutch until you need an upgrade. There are no real issues with FG clutches or shoes.
Click to expand...
Now, the big questions:
1. How should I go about break-in. What's the procedure for gas engines?
https://www.largescaleforums.com/showthread.php?t=2761
Click to expand...
2. Do I have to check the temperature as often as with Nitro? And retune all the time? Or gas engines are more stable? Do I have to keep the engine at a certain temperature for good operation?
No, set it and forget it except for extream cold.
Click to expand...
3. Do gas engines work OK in the winter when humidity is very high and air temperature very low? What precautions should I take?
In the winter you may have to richen the needle setting a bit. It will have to be quite cold though.
Click to expand...
Thanks
Click to expand...

By the way, welcome and great to hear about your new purchase. What type of radio are you going to use?
What type of kill switch did you get?
 
BtB, thanks for your answers and thanks all for chiming in. I have checked the how-to on engine tuning, it seems a bit easier than Nitro.
I will use a Spektrum DX3R TX with SR3100 RX. The only problem I foresee is that I don't have enough room in the receiver for a failsafe module. I have to think of a passive way to secure the car in case of power loss from the batteries.
I thought the gas engines had kill switch on them, right? The protective cover is this.
Is there a need to go with a different switch?
 
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terente0081 said:
BtB, thanks for your answers and thanks all for chiming in. I have checked the how-to on engine tuning, it seems a bit easier than Nitro.
I will use a Spektrum DX3R TX with SR3100 RX. The only problem I foresee is that I don't have enough room in the receiver for a failsafe module. I have to think of a passive way to secure the car in case of power loss from the batteries.
I thought the gas engines had kill switch on them, right? The protective cover is this.
Is there a need to go with a different switch?
Click to expand...

hi mate if you get the battle switch or the killer bee kill switch they should fit in there! as for runnin in you could always go the voo2doo route and nail it from the getgo not everyones advice but i did it work for him check out his cars and see how they run mate :cool2:
 
charlieboy said:
hi mate if you get the battle switch or the killer bee kill switch they should fit in there! as for runnin in you could always go the voo2doo route and nail it from the getgo not everyones advice but i did it work for him check out his cars and see how they run mate :cool2:
Click to expand...

Charlie, the problem with the kill switch is the following; The SR3100 has 4 connectors on it. Battery connector, Steering, Throttle and Aux. FG Baja Competition uses 4 servos. 2 for the steering and the other 2 for acceleration/brake.
The 2 steering servos will be linked and plugged into a single slot on the receiver.
The 2 other servos the control the braking and acceleration are separate and use the Throttle and Aux channels. That leaves me no free room for the kill switch.
I don't know if controlling both servos for throttle/brake like the ones for steering will work... I would have to have the car in front of me to check that. If it works, I will def. unite those as well and keep the Aux channel free.
 
terente0081 said:
Charlie, the problem with the kill switch is the following; The SR3100 has 4 connectors on it. Battery connector, Steering, Throttle and Aux. FG Baja Competition uses 4 servos. 2 for the steering and the other 2 for acceleration/brake.
The 2 steering servos will be linked and plugged into a single slot on the receiver.
The 2 other servos the control the braking and acceleration are separate and use the Throttle and Aux channels. That leaves me no free room for the kill switch.
I don't know if controlling both servos for throttle/brake like the ones for steering will work... I would have to have the car in front of me to check that. If it works, I will def. unite those as well and keep the Aux channel free.
Click to expand...

ar right mate i see now :blush: when i was runnin cable brakes on the front and rear i used two servos connected with i y connector and it worked fine, but i never ran two servos on the steerin at the same time so sorry bud can't help on this one :no::no:
 
Charlie, perhaps I can run a Y cable on my throttle/brake servos. I am not sure if they have to turn in the same direction to brake. If they do, I can use a Y myself and then I would use just 2 connections on the receiver (I use a Y on the steering already).
Be it the case, will any failsafe module work? Can I take the OFNA failsafe off the Nitro Hellfire and put it on the FG?
 
using the SR3100 RX you already have the user set failsafe built in...

but to be sure there is the newer pico switch that replaces the larger battle

switch.....check out on uk ebay item number 150388217031 its under MCD

in the radio controlled section......you should be able to cut into the 2 wires

from the servo to what ever you plug into the aux bay on the receiver and

solder the 2 wires from the pico switch onto them:)....make sure afterwards

that you tape up the bare section of wire:clown:
 
Trebor said:
you should be able to cut into the 2 wires from the servo to what ever you plug into the aux bay on the receiver and solder the 2 wires from the pico switch onto them:)....make sure afterwards that you tape up the bare section of wire:clown:
Click to expand...

I wasn't aware I can connect a failsafe on the same channel with a servo. That can easily be solved with a Y splitter cable, without cutting into the wires. Thanks mate!

@BtB: that's also a good ideea. How does a servo programmer work? What can it do to help the situation?
 
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I thought you had to have them on separate channels? I guess it depends on the type and features of the kill switch. Setting it up like that will eliminate the shut down feature.
 
terente0081 said:
Charlie, perhaps I can run a Y cable on my throttle/brake servos. I am not sure if they have to turn in the same direction to brake. If they do, I can use a Y myself and then I would use just 2 connections on the receiver (I use a Y on the steering already).
Be it the case, will any failsafe module work? Can I take the OFNA failsafe off the Nitro Hellfire and put it on the FG?
Click to expand...

hi mate you can use the small failsafes from the nitros (i had one on my leo b4 i get the kill switch) but you will only get the throttle protection if you loose signal from the trans if the battery for the rec dies or disconnects then it will keep goin (till it hits something or someone) or if the throttle jams then you wont be able to shut it down like you can with the kill switches, hope this helps mate :cool2:


just had a look at the comp baja and from what i've read you do run the servos connected together bud as long as you use some good quality servos though, they don't say anything about using the aux channel:cool2:
 
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There is a slight change in plans. I have decides to change the radio equipment, so I can keep the Nitro too and be able to run them together.
I will get a Futaba 4PK TX/RX, 4 channel. It won't be a problem connecting the kill switch on that one.
The only thing is, the only kill switch worthy on that site, where I got the car from is this one: link
Will this do?
 
check out on uk ebay item number 150388217031 its under MCD in the

radio control section...this is the small pico switch with a very bright

LED attached believe you me the:helpsmilie: LED is needed
 
Doesn't the one I posted do the same thing? It's just not named the same, but it's a radio controlled kill switch, that will turn off the engine with a button on the remote, or kill the engine if receiver power is down, transmitter power is down.
It's basically the same thing, just named different, isn't it?
 
terente0081 said:
Doesn't the one I posted do the same thing? It's just not named the same, but it's a radio controlled kill switch, that will turn off the engine with a button on the remote, or kill the engine if receiver power is down, transmitter power is down.
It's basically the same thing, just named different, isn't it?
Click to expand...

it probably does the same thing bud but i've not seen or heard what they're like! i use the one listed on ebay and a few of my mates have used them without any problems, there are so many on the market now mate so i guess it's personal preferance and what budget you have. i was guna go for the killer bee switch from killer rc in america untill i saw the ones on ebay, all you could do in my opinion bud is go for the one you've seen and try it ;)
 
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Charlie, that's exactly what I am doing; I am going to try that kill switch and hope it will do fine. If it doesn't work as it is supposed, I will send it back and get another one, perhaps one of the switches suggested here.

Right now I am looking for the different options I have, in case I want to upgrade different components. For example, I loved it when I changed the front diff of my Nitro with a Torsen diff. It handled so much better.
For this FG I would try a self locking diff in the rear and a torsen or visco lock on the front. Visco would be the better of the 2 for a buggy, but I don't know if they make such diffs for the FG 4WD.
Another good upgrade would be the shocks. Check these out: link
I have such shocks on my Renegade 800x ATV and they kick ass. If they work as they should, and the review say they do, these are a must have in the future.
 
kill switch

I've heard alot of people going on about these kill switches but I cannot justify the price.I put something on the forum a while back but cant find it so here is a circuit diagram of a simple kill switch you can make for about 50p! If you want a remote its a little bit more complex but if you have a basic understanding of electronics you'll find it simple.
Oh,forgive the drawing,I cant use paint)

Oops ,they should be set at normally closed.
J.
 
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