Engine Tuning Tips (Part 2)

To determine whether the mixture is too rich or too lean, listen as to how the engine dies out in the idle test. If the engine’s RPM revs up at the last moment and then engine dies the mixture is too lean. To correct this, turn the low-end mixture screw counterclockwise (out) 1/8 of a turn (always make adjustments in 1/8 turn) and retry the idle test. If, on the other hand, it begins to wind down and you notice a change in how the exhaust sounds in the last few seconds, then your engine is running too rich. To correct this, turn the low-end mixture screw clockwise (in) 1/8 of a turn and then retry the idle test.

The air and the fuel pass into the engine through vacuum method. The mechanism that is responsible to pass this fuel and air in specific proportion is the carburetor. Adjusting the carburetor would ensure how much of this gas/air mixture reaches the engine and to what proportion of gas to air passes on to the engine. By reducing the amount of fuel per volume of air, the mixture would be come – lean; and by increasing the amount of fuel the mixture would become – rich.

Most of the changes would not be visible for sometime. You shall need to give a dry run to the engine before the adjustments to take place and be visible. Running on lean side may give temporary thrill but running the engine on the rich side would give better engine performance. Changes in temperature also affect the tuning. Change in temperature or weather condition would require tuning of engine.

Along with increased experience in learning the “Sounds” of a glow engine and use of a quality temperature gauge, will make you an Ace at tuning your engine… Tuning your Models engine is not “rocket science” and is fairly easy once you completely understand the how the carburetor works and the effects it has on your engines performance and sound. With some time and experience, it will become second nature to you… just be patient and perspective and the knowledge you gain will take the voodoo out of this great hobby.

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