Tech Help, AE Engine

Associated does not service the engines in its kits, only the AE .15 engines in its RTRs.
Horizon Hobby services the Dynamite TNT engines at (217) 355-9511.
Ace Hobby services the Thunder Tiger engines at (660) 584-6704.
Hobbico services the O.S. Max engine at (217) 398-0007.

2 Where should I take the temp for my engine to get an accurate reading?

In the center of the head facing the glow plug.

3 After a minute of running it will just bog down. I tune it and it runs like a champ and all the sudden it will bog down.

Are you allowing the engine to come to temp before you start tuning it? If not, you are tuning a cold engine and then when it heats up the settings are incorrect. Start the engine and just run it a little for about 2 minutes, that will allow it to start warming and then you can adjust the High End Mixture.

Other reasons:
If your Engine bogs when full throttle is applied--
Low-speed needle is set too rich
Clutch engages to quickly
Glow plug is to cold
Percentage of nitro fuel too low

If your Engine bogs or dies at high speed--
High-speed needle is set too lean
Fuel flow is restricted
Piston and Sleeve are warm.

4 I need to know if my AE .15 engine is covered by the lifetime warranty that I see in the new ads? If so what do I need to take advantage of this offer?

Yes, your engine is covered! Here's the link for more info:
http://aedownloads.com/pdf/replacement_pol.pdf

5 I saw a guy who had bought a kit to convert the 10gt to accept a .21 engine.

The conversion to make a .21 engine fit is made by New Era Models, (603) 888-4453, using the Ultra chassis. New Era says it fits all versions of the GT, including the tub chassis versions. http://www.neweramodels.com/prod28.htm

6 Does it matter if I lengthened the fuel tubing to the carburetor by a centimeter or two?

It's best to have about 1 foot coming from the muffler to the tank. This will keep the pressure in the tank more equal throughout the fuel run. As for the length to the carb, a couple of centimeters more will give you a bit more run time, but too long and you will not have enough pressure to keep the fuel flowing from the tank to the carb.

7 I know you call the engine the AE.15 but really what engine is it?

The engine included with the RTR GT is the AE .15 engine, designed by Associated engineers and manufactured by Thunder Tiger. It is not a Thunder Tiger engine; you won't find it in Thunder Tiger's engine catalog.

8 What's stopping the motor from turning? It starts to turn, then it stops and the string rips.

First you need to check all the settings on the carb and make sure that they are correct. You will find the settings in your manual. As for pulling the cord, use small short strokes, it's not a lawn mower and you will continue to break the cord if you yank it in that manner. Also make sure you have fuel getting to the carb and that your glow plug is good and has a bright orange or red filament. If you pull on the starter rope and then it doesn't want to move anymore, you have a HYDRO LOCK, and you need to remove the glow plug and dump out the fuel that has not burn off then reinstall the glow plug and try it again.

9 When I tried to pull the pull starter it wouldn't wind back up. I loosened the glow plug and then the pull cord would slowly wind back.

Dirt and grime build up inside of the pull start generally are the causes of a non-returning pull start. Try cleaning it with motor spray and then lube the cord and pulley inside.

10 Would you suggest pulling out the carb restrictor?

You can remove it but the engine will wear out that much quicker and you may break more stuff also. Other car engines don't have it because most of them are not as fast as this one. If you want to remove it then you will have to reset the tuning starting points: Once you have removed the restrictor, follow these steps in order: 1) reset your idle gap to 1/16". 2) Reset your low end needle by turning the low end needle to the right till it stops, then bring it back out 2 1/2 turns. 3) Rotate the carburetor barrel all the way open and look inside the venturie. You will see a needle tip--that is the low end needle that you just adjusted and the housing that it points at. The gap between them should be as thick as a credit card. 4) To finish off, reset your high end needle by turning it to the right till it stops, then bring it back out 2 1/4th turns. 5) Start your engine and then fine tune the high end needle for performance and proper engine temperature. Remember--do not go above 260 degrees!

11 I have an RC10GT, and the engine is running way too high of an idle. I have tried adjusting the screw, but that does not help, neither does changing the fuel mixture. It wants to take off right after it starts and idles very high.

Make sure that your servo setting is set so the carb fully opens and closes. Check the adjustment knob on the radio to make sure it's in the neutral position. Without starting the truck, remove the air cleaner and turn on the power, then pull the trigger on the radio and see if your carb moves fully open and then close. Make sure you loosened the idle screw some first, then check the lever in front of the carb and make sure that it has not loosened up. Try pulling the throttle and check for the barrel of the carb to rotate full open and then closed. If you are still have problems I would clean and inspect the carb for something blocking the barrels rotation.

12 For the GT is it possible to change the engine from a pull start to a non pull-start?

You need to change the motor mount from the pull to the non pull version part #7770, you also need to change the fly wheel to #7610 and you will have to remove the pull start and get some type of back plate for your motor to cover the area were the pull start was mounted.

13 I wanted the GT kit for non-pull start engines, but the only kit the shop had was the pull start kit. What can I do to use a non-pull start engine?

Simply purchase the #7627, $11.00 non pull start engine mounts so you can install your non pull start engine. Purchase a non-pull start flywheel, #7610.

14 What is the largest engine ( ie. .12, .15, .21,...) that can be used for the factory team rc10gt?

.12 for racing, .15 for backyard bashing. You can install the .21 with New Era's conversion kit for the GT (see above).

15 What's the deal with glow starters? Do you use them with pull starts?

All two stoke R/C engines that have a glow plug require a glow starter. This is a battery powered device that you attach to the glow plug of the engine to make it hot [glow] so the fuel will ignite when first starting the engine. You should always "break in" a new engine. We cover this process in the RTR manual, so don't worry, you'll learn! The glow plug starter is to ignite the glow plug so it can start working. Once the engine starts, you remove the glow plug starter. This is common to almost all gas engines.

16 What effect does a shorter or longer tubing have on the performance of the engine?

The shorter the pipe is to your manifold the more torque you will have. The longer the pipe is from your manifold the more top speed your truck will have.

17 About how many pulls will it take to get the car running on a pull start?

On a cold engine average is about 8 to 15 but if there are minor problems with the adjustments then it can be between 15 and 35.

18 How do I break in my new engine?

When breaking in the engine it's best to break the engine in very rich for about 5 tanks worth. Then slowly start leaning it out.

19 I have a stock RC10 GT with a .12 CV O.S. engine. What effect would drilling out the exhaust port on the exhaust pipe have on the performance of the engine?

By drilling out the exhaust port you will make the engine run a little faster but it is not legal if you plan to race your truck.

20 My problem is when I re-fuel the truck. I have a hard time getting the fuel line to the carb to prime.

The best way to prime the carburetor is to put your car on the starter box and then as you're trying to start it you can pinch the line that goes to the pipe. Do this just briefly. This will push just enough fuel into the carb to allow it to start. If you have a pull start all you need to do is simply reach down and pinch the pressure line (or hold your finger over the exhaust hole) while you are pulling on the starter. This will give the tank the added pressure it needs to push the fuel into the carburetor.

21 What exactly does it mean that my clutch shoes are turning blue?

If the clutch bell is turning blue you may want to check to see if the brakes are on while the throttle is applied. If this is happening, the brakes will be trying to stop the truck when it should be going forward. The clutch is everything when it comes to accelerating your truck. I would check to see how your friend's clutch is cut and installed, it may be possible you have your clutch shoes on the wrong direction. By trimming more clutch shoe you are making the shoe lighter which will cause it to slip a little more than a full shoe would. But you have to be careful. Too much clutch shoe will bog down your motor, causing the clutch bell to turn blue. So before you do anything you should take a look at your friend's truck and see if there is anything different with his truck than there is with yours.

22 What is the effect when the clutch shoes on the rc10gt are turned around so that instead of engaging with the trailing edge they engage with the leading edge?

When the clutch shoes are engaging with the trailing edge it will allow the clutch to come on more smoothly than than if the clutch was engaging with the leading edge.

23 I have a pull start truck. My friend has the same truck, but different engine. His truck is faster than mine.

You are giving up about 10 percent of your horsepower with the pull start, but what hurts the most is it also reduces the output RPM.

24 My car doesn't start up when it's very cold.

Try using a hotter burning glow plug. This will help keep the motor running on cold days.

25 Can the RC10GT with a pull start be converted to a non pull start by changing engines?

The pull start version of the GT will accept both pull start and non pull start engines with modifications. The reason most people change the three parts that are different on the non pull start kits is that it lowers the engine about 0.140" which makes a difference in the truck’s handling. Remember, the pull start is part of the engine. We only change the flywheel, engine mount adapters, and manifold so that the engine will not be damaged when running because the pull start part of the motor case extends below the standard case housing.

26 I use the OS- CV-X engine and have just installed the MIP 4 in 1 Clutch. Ned help on carb. settings.

For the O.S. Max CV engine the starting settings are as follows. Set the high end needle at 1 7/8 turns out (this is the one where the fuel comes in). The adjustment range on this needle is normally 1 ¾ turns to 2 turns out. The low end needle is set at 1 ½ turns out (this is the one down by the fuel tank through the center of the throttle pivot arm). Its adjustment range is normally 1 to 1 ½ turns out. The final adjustment is the throttle stop screw. This is the small screw and spring on the body of the carb. It controls the half moon shaped opening at the base of the throttle bore under the air cleaner. The gap should be set to 1/32". This is adjusted with a small piece of 1/32" piano wire which we put inside the same bag as our air filter. Move the throttle to the closed position and adjust the screw so that the 1/32" wire just slides through the opening.

27 Dynamite engine. I cannot seem to get it to stay running. It turns off as soon as it starts. Sometimes when it starts it winds itself out without any throttle.

It sounds like you are a little lean on the low end needle setting. Here are the three settings I normally start with on a Dynamite engine. High end needle setting starts at 2 and ½ turns out. The low end needle (down by the fuel tank) setting starts at 1 and ½ turns out. The final setting is the throttle stop screw is adjusted so that the opening in the throttle body of the carb is 1/32". Since in your case the engine seems to rev up it sounds like the engine is lean at idle. To correct this you would richen the low end needle by turning it counterclockwise. This would add more fuel which will then bring down the engine temperature and the idle speed.

28 I was wondering if there was an advantage running a slide carb over a rotary carb on the GT.

On the larger displacement engines I have seen a difference, but on the smaller .12 engines I could not really tell if there was any difference. I think the design of the carb is more important than the style.

29 I just broke the engine in and was trying to set up the carburetor when the engine started revving high but the truck was not going anywhere.

There are a few things to look for. The first being the slipper. It might be possible that the slipper came loose. If this is so it will cause the engine to over rev and not go any where. The second thing would be to look for a broken pin where your wheel connects to the axle in the rear. Sometimes these pins can break which will cause the engine to over rev.

30 What are signs of a worn out engine? does it lose power?

It begins to lose power and it may be hard to start. It will be real hard to get the engine to idle properly.

31 Does the factory team head for the .15 do anything for performance?

In most cases the head will allow you to run the engine slightly leaner (more speed) without an increase in temperature.

32 Can I run a TRX engine in my RC10GT?

You cannot run the TRX engine on the GT.

33 How do I run a slide carb?

See top of pgae: Mounting a slide carb.

34 I have an AE.15 and it is starting to spit raw fuel out of the front of the motor behind the flywheel.

Sounds as if the bearings need to be replaced.

35 Is the AE .15 still eligible for the lifetime engine exchange warranty since the AE .15X replaced it?

Yes it is. It would be replaced by the 15X.

36 I have run approx. 7 gallons but the pull start is locked. and I tried warming it up and it still gradually idles off.

With 7 gallons of fuel through the engine it may be time to rebuild it if you are having trouble with the idle.

37 Does this car have reverse?

None of our AE engines have reverse.

38 I've got an older style GT with an internal one way bearing. Can I switch to the newer style starter shaft and one way in the pull starter?

Yes you can. The two parts that you will need are #29058 and #29050.

39 My GT motor blew up due to an air filter falling off. Would a .12 engine be faster or quicker than the stock .15 engine?

It really depends on the .12 used. If you were to put in one of the many race .12s out on the market it would be noticeably faster.

40 What would be the difference between a roto starter and a drill starter?

They are both basically the same. They both use a hand-held starting box/drill.

41 LRP Z.28R Spec 3 engine: what kind of glow plug should be used on this engine?

You can use the McCoy #MC59 plug.

42 My RC10GT leaks oil where the exhaust connects to the engine.

You will want to inspect the condition of the gasket between the header and the engine.

43 Why would I need to keep the glow plug igniter attached to keep it running?

You shouldn’t. If you have to then your engine is running too rich. Lean the high-speed needle out slightly.

44 Which one of your engines be good for racing with a top speed of about 40?

Our .15 engine is a strong engine that when broken in and tuned properly can propel the truck to the 35-40 mph range.

45 What is the difference between a standard shaft and an input shaft?

A standard shaft is fully threaded and inserted into the crankshaft. An SG shaft is machined from the same piece of metal as the crankshaft.

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