Trucks Running Eng temp

[Billfitt]

Hope everyone is having a good day,

what is the target running temp of the Traxxas 3.3 eng?

I tuned my new Eng and was pretty happy with the way it ran. I had smoke on acceleration and the eng responded to throttle input with out hesitation.

I noticed that the temp was as high as 300 after enjoying some wheelies and speed runs. I’m observing the temp from the Traxxas telemetry. The temp did drop as I eased Up on the truck.

here’s some specs and what I’ve done to control the temp better.
im using Traxxas 20%
lowered body as much as possible to expose heat sink to fresh air.
cut front and rear windshields to allow more airflow.
richen fuel as far as 4 turns on high speed needle.

is this normal and I’m running the truck too hard or is there‘s an Eng problem I need to find or correct.

thanks
bill

 

[RandyDSok]

I can't answer the question directly but some general info is always good.

All new engines should be broken in according to the manufacturer's instructions. This varies depending on how it was constructed. This rule applies to all engines including the full sized vehicles we drive. There are some ( or at least used to be ) that are pre-broken in but this is an exception and not seen often.

Engines and motors alike are never meant to be run at 100% throttle except for very small short bursts. Typically, each one differs like anything, you only want to run in the 75-80% range.

A little smoke is typical and can come from two causes... white or blueish smoke can be caused by fuel not being completely burned ( rich ) as well as from the lubrication used in the fuel itself.

Also I'd remind you that the users that read these posts/threads ... come from around the world. So I'd recommend that you also post which unit your info is referencing... ie 300 F ( or 300 ° F ) for example... or mph/kph, mm/inch, etc. Of course it was obvious you mean °F since otherwise if it had been °C it would have been equal to 572 °F ..

 

[Billfitt]

Thank you for your reply. I had completed the break-in procedure per Traxxas. Another factor I failed to mention was ambient air temp. Yes I was referring to temp in Fahrenheit.

I did find this info in my tmaxx manual:

High-Speed Fuel Mixture Adjustment
With the engine warm and running at a rich setting, gradually lean
the high-speed fuel mixture in 1/16 turn increments. Make several high-speed passes after each adjustment to clear out the engine and note any change in performance. The TRX 3.3 is extremely powerful. Remember to apply the throttle gradually to prevent wheelies or loss of control. Continue this procedure until there is no longer any performance improvement. If any one of the following conditions occurs, the fuel mixture is already past the maximum safe lean setting:
1. There is no longer any performance improvement.
2. The engine begins to cut out at high speed (Danger!).
3. There is a sudden loss of power during acceleration (Danger!).
4. The engine begins to overheat. Symptoms of overheating include:
• Steam or smoke coming from the engine (not exhaust).
• Hesitation or stalling during acceleration.
• Popping or clattering sound when decelerating (detonation). • Fluctuating idle speed.
• Temperature measurement above 270° F at the glow plug
(A temperature reading above 270° alone does not necessarily indicate overheating. Look for other symptoms of overheating combined with temperature for a more accurate warning).

I guess the point of all this is I should run full throttle only occasionally and mainly use 70-80% throttle.

thanks again

 

[Tony]

For the 3.3, they suggest 270ºF as the max temp, however for short bursts, 300ºF spikes may not be bad, but try not to make a habit of that high of a temp. It will wear out the engine quite quickly.

I would say for a back yard basher, try to keep under 250ºF. Spirited bashing, 270ºF. And remember, the humidity in the air will adjust the AFR (Air/Fuel Ratio) so you have to keep constant eye on the temp. Back in the day, we had to pay over $100 for a temp gun. Now you can get them for like $5 lol. And Telemetry... Oh what a dream back in the day that is very much a reality now.

Most importantly, just have fun!

 

[Billfitt]

I was running my tmaxx today it suddenly stopped moving but the Eng revd up. I spoke with Traxxas and they suspected the slipper clutch failed. I did find that all the shoes were missing.

my question is could the slipper clutch failing cause the overheating issue with the Eng.

this is my first truck so any reduction in power or noticeable noise difference went unrecognized by my inexperience.

thanks for your thoughts and guidanc.

bill

 

[RandyDSok]

If there is a direct metal to metal contact between the clutch and engine... then any heat the clutch was making could certainly move over to the engine.

If it isn't directly coupled together, then it would have little direct reason for any heat to transfer other than just running the engine at higher revs because of the loss of a good lock up on the clutch and the loss of energy being transferred to the clutch. In other words, trying to make up for the loss and running the engine at a higher throttle setting would be the cause.

 

[Billfitt]

Hate to bring this up again but I’m still having issues with Eng temp on my Traxxas 3.3 Eng. I recently changed my fuel to VP master brasher 20 with 14% oil. The truck ran well on it and had plenty of smoke. In fact it was running so rich when idling oil would drip from the exhaust.

While running the trk without the body on it the temp still rosed above 270 hitting close to 300. I was not even spending a lot of time at full throttle.

this morning I saw the YouTube video (). This guy was running his Revo at over 300 with plenty of smoke and no concern at all about temp.

I think I may be too concerned on temp and just enjoy the tmaxx. I’m going to remove the temp gauge from my telemetry so I cant even see it.

what you all think of this plan?

thanks

bill

 

[D.O.G.]

I think I may be too concerned on temp and just enjoy the tmaxx.

That's what I would do

 

[Tony]

Just make sure you have smoke coming out that exhaust at all times! If it stops smoking even for a moment, it could burn a hole in the piston. Now that the scary words are out of the way, have fun with it! lol

 

[rcslash2022#24]

On the breakin you should run it rich then 6th tank you can lean it out but alot keep the smoke steady and then find the sweet spot you will know when you do belive me you will .

 

[D.O.G.]

keep the smoke steady

Smoke is your friend